Tag: Edging Gardens

Best Garden Bed Edging Tips

Best Garden Bed Edging TipsAdding edging to your garden improves the overall look of your lawn and your garden as well as providing separation between the two. We found that it was much easier to mow the lawn with this particular type of edging since you can rest one wheel of the lawnmower on the stones. The stones are flush with the level of the lawn. Also when it comes to trimming the grass along the edge it is much easier as well to create a nice defined edge to the lawn. The brick is actually pavers that were leftover from another landscaping project. This is one of our preferred Best Garden Bed Edging Tips.

We did not bother with a gravel base. We just removed the amount of grass and earth we needed and placed the stones in place. Since they do not need to support any weight and we also want the pavers to move with the level of the grass, this works really well and is very easy to install. We tried this approach in another area of our property last year and it has worked quite well. the pavers have not moved and they do the job of separating the lawn and garden very well. It is an inexpensive way to create a really nice environment in your lawns and gardens.

Best Garden Bed Edging Tips – Types

There are a variety of edging materials in addition to the one that is shown in the picture. Many people use a flexible rubber liner. It is placed partially in the ground and extends an inch above the ground level. While this works effectively, it is more difficult to cut along the edge. It also means that you have to use an edger more often to keep the grass from getting overgrown along the edge. You can use any kind of edging. However, you will need to take into account how easy or difficult it is to mow the lawn and maintain the edging. We have tried this approach in past years. The plastic liner rises over time and becomes a nuisance. We would rather not use this liner at all.

Best Garden Bed Edging Tips – Maintenance

The stone edging that is shown in the picture requires virtually no maintenance. In was installed over one year ago and only one stone needed a slight adjustment over that period of time. The flexible rubber liner we had previously had to be readjusted almost every year. My money is on the paver stones for long term maintenance and overall look and feel. If you are concerned about the cost, check for sales. Check for leftover pavers in the fall at building supply stores. If a neighbor is replacing his patio, (this happened in our area), ask if you can have the pavers. Reuse these pavers to create a great looking edge for your lawn.

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Garden Edging Tips

Garden Edging TipsOver the years we have tried a variety of garden edging solutions and found that really only one stood the test of time in our opinion. We have used the black vinyl edge which comes in a coil. It has to be uncoiled and inserted partially into the ground in order to hold it in place. It does not look too bad the first year. But after that, it tends to become more exposed as the ground settles or the frost causes it to heave up. Our solution at that point is to either remove it or re-install it. We are not fond of either solution so we just do not use it any longer.

We have also tried just using a shovel to provide a clean edge. It looks great for the first week, then it either rains and fills in the edge, the grass grows and it just starts looking unkempt. With the pavers, we just use the grass edger or whipper snipper. It trims the grass back to provide a nice clean edge.

Garden Edging Tips – Natural Edge

We have also tried just creating a natural edge with a shovel or actually a spade. This works not too badly. However at least twice a year you have to go around and re-edge the lawn and the garden to make it look neat and tidy. Mowing the lawn is problematic. Either the wheel of the lawnmower goes into the groove you have cut or the lawnmower must be left back from the edge a little bit. This leaves an edge of long grass that has to be trimmed with a trimmer. This is more work and does not always look great.

Garden Edging Tips – Use Patio Stones

We have found the best solution is to use patio stones and an edge. Install then flush to the grass level. They provide a hard flat surface to place the wheel of your lawnmower on so that grass is cut to the edge of the patio stones. At times we also use an edger to trim the grass if it begins to encroach over onto the patio stones. Use a blower to blow away all grass cuttings etc off of the pavers.

The picture shows the installation and it has been in place for several years. As you can see these patio stones look great and they also have not moved. They were installed simply by removing the grass and some of the soil to allow a flush installation with the grass level. A base of crushed stone was not added as most experts might call for. The simple reason is that this edging is not a walkway and there is no weight placed on it. If it does move a bit, it probably will move with the level of the grass. All you need to do is take a few minutes and re-level it if needed.


Using Pavers for Garden Edging

Using Pavers for Garden EdgingWe had a number of patio stones left over from a patio that we built some years ago and were wondering what we should do with them. As you can see from the picture we are using pavers for garden edging to separate the lawn from the garden. They provide a nice border that separates the two and makes it easy to cut and trim the lawn as well. As you can see from the picture they provide a nice aesthetic addition to the property when they are used in relatively small areas. Installation is relatively easy compared to installing these same stones in a patio or a retaining wall by comparison.

Using Pavers for Garden Edging – Installation

These particular stones do not even have a base of crushed stone. All we did was remove some of the grass and soil to the appropriate depth. They placed the stones as shown in this picture. These stones in this picture have been in place for roughly four years and have not moved. They do not need to support anything and they do not need to stay flat. Instead, we want them to move with the lawn as it shifts over time.

This saves a great deal of work as well as expenses. If there was a retaining wall or if this was a walkway, we would have to excavate down to at least 18 inches and then fill with crushed stone that was then compacted. Not so with this simple border as a garden edging. They have not really moved in any noticeable way over the four years. It makes cutting and trimming the lawn very easy as a result.

Using Pavers for Garden Edging – Benefits

One of the benefits of edging such as this is that it is a lot easier to cut the lawn. We just run one wheel of the lawnmower along with the stones and cut the lawn at the proper height. There is no damage to any plants. The soil is not disturbed and if you use mulch it does not get picked up and distributed over the lawn.

From time to time we need to trim the grass since it begins to encroach over the stones. This task is also much easier as well since the pavers or patio stones provide a nice flat surface. There is a well-defined edge to trim too. Consider this approach as a simple means of establishing garden edging. Using pavers for garden edging is relatively inexpensive as well, especially when you have some left over from other projects. They also add a decorative look to your lawn.


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