Brick border in backyard

I very wisely decided not to pour a concrete footing* for the border in my back yard. Instead I'm using a moderately expensive plastic bender board (~$25 for 20' at Home Despot and well worth it) to make a sinuous border and forming a mowing edge with bricks that have come from around my house and a neighbor's.

For me, confidence and impatience was key to moving ahead: Building confidence required a conservative estimate let me know that enough of one type of brick to do the whole back yard border, enforcing some simple design rules to eliminate questions I had about using some granite rocks in addition to the bricks, and cost containment forcing me to use materials already at hand for free. Additionally, should I ever decide to change the border I'm not faced with a difficult concrete footing, except as mentioned in the footnote.

I've installed the first 10' or so three times, most recently today when I finally was able to convince myself that I could to press ahead and complete about 50' of border.



There's not many native plants visible in the photo. This corner of the yard has only a stressed yarrow-looking plant that may be Eriophyllum confertiflorum (Golden yarrow). Plants with the common name of yarrow have at least two genuses (genii?): Achillea and Eriophyllum. This confuses me a bit.

Not visible, but poking its head above ground is California polypody fern that I thought I killed last summer with too much water. It really wants better drained soil than I'm providing.

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* Actually, I poured 15' or so of concrete footing (in perhaps 2005) before realizing it was a mistake (in 2006 or 07!). I've never claimed to be a quick learner, but it was clear soon after pouring the footing that it would be too costly and inflexible. I'll leave the footing and use it to back some bricks as if it were bender board, so it's not completely wasted effort.