- You might use your landscaping timbers to construct a raised bed garden. For a project of this type, either 3-inch-by-5-inch bull nose timbers or 4-inch-by-4 inch timbers are a good option. To minimize the amount of sawing required, design your raised bed to take advantage of standard 8-, 10- and 12-foot long lumber. Lay out your project in a sunny, level area. Overlap the timbers at the corners. For side-to-side strength, add some lateral timbers within the space. They will counteract the pressure of the soil, which could distort the bed's shape. Timbers used in this fashion are sometimes referred to as "sleepers" or "dead men." To provide vertical stability between the courses of timbers, bore them and drive lengths of concrete-reinforcing rod (rebar) through them and into the soil below.
- Adding a garden pathway through your yard is an excellent use of landscape timbers. Use them to form the borders of the path and fill the space between with finely crushed gravel or shredded bark. The timbers will prevent the fill material from migrating into your lawn and will form a visual guide as someone strolls along the path's length.
- If you wish, you could build a multilevel terraced garden. For a project of this magnitude, you might need to use 6-inch-by-6-inch timbers. If you will angle any of the sides, you may need to cut the angled timber ends with a chainsaw. This type of a garden will also require inserting rebar through the timbers to keep the entire structure from shifting. To drive rebar of the lengths required, you will probably need a sledge hammer.
- Stood vertically and set properly in the soil, your landscape timbers might double quite nicely as fence posts. You could use them in a corner to build an accent fence. In the area they border and partially enclose, you might plant a garden of favorite plants or build a small patio. Add a garden bench, a few solar-powered lights and you can transform an otherwise forgotten space into an secluded little nook.