Measure an L-shaped border without counting a corner twice

A border that turns a corner often gets measured as two full strips. The shared corner then appears twice in the order. A rough sketch makes this easy to catch.

Split the outline

Draw a line across the inside corner. Measure one rectangle all the way to the outside edge. Start the other at that line. Write the units on your drawing before putting the tape away.

Work through a corner

A long strip measures 12 × 3 ft. The short extension beyond it measures 5 × 3 ft. Together they cover 51 square feet. At 2 inches of mulch that takes 8.5 cubic feet. If the extension was measured as 8 feet including the overlap, the order would include an extra 1.5 cubic feet.

Handle curved edges

For a rounded strip take width readings at equal intervals. Use the average for a rough estimate, or divide the curve into shorter segments where its width changes sharply. Record that approximation on your shopping list.