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Guide to Garden Lawn Edging

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Garden edging is used to create clean crisps lines dividing parts of your garden.  The one thing that can spoil your perfect lawn is if the edges are untidy where the grass is growing into the adjacent borders.  Lawn edging will allow you to create and maintain crisp edges without the need to continually be using your edging spade or shears.

What are the different types of garden edging?

Simply put there are 2 main types of edging.

  • Edging which is level with your lawn so you can mow over it.  This is perfect for keeping your lawn and path or flower bed separate and will help prevent grass seed and weeds getting into your plants or the foundations of your path.
  • Edging which sits above the ground acting like a retaining barrier, keeping soil etc. from falling onto your grass, often called border edging.  This is great at creating attractive raised flower beds and allows you to have your garden on more than one level.

What are the different types of lawn edging material?

Metal or Steel

Steel is one of the more common metals used for lawn edging, it is an extremely versatile product and galvanised steel in particular. The best galvanised steel products have a powder coating to provide further protection as well as allowing the product to come in a variety of colours.  All our steel products are galvanised or stainless and coated to provide the best protection as without this protection steel which is exposed to water will begin to rust.

Steel is by far the strongest material and will withstand extreme temperatures as well as providing structural integrity.  It will also be durable and depending on the product is extremely flexible for such a strong product.

Steel is a more expensive lawn edging but the EverEdge range comes with a 15 year guarantee.

Aluminium

Is a durable and versatile product which can handle extreme weather conditions.  Aluminium does not rust due to its naturally corrosion resistant properties even without being treated.

Another excellent quality about aluminium is that it is extremely flexible so using it to follow the natural line of your lawn is easy.

The main drawback of aluminium is the price, it is typically over 60% more expensive than galvanised steel.

Plastic

This is a very popular material for lawn edging and its biggest factor is the cost as it is cheaper than the other products at about half the price per metre of galvanised steel.

Plastic edging is predominantly mow over edging and is very durable and versatile and will not rot or rust when exposed to the weather.  Our top selling plastic brand of Smartedge is made from UV and frost proof polypropylene which means it will not crack or fade.

Most plastic edging is made from recycled materials and is also very flexible so will allow you to shape your lawn as you please.

Recycled Rubber

As these products use recycled tyres this makes them extremely eco-friendly.  Their design will bring style to your garden and they are a fantastic alternative to using heavier stone or concrete.

Rubber edging is durable and will not damage or crack in extreme weather conditions. As a flexible product rubber edging can be used to create smooth curves around your borders.

As a mow over edging it is slightly cheaper than galvanised steel but only comes in one height, while as a border edging it is more expensive than wood but more durable.

Wood

This is a classic and rustic looking lawn edging which is predominantly used for border edging rather than mow over edging. 

Wooden lawn edging is pressure treated to prevent rot and weathering and it can’t be easily painted or stained so you can blend it into the surroundings.  It’s biggest downfall is that while pressure treated it will be rot resistant it isn’t waterproof and if the wood gets continually exposed to water then it can begin to expand with excess water and then contract when it is drier and over time this can cause the wood to split or splinter. Additionally, wooden edging can be susceptible to mould and mildew.

Wooden border edging that comes in rolls is the most flexible border edging available and is perfect if your border is curved.

To view our lawn edging range click here.

How do you cut the line for lawn edging?

If you are wanting a straight line on your lawn then use 2 pegs with a piece of string tied between them.  Then using an edging spade follow the line cutting the grass in small sections.

If you are wanting to have a curved line on your lawn then using a hose pipe and laying it out on the lawn is ideal.  You can easily adjust it to get the effect you desire and then using your edging spade you can cut the grass along the line of the hose.

What is the best Landscape Edging?

EverEdge Classic Lawn Edging

EverEdge produce as extremely high-quality steel lawn edging, using galvanised steel which is inherently less likely to rust or corrode than other types of steel, their edging is also protected with a powder coating which provides an extra barrier against the elements.  Additionally, the powder coating has allowed them to offer a variety of colours.  

This edging comes in 3 different heights and is great for mowing over.  Its solid structure makes it a very durable product and is a flexible product which will allow you to shape the edging around your lawn rather than the reverse.  The spikes which form part of the design makes it extremely easy to install and the interlocking design ensure it keeps its clean crisp lines.

Pros

  • Made from powder coated galvanised steel
  • Spikes make it easy to install without having to dig a trench
  • Available in 3 different heights
  • Is flexible and can be bent into any angle
  • Provides solid durable structure

Cons

  • Comes in 5m packs of 5x1m lengths - each 1m length will give about 95cm of edging allowing for interlocking design
  • Is fairly expensive lawn edging

Smartedge Lawn Edging

Smartedge is a great, simple to fit lawn edging system used by professionals and amateur gardeners alike.  It will keep your garden looking great all year round. Made from top quality, heavy-duty materials, Smartedge has been designed for the lawn edge and flower beds or between lawn and paths, preventing roots and earth distorting the lawn edge.

Pros

  • Comes in 3 lengths up to 50m so no need to join smaller lengths together.
  • Comes in different colours.
  • Easy to cut.
  • Is flexible and be very easily curved around flower beds.

Cons

  • Only 1 height option is available.
  • Can take a few months for grass to cover the plastic triangles.
To view our lawn edging range click here.

What is the best Border Edging?

Recycled Rubber Lawn Edging - Border Bricks

This Recycled Rubber edging is made from recycled tyres and is extremely eco-friendly.  They are a great light weight alternative to heavy traditional stone and concrete. The natural flexibility of the rubber allows these borders to curve and flow around the existing lines of your lawn. Very quick to install and easy to maintain this lawn edging will withstand all types of weather.

This recycled rubber edge has a number of designs including brick, stone and scrolls all of which will enhance the appearance of your border.

Pros

  • Eco-friendly – made from recycled tyres
  • Easy to install and maintain
  • Extremely durable - Will not damage or crack in extreme weather
  • Flexible to follow the line of your lawn
  • Comes with pre-drilled holes and spikes

Cons

  • Each design only comes with 1 height option
  • Each length is 1.2m long 
To view our lawn edging range click here.

What is the best Paver Edging?

The Everedge and Smartedge mentioned above can equally work as paving edging, however, the “EcoGrid Edge” is totally flexible and can be used to create any curve or straight edge you may need. 

Featuring a unique sturdy place and pin fixture, the edge seamlessly joins to form a continuous line, great for use as a retainer for paths or driveways.

Pros

  • Made from fully recycled products and is fully recyclable
  • Path and driveway retainer
  • UV resistant and rot proof
  • Very flexible allowing you to follow the curve of your lawn
  • Lasting durability

Cons

  • Only available in 1 height – 6cm
  • Requires a small trench to be dug
To view our lawn edging range click here.

Best Artificial Grass Edging

EasyEdge Artificial Grass Edging

This is a stylish weather resistant metal lawn edging and is easily driven into the soil and grass for decorative lawn borders. Manufactured from high quality galvanised steel makes it incredibly strong and sturdy.   This comes in a stylish brick effect and is excellent for providing a clean crisp edge to artificial lawns as well as being useful to protect cables and piping for garden lighting and water features.

The multipurpose lawn edging products are flawlessly finished with hard wearing polyester paint for outdoor conditions. With its unique, carefully crafted design, this artificial edging is easy to install and will not damage your artificial lawn when installed correctly.

Pros

  • Made from galvanised steel
  • Covered in hard wearing polyester paint
  • Fantastic to run cables and pipes underneath for garden lights or water features
  • Easy to install
  • Available in 3 colours: black, terracotta and silver

Cons

  • Is not fully flexible and can only curve up to 80 degrees
To view our lawn edging range click here.

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