Benefits of Landscape Edging
Landscape edging, sometimes referred to as a landscape border or a garden border, is a way to define specific areas of a lawn and give it a manicured appearance without spending a lot of money. There are many practical benefits to adding edging to your landscape. Whether you want to add curb appeal or enhance your backyard, lawn edging can:
- Give you a cleaner mowing and trimming line
- Define a path or walkway
- Reduce trimming and weeding time
- Keep mulch where it belongs
- Provide a root barrier to prevent invasive lawn grasses from entering flower beds
- Show off flowers and shrubs
- Complement and contrast the house and landscape
- Adapt to straight or curved areas with equal ease
Types of Landscape Edging
- Wood Landscape Edging: Styles range from natural finish to decorative "fence" versions. Landscape timbers and railroad ties are also popular for larger areas.
- Composite Landscape Edging: Made from recycled wood products and offers the texture of woodgrain.
- Metal Landscape Edging: Gives a commercial look and is long-lasting.
- Plastic Landscape Edging: Available in rolls or decorative "fence" styles.
- Edging Stones: Give a more formal appearance. Use precast concrete or brick in a saw tooth/zigzag pattern.
Installing edging is a simple project. The ground should be soft and not soaked or frozen. Cut a shallow trench or groove into the sod and lay the edging into the cut area. Some edging is set onto or pushed into the ground. Both plastic and metal edging need to be secured with stakes.
Plants such as mondo grass, Dusty Miller or other seasonal annuals can act as living edging. For a different type of natural edging, use a garden spade to cut a V-shape into the sod.
Landscape Border Ideas
Incorporating edges into your gardens and flower beds is easy when you have the right materials. Here are some flower garden edging ideas to give you some inspiration.
- To create a gorgeous, sophisticated border for flower beds, ideas using metal edging are recommended. It's relatively easy to install but can be hard on your hands. You can add some ground cover or flowers to spruce up its sophistication. To protect your hands during the installation process, wear work gloves.
- An affordable option of edging for grass or edging for a garden is plastic. It isn't the most glamorous type, but it's great if you're working with a budget. It's also available in short sections that are easy to install. Meticulously placing plants and stone around this edging will make it more pleasing to the eye.
- A preferred choice of edging for many homeowners is recycled rubber because of its long-lasting appeal. It's constructed from old, recycled tires and other sources of recycled rubber and is nearly indestructible. However, it is not quite as visually appealing as some other types of edging for a lawn.
- Another durable and attractive type of landscape border is poured concrete, but it should be poured by a professional to avoid costly mistakes.
- If you're looking for one of the best edgings for lawns then consider using bricks and pavers because they're easy to install and create a clean, attractive line. Use a rubber mallet and a level to make sure your brick and paver borders are straight. Think of creative grass edging ideas for your brick edge wall to make a statement, such as putting the bricks at an angle to create a herringbone border.
- A visually dynamic material that can make a great flower bed border is natural rock. Choose rocks that are similar in size and shape, then line them up next to each other to create a natural border. You can also paint them if you're looking to have a stand out garden space.
You can also create edging for a garden using just a shovel if you don't want to invest in edging. To edge the lawn this way, use the edge of a flat shovel to cut the grass away from a particular area and create a clean, sharp edge.
Low-Maintenance Landscape Edging Ideas
To create an edging for grass that leaves a long-lasting impact in your landscape, read Create a Border Using Edging Stones.