Landscape Edging Ideas

Landscape edging ideas clearly delineate the elements in your front yard or backyard landscape. Edging acts as a barrier between grass or another ground cover and small border gardens or more expansive flower beds. If you were to visualize your landscape as a drawing, landscape edging would represent the lines that separate one color or texture from another.

As you explore landscape edging ideas, use pictures of landscapes in online galleries or home design magazines to inspire ideas for creative alternatives to the traditional materials. Once you investigate the edges that are most commonly used by professional landscapers, you may be motivated to explore different materials to express your own personal tastes and style. Any sturdy, safe material that acts as a barrier between your plants and the surrounding inexpensive landscape can feature in your landscape edging ideas.

Purpose of Landscape Edging

Installing landscape edging isn't always necessary, and many homeowners enjoy less formal, structured ideas when they're planning their gardens. If you prefer to have your planting beds well defined, landscape edging ideas provide a decorative barrier along the outer edges of your gardens. Thoughtfully chosen materials can harmonize with your ideas to enhance the theme of your yard. Mortared brick and stone or cement barriers can also keep grasses and weeds from invading your cultivated herbs or flowers.

Creative ideas for the edges and borders of your gardens act as visual accents to highlight the colors and textures of your plants. Look for materials that draw the eye without upstaging the flowers or shrubs, themselves. The beauty of landscape edging ideas is that so many materials can be used or repurposed to implement your ideas. Old bricks, stones, shells or driftwood can be brought into play to define your flower beds more clearly.

Well defined stone or wood borders keep your flower and herb beds neat and tidy. With a solid border, the soil, mulch, cedar chips or other materials in your beds will stay in place rather than being scattered across your lawn. Although a brick or wood border won't necessarily keep kids and pets from trampling your flowers if they're determined to do so, the borders can act as a reminder that certain areas of your yard are off limits to foot traffic.

If you have walkways leading to your house, consider lining them with colorful annuals and defining the beds with wedges of wood to draw attention to the paths, keep them free from dirt and debris and add definition and detail to your landscaping. An ornamental flowering tree surrounded by a circular bed of perennials can be edged with scalloped metal, plastic, wood rounds or brick. Browse through your local home improvement outlets, nurseries or hardware stores for diverse landscape edging ideas that will give your yard the extra touches that set it apart.

Types of Edging Materials

Homeowners who are concerned about the environment and prefer to practice sustainable gardening may appreciate renewable landscape edging ideas. Natural edging materials like redwood, bamboo or field stone are renewable materials that can be used and reused throughout your gardens for years. Driftwood and timber can be incorporated into your ideas for a theme that's both natural and sustainable.

Stone and brick edges are visually appealing and highly effective at maintaining a barrier between your mulch, plants and lawn. Bricks and stones can be mortared together for a more permanent, lasting structure. Alternatively, you can stack stones loosely to create more flexible boundaries that can be adjusted as necessary. Keep in mind, however, that weeds are more apt to invade loosely arranged stones or wood elements than securely mortared rock or brick.

Unique landscape edging ideas can express your personal style and make your yards thoroughly your own. If your yard features overgrown, vivid gardens, consider an asymmetrical border to complement the natural look. Minimalist stones or wood rounds complement an Asian garden. A border of driftwood, shells and well worn beach glass is a creative alternative to conventional brick and stone. Old railway ties can be utilized around the edges of a square or rectangular bed.

Plastic and metal make highly effective, movable boundaries. Plastic strips are also very affordable and come in a variety of colors and styles. Metal is versatile and adapts to almost any landscaping theme. When you're shopping for metal borders, look for painted or rust-resistant brands.

Landscape edging ideas can make the difference between and ordinary yard and an eye catching showcase. With a little creativity and exploration of hardware stores, nurseries and online suppliers, you can find attractive, lasting materials that will set off your plants and enhance the curb appeal of your home. Draw friends and guests to your house with well planned, beautifully edged flower beds and walkways that lead them straight to your door.

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