Garden edging is the border between different surfaces in a landscape. Stores carry all manner of materials you can use to separate your grass from your pavers, or your bark mulch from your pathways.
But before we start making any choices, we need to know: what are we using this edging for?
To stop grass? We actually shouldn’t use a material, but instead make a cut or trench in the soil. This exposes the soil to the air, which in turn prunes the shallow roots of grass. This is best and most effective way to prevent turfgrass from sprawling and spreading across and into areas you don’t want.
To ease mowing: provide a low, wide border. This lets a mower’s wheels roll over it easily, while still preventing grass growth on this area itself. This kind of edging is especially helpful under fence lines.
To stop mulch: here, the most important thing it to make sure the garden edging material isn’t set too deeply. Instead, make sure there’s an inch or two–deeper for a coarser mulch–which juts up above the ground level.
To beautify a line: here your options are nearly as boundless as your imagination! Choose a color and material which matches your landscape design and can withstand the weather for your site.