How to build a Gabion Basket

Gabion Baskets can be used in lots of different ways within your garden. Use them to create a distinctive wall or a unique seating area and fill them with recycled glass bottles, driftwood or in this case, decorative stones.

Step 1: Choose a basket made of galvanised steel to prevent rust. If you’re making a seating area we’d recommend choosing a cube that is between 430mm and 510mm so that you’re seat stands comfortably above the floor.

Step 2: Prepare the area by making sure the ground where you want to put your gabion is firm, flat and cleared of weeds. Further prepare the area by laying a layer of membrane on top, to prevent weeds going through your gabion. Find out more about laying a weed membrane here.

Step 3: Build your gabion. Some gabions feature push-clips to hold the sides in place but the gabions we have used are held together with helicals. To use this style of gabion, raise the face and side panels so they are vertically together, then simply twist the helical along the joint, making sure you twist it to 90 degrees at each end.

Step 4. Choose your material. When choosing rockery, boulders and cobbles to put in your gabion basket make sure they are large enough not to fall through the gaps. This will depend on the size of the holes in your gabion, but we would suggest choosing a stone with a width of 100mm or larger. We have chosen Celtic Paddlestones and Duck Egg Cobbles.

Step 5.  Filling your gabion. You can choose a single colour of cobble or boulder for your project if you are trying to achieve blocks of colour in your landscaping but using a layered effect can be highly decorative and create an interesting feature.

It isn’t necessary to fill every gap between the stones but do try to ensure that you fill horizontally and to the top to prevent bowing in your seat.

Step 6. Finishing your seat. Once you have completely filled your gabion, helical the final face down and repeat the process in other gabions until you have reached the desired length for your chair. We have topped our gabion seat with a reclaimed wooden piece but many options are available.