Creating a Beautiful Outdoor Space

Tips To Help You Install A Decorative And Useful Landscaping Border In Your Yard

24 April 2017 by Delores Chavez

When you have a landscaped flower bed or vegetable garden next to an area of grass, it can be helpful to install a border to separate the two spaces. This helps to keep grass from growing into and overtaking your bedding area and also keeps any mulch or landscaping material in place atop your bedding soil. Here are some tips to help you install the right border for your needs and taste.

Choose Your Edging Material

There are several different types of edging material you can use in your landscaping, depending on the look and durability you need. You can select a roll of edging made of metal or plastic, which creates a solid barrier for your landscaping, but is more likely to crack, chip, and break apart as it ages and comes in contact with your lawn mower, edger, and foot traffic.

You can also install decorative stones, bricks, or rocks around the edge to create a border. Rock, stones, and brick border materials are more durable and can last longer, although you will need to set them closely to create the most effective border. You can find these materials at stone suppliers or most home improvement stores.

Prepare the Soil

After you have chosen the type of material you want to use, you will need to dig out a trench in which the material will sit. If you are installing stone, rock, or brick, you will need to dig a trench the width of your individual pieces. To provide space for a roll of landscaping border, you will only need to dig a trench that is slightly thicker than your border's width, which may be only a couple inches wide.

Dig the trench to a depth to allow your material to sit into the trench with a portion of it rising above the soil to keep mulch in place without causing a tripping hazard or that will get chopped up in your mower blade. One landscaper recommends installing your border material with the top edge approximately one-half inch above the soil.

Install the Edging

Unroll and insert your rolled-up plastic, or metal edging into the trench. For rolled borders, it is recommended to install edging border stakes to hold the edging in place and keep it from lifting from its position. Fill in the trench and press the soil to compact it in place.

Install your border stones, bricks, or rocks in your trench, placing the pieces as closely together as possible. Make sure the tops of each of the pieces are level with one another so they don't create a tripping hazard.

Install your landscaping border with these tips to help you along.

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