Garden & Landscape Edging

The simplest and most subtle landscape borders that effectively separate your lawn from a garden are 50 to 100mm deep strips of steel, aluminium or plastic.

The metal lawn edging bends easily into smooth, graceful curves and stops the spread of grass roots.

However, painted aluminium and steel offer the sleekest, most refined garden edging look because they almost disappear against the grass and garden bed.

The plastic types of garden edging have a prominent black bulge along the top edge. All work best on fairly even terrain; if you have a lot of dips and rises, it’s easier to install a paver border.

Although aluminum and steel landscape edging cost about the same, we chose aluminum because it was much lighter. It weighs about 41 lbs. per 100 ft., while steel weighs about 225. With aluminum landscape edging, you get a professional look without the heavy lifting.

Plan to set the garden border with the top edge about 50mm above the soil level to maintain the lawn/garden separation and keep roots from crossing over the top. This makes the garden border almost invisible and allows you to mow right over the top. However, be aware that the top of the thin lawn edging can hurt bare feet. After cutting it, make sure you round off any sharp edges with a file.

The key to setting this garden border is to cut a clean vertical edge along the grass with a square spade. Then you can lay the garden border tightly against the edge when you stake and backfill it. There’s no rule for shaping the edge. Simply follow the edges of your lawn, making smooth, gradual curves.To make smooth, sharp curves, bend the metal lawn edging around a circular form.

The thicker landscaping edgers better withstand those inevitable bumps and hard knocks that go with lawn mowing.

Buying Lawn Edging

Steel landscape edging is the most common metal garden edging, although you might not find it at local nurseries.

Look for it at larger garden centers or at landscape suppliers, which is where most pros get it. (Search “Landscape Equipment and Supplies” online.) Steel garden landscape edging comes in 1m long strips in. Keep in mind that it’ll eventually rust, especially in a salt environment. It’s heavy, floppy stuff and needs almost full support when you transport it.

Aluminum garden landscape edging, besides being lighter and stiffer, won’t rust and is also available in a wide variety of colors. Look for it through landscaping suppliers, although it might be difficult to find. You might have to order it. Be sure stakes are included with your purchase.

You’ll find black plastic landscaping edging at every garden center and home center, sometimes in both regular and heavy-duty thicknesses.

Buy the thicker landscaping edging material. The thicker landscaping edgers better withstands those inevitable bumps and hard knocks that go with lawn mowing.