Edging can make or break a garden, yet it is one of the most frequently missed steps in planning out your flower bed. If you’re tired of traditional edging or want to express your personality, try these creative, out-of-the-box ways to section off your garden and give some definition to your yard.
Gabion wall
If you want garden edging that is super fun and unique but will still keep your plants where they belong, you’ll love building a gabion wall. Though this option is a little more DIY intensive than other edging on this list, the result will be more than worth your time and effort. Choose decorative smooth river stones to fill the wireframe and use other gabion walls as inspiration.
Recycled glass bottles
Less formal gardens with an eclectic flair will shine with this easy, eco-friendly edging idea. Instead of wasting your empty glass wine or alcohol bottles, stick them upside down in the dirt to create a fun, colorful edge. You can either use a rubber mallet to pound them flush with the ground or leave most of the bottle sticking out for a more artistic look. Use hot, soapy water to remove the labels and continue sticking bottles in the dirt as you collect them. If you’re not a big wine drinker or you have a large area you want to edge, ask friends to save bottles for you.
Cinder blocks
For a more streamlined, yet easily customizable edging, turn to the inexpensive cinder blocks. These are great for areas in the garden where you want a straight edge such as a vegetable plot. Place the concrete blocks on their sides and fill the holes with dirt, then plant short annuals in the space. You can also paint the blocks or use a concrete stain to change the color. Keep in mind that most stains will be full of nasty chemicals that you don’t want leeching into your garden, so it is essential to buy a natural stain without harsh ingredients.
Steel plates
Flexible pieces of steel edging can be a little challenging to install. However, once you are able to wrangle the unruly metal, all you have to do is stick it into the ground along your predetermined edge. As the metal is exposed to dirt, sun, and water, it loses its shine and develops an antiquated look that seems totally intentional.
Logs
Plain, unstripped logs make simple edging that goes great with a more rustic garden design or log cabin. Find old, fallen trees in the woods and cut them to the desired length. You can also tie the edges of the logs together with twine for an even more old frontier feel.
Plates
If you’ve ever been in a thrift store, you’ve probably seen hundreds of colorful plates with creative designs just wasting away on some shelf. While you may not want to incorporate this well-used dinnerware into your kitchen, it could be the perfect solution for your garden edging. Start gathering your collection at antique stores, thrift stores, and yard sales and mix and match sizes and colors. Stick them a few inches into the ground on their sides and create an eye-catching edge that is sure to be a conversation starter when guests go on a tour of your garden.
Natural rock
The garden doesn’t always have to have clean lines and straight edges. In fact, when is the last time you saw a straight line in nature? Embrace diversity and incorporate medium-sized natural rock into your edging. Use rocks with varied shapes and sizes to separate your lawn from your garden. This type of edging is especially great in gardens with larger plants such as bushes and trees since it may overpower smaller flowers.
Bricks
Depending on the style of your home, it may not work to embrace your wild inner side and utilize some of these creative options. If you have a more formal, traditional style house and are looking for an elegant edging option for the front yard, bricks are the classic choice for a reason. Look around your local area for anyone wanting to get rid of old, used bricks before buying new to help save money and give bricks new life. This is also a great way to balance out a full garden and create an edge that doesn’t draw attention to itself.
Do you have any creative edging ideas? Let us know in the comments below!
-Taylor Ramsey
