Edging Garden Borders - Expert Tips for Gardening Success
Edging your garden borders is an effective way to define your garden spaces and give them a clean, polished look. Here are some expert tips for successful edging:
- Choosing the right edging: Consider the style of your garden before selecting the border edging. For a formal garden, brick or stone edging could work well. For more casual, natural gardens, consider using wood or a living edge of groundcover plants.
- Preparation: Prepare the ground before setting up the edging. This may involve removing grass or weeds and leveling the soil. If you’re using solid edging, you might need to dig a shallow trench.
- Installation: Install your chosen edging material following the manufacturer’s instructions, if applicable. Be mindful of the desired final height of the edging – you usually don’t want it too high above the level of the garden bed.
- Maintenance: Keep the edging clean and well-maintained. This might involve regular cleaning, painting or sealing wooden edging, or pruning and trimming living edging.
- Planting: Use plants to soften the look of hard edging materials. Small, low growing plants can be planted at the front of borders with taller plants behind.
- Flexibility: Flexible edging options, such as roll-out wooden or metal edging, can work well for curved or irregular-shaped borders.
- Practicality: Consider the practicalities of your chosen edging. Some materials, like loose pebbles, may spill onto paths, while sharp or hard materials may not be suitable for gardens used by children or pets.
With the right preparation and maintenance, edging your garden borders can greatly enhance the appearance of your outdoor space.
