There is an array of edging materials to choose from, including metal, plastic, terracotta, wood, and plants or shrubs.
The most inexpensive type of garden edging is the one you do yourself. Here, a shovel has created a small trench in the dirt as a sharp edge between the garden and the yard. It's easy to install but does require regular maintenance.
Metal Edging
Metal makes for durable and sleek garden edging ideas that work well in modern and contemporary gardens. It is easy to install and relatively low maintenance, creating a clean and defined edge around lawns, flower beds or borders.
Wood edging can enhance your landscape and keep the soil and mulch inside your garden bed. Flexible backing and sturdy spikes allow easy installation in a straight line, circle or curve. The staggered height of a half-log design gives a natural-looking border.
Steel edging
Metal garden edging is supplied in rolls that can be easily cut to size. It's also flexible, making it easily adaptable to both curved and straight edges. Metal edging is highly durable and will require less maintenance than some of the other options here.
A self-propelled walk-behind lawn edger is a great investment for landscapers who are edging on a large scale, while a hand-held stick edger provides the same trim lines, takes up less space, and offers greater portability.
Just take a flat-edged shovel and dig straight down 3 inches along the outer edge of the lawn. Then dig a second slice that's at a 45-degree in the direction of the border or bed. So you'll end up with a trench that's straight downward on the lawn side and angled up to the border. Remove the extra soil.
Edging gives your grass a crisp line against your walkways and garden beds. It sounds simple, but trust me, it makes a HUGE difference! A nicely edged lawn can take your whole outdoor space from boring to "wow!" Plus, it helps keep your grass healthy, keeps weeds at bay, and even saves water.
Plants are a great way to add colour, texture, and life to your cosy corner. Choose plants that are easy to maintain, such as succulents, herbs, or low-maintenance shrubs. You can also use hanging baskets or vertical gardens to save space and add interest to your garden.
The best way to keep your mulch from washing away is by planning ahead. Valenzuela suggests installing physical barriers like edging, or using rocks, logs, or other natural materials. "Another effective strategy is digging trenches around garden beds to capture any mulch that moves during heavy rains,” Valenzuela says.
For those on a budget or with soft ground in shaded areas, plastic edging can be a great option. However, it's not suitable for everyone. In some instances, metal garden edging is the best solution.
Spades usually have a curved edge, which can make it hard to achieve the straight edge you're looking for. The half-moon edger was created for making crisp edges and is used much like a spade. Pros: It has a straight edge, which makes for a cleaner garden edge than a spade makes.
Another option is to taper the edge of the garden bed, so it is lower than the surrounding area. Once the mulch is applied, it too needs to be lower than the surrounding grass or walk to stay in place. Digging a V-shaped trench around your garden beds and filling it with mulch provides some additional benefits.
Using a Lawn Edger
Lawn edgers cut a trench between the grass and hedges or other areas using a very sharp blade. A lawn edger is a tool that you can use to trim the grass on the very edge of a lawn or flowerbed that the lawnmower may not be able to reach.
Plastic edging is an economical and DIY-friendly way to give garden beds, borders and outdoor spaces a clean, finished look. Plastic edging is flexible and easy to work with, making it an excellent choice for curved borders and round garden beds.
The Best Materials for Creating a Border in Your Garden
Possibilities include: simple blocks or bricks. stone. small boxwoods or other hedge-like plants.
A few of our favourite low maintenance plants include Buxus Balls, Cordylines, Eucalyptus, Fatsia Caster Oil, Ornamental Grasses and Palms and each of these plants are hardy and evergreen meaning you will have all year round structure within your garden displays.
Hostas – These are perfect for shady gardens. Their large, dramatic foliage comes in shades of green, offering visual interest and a neat boundary. Sedum – Sedum or stonecrop is a succulent that works well in various garden situations, including edging.
If you're looking for a material that can blend into the landscape, is easy to work with and is also exceptionally durable, then rubber landscape edging is the choice. Made from recycled materials, rubber edging is quite easy to install with the included spikes.