21 Unique Landscape Edging Ideas to Add a Curb Appeal

One of the most important elements of garden design is garden landscape edging. If you want your garden to look tidy with clearly delineated grassy areas and flower beds, patio, and pathways, then garden edging is a must. Garden edging can be straight, curved, or even an irregular edge that clearly defines the space between the different features of your garden. It is also a technique to keep weeds away from your garden beds.

Edging your garden is one simple and essential step that many overlook, but this leads to the garden looking unkempt and untidy. Edging is arguably a little extra effort, but it goes a long way in giving an overall look a complete overhaul with a beautiful, tidy finish.

So, whether you are struggling with a new piece of garden or want to try new landscape edging ideas for your garden, some of these garden edging ideas could be your ideal source of inspiration.

What is Garden Edging?

Garden edging essentially means a method used to divide garden beds from their adjacent features like a flower bed, patio, or pathway. It can be used to separate the trees, beds, and walkways and can be designed using a variety of methods and materials.

While most common ideas of edging hover around using stone, plastic, or even metal to create physical barriers, there are now many other ways of achieving this depending on your needs and sensibilities. Here are some simple to extravagant ideas to achieve this look for your garden. Read on to know more.

21 Unique Lawn-Edging Ideas

1. Plastic Lawn Edging

One of the low-cost solutions for garden landscape edging, these are relatively easy to install as well and go well with most landscape designs. These are most commonly available as plastic pounds or on a roll. These are buried in the ground with about 1” visible above the ground to create a fairly seamless and elegant edging. The plastic roll edging is available in short sections which need to pound into the ground. Go with darker shades to create a classy minimalist look.

2. Seamless Metal Paver Edging

Metal edging is a solution of choice due to its versatility, longevity, and for being relatively easy to install. They give an earthy, rustic appeal to the lawn garden and are a practical solution for landscape edging ideas. They blend well into most backyards pushing the focal elements into consideration, thereby bringing more attention to the flower beds and so on. The aluminum paver edges are easily bendable and go around the corners just like plastic, and are more structurally sound.

3. Terracotta Garden Edging

This kind of edging is made from fired clay, and the earthy tones of terracotta blend well with the surrounding foliage and the earthy elements and materials. This kind of masonry edging makes sure that your focal elements are neatly enclosed with ample visual focus and interest. This is a timeless material that is easy to install and can also be very cost-effective.

4. Boulder Border

What better than adding natural elements to your outdoor space? Not only does it bring cohesiveness to the space, but it also is an unobtrusive choice of material for your lawn edging. This easy lawn edging look is very easy to install and is an easy DIY project. All you have to take care of is the sourcing of the boulders of different sizes. Next up is to place them along the edges of the lawn to create a visual break in the perimeter to create a natural boundary. This is an obvious choice of material if boulders of different sizes and finishes are already available on your property and you want to repurpose them in a beautiful way.

5. Hedge Edge

If you are someone with a gifted green thumb, adding hedge edging to your lawn could be an ideal option. These provide the perfect solution for lawn edging than other metal or plastic solutions. A well-manicured hedge looks both luxurious and inviting when used for edging. There are lots of options for using hedges as lawn edging, but make sure to use fast-growing shrubs so that you don’t have to wait endlessly for your hedge edge.

6. Brick Pavers

Brick is an excellent and low-cost solution for creating landscape edging on a budget. It is most likely that you already have them on you, and even if not, they are easily available. They are a frugal option and not only give proper definition but also provide a walkway if laid flat. If you are going for a more aesthetic look, try laying them slant so that they crisscross to create a stunning look. You can easily DIY this look by digging a trench around the lawn and setting the bricks down, and keeping them as level as possible. Getting everything level might be the hardest part. If laying them flat, they are very simple to install and will exude elegance and look stunning.

7. Pebble Moat

A pebble mat is an eye-catching feature if installed on the lawn. They give the impression of sleek lines, and you can use them to create leading lines of visual focus to make the entire lawn look contemporary and artistic. There are two ways to achieve this look, and one is to create a rock moat barrier about a foot wide and fill it with small pebbles. The other option is to stack large stones or pebbles. Before placing the edging stone, dig below the root level and level the ground for placing the stones. Place a line of flexible plastic edging into the ground on the lawn side to create a smooth edge.

8. Natural Rock Edging

Natural rocks are one of the most simple solutions, and they are such an eye-pleasing solution. Available in different sizes, shapes, and colors, they look stunning when placed on the lawn with the green foliage around them. You can line the edges with rocks of your choice but try to vary the sizes and shapes to create a better visual impact.

9. Gravel Walkway as a Divider

Gravel is a great way to surface the garden path and walkways. It comes in an array of sizes and colors and can be customized to fit any need. They need proper edging so that they retain the gravel effectively. For this, you can use granite setts, brick edging, block paving, and so on. They form sleek, clean lines which enhance the foliage around them. They can be used as walkways and patio boundaries and are a low-maintenance solution.

10. Bamboo Edging

A stunning low-cost solution for that zen garden of your dreams. They are a smart, eco-friendly option for a contemporary garden, and bamboo is ideal for different layouts and placement styles. It gives a sleek, uniform finish and looks stunning when used along with bamboo fences. These are easy to install and just need to be pounded into the ground.

11. Stepping Stones

Stepping stones are an excellent way to create lawn edging, which can also serve as a walkway. The walkway of stepping stones can be easily created by using traditional stone slabs, flat rocks, or tree stumps amongst the pebbles to create a walking path. You can also get creative and use innovative solutions to achieve this look.

12. Picket Fence

A white picket fence lends an old-world charm to your lawn or garden, giving it a quaint charm. If this is something that appeals to you and goes with the overall decor of your garden and lawn, then this is a nonfussy, classic option. It makes the garden look well-trimmed and sleek. They can be bought ready-made as such, or you can DIY them with any old hardwood and paint them with colors of your choice.

13. Marble Curb

Marble curbs not only look sophisticated but are also very durable. Marble being a natural material, lends itself well to usage in outdoor spaces. It can be polished to give a shiny look or left as such in its natural rusticity for a rugged unfinished look. To bring out the beauty of the marble with its natural character, you can use plain paving or pebbles and small rocks along the edging. This kind of edging will need the help of a professional for installation. Choose from a variety of stones in different colors, finishes, and textures for an understated Look.

14. Gabion Walls

Gabion walls are stone walls contained within a wire mesh or wire cage. They are used for boundaries around the garden and lawns. This kind of edging looks both modern and contemporary, giving the lawn a very rustic look. You will need a professional to install this kind of lawn edging since it needs a fair bit of technical work in leveling the ground and installing the wire mesh. The good part though is that they need no maintenance and are very durable and hence should last longer with much less upkeep.

15. Recycle Bottle Edging

Using recycled bottles is an innovative and unique use of material that can be easily found around the house and even be procured quite easily. Used wine bottles can be simply upturned and pushed into the ground to create an edge that can look both sleek and stunning. The best part of these is that they look stunning when they catch the light in the open spaces and give a beautiful, bedazzled look. This is an easy DIY and is very inexpensive.

16. Cement Edging

Cement is a great edging solution that gives a clean look to the lawn. This edging is very defined and gives the look of a well-manicured garden. This kind of edging will need the help of a professional to create a well-defined look. You can either use pre-made concrete blocks or do everything from scratch. The natural grey finish looks stunning against turf and gives an organized, tidy look.

17. Willow Edging

Willow edging, also called ‘wattle,’ is a natural lawn edging that is reminiscent of a classic English cottage garden. These wicker and willow edgings come in different handwoven designs and are mostly custom crafted as per your need. These are natural materials and hence need a fair bit of maintenance. The best part, though, is they are sustainable natural materials and blend naturally in the outdoor garden setting. They are fairly easy to install though they need regular maintenance.

18. Seashell Borders

If using natural materials in innovative ways is your jam, then adding a seashell border to your lawn could be your edging of choice. The natural and stunning finishes of seashells look stunning against the natural beauty, and they look both decorative and functional. They are also sustainable and look stunning. You can use a mix of small and large seashells in different colors and textures and mix them up for a stunning appeal. This could be an easy DIY project which you could take up yourself to create the satisfying lawn of your dreams.

19. Steel Edging

This is a very stable, durable option for lawn edging. It creates clean lines and smooth curves to the edging, which gives a very finished, sophisticated look. Steel edging is stronger than aluminum or plastic and is extremely long-lasting in outdoor spaces. The installation is fairly simple and easy. These are available in a plethora of colors, like black, green, and galvanized with durable enamel paint for maximum durability.

20. Scrap Wood

Use of scrap wood from your existing construction is one sustainable use of material for your landscape edging ideas. These look simple yet stylish and can be an easy DIY. You can use thin lengths of wood to give a neat border or use wood of differing lengths and sizes for a more rustic appearance. Use wood that resists rot, like cedar and redwood, and you can rest assured that your lawn edging will last a long time with less upkeep. These look tidy while making a decorative and artistic statement to your lawn.

21. Mixed Materials Edging

Mixing a bunch of materials makes sense to create a wholesome look for your rustic lawn garden. You can use a mix of wood, rock, metal, and plastic to create a stunning look for your lawn edging. You can use a mix of wood and rocks to border the trees and maybe use metal and plastic to line the walkways. The sky’s the limit when it comes to landscape edging ideas, and you can easily mix materials to create a beautiful lawn.

Choosing the Right Landspace Edging

We hope this list gave you some ideas to come up with inspiration for finishing your garden. Lawn edging is a great way to add curb appeal to your property and also keeps things neat and lined.

Just remember that it doesn’t need to be too expensive. Choose materials that are easily available or recycle those that are left over from your construction work.

You don’t need to restrict yourself and choose materials that can be used to create distinct boundaries, like logs or scraps, or even bottles. Lots of readymade options are available, too, if you would like to do this in a jiffy.

Seth Stenner, a professional snow removal specialist based in Langley, offers valuable advice on how to protect your landscape edging during the winter months.

He shares, “In my experience, even the most durable landscape edging can be vulnerable to damage during snow removal if it’s not properly accounted for. When I work on a property, I take special care to identify the edging and other garden features so that I can avoid damaging them while clearing snow.  If you have specific landscape edging, it’s a good idea to let your snow removal specialist know its location and type, so they can take the necessary precautions. I always recommend using clear markers before the first snowfall to help guide snow removal and protect your garden’s design elements.”

So which of these landscape-edging ideas appealed to you? Share your finished lawn edging designs with us in the comments.