Maybe you used your garden hose to outline a nice curving edge for your new landscape bed. Then left it there.
That was a good start. But when it comes to great landscape edging materials, garden hose rarely makes the list.
Which landscape edging is best?
Eric Frisch, Ground Source landscape designer, offers some tips that go beyond the hose:
1. Poured Concrete Edging: Yes or No? It Depends
When it comes to utilitarian edging for your paver patio or driveway, concrete edging is crucial. Here in Central Florida, it's important to use concrete molded edging, not plastic edging with spikes. The soil is too sandy and soft here for that. Your pavers will shift without sturdy concrete edging.
But when you’re considering decorative landscape edging materials, Frisch warns against poured concrete.
Companies specializing in decorative concrete show up with a special cart that molds the shape and they dye and mix it on-site.
It’s very brittle, Frisch says, so if you install it near any big trees the tree roots will bust it into pieces.
“It’s sort of like putting Hulk in a T-shirt,” he says. “It’s going to get ripped apart.”
Concrete edging is poured as one solid piece, he says, so you can‘t change the shape once it's installed without replacing a whole section.
“Basically,” Frisch says, “you're stuck with it.”
2. Landscape Edging Ideas: The Beauty of Block Edging
Frisch prefers block border stones for edging instead.
The edging stones, manufactured by paver companies like Belgard, are much easier to work with, Frisch says, and offer great flexibility.
“We can cut them to make curves and they’re all separate pieces, so if the ground shifts or roots get bigger, you can put the edging blocks back together,” he says.
It’s more expensive than basic poured concrete edging, he says, but it's a better alternative when you’re considering Orlando landscape edging ideas.
3. Rock Landscape Edging: You’ll Pay More for Natural Stone
There aren’t many natural stone options native to Central Florida, Frisch says.
“Basically it's all former sea floor, so it's like coral,” he says. “It’s not very good for stacking.”
One exception: a limestone rock called “Florida field boulders,” but it doesn’t look like boulders, he says. Its irregular shape isn’t great for landscape edging materials.
When it comes to stone landscape edging ideas, Frisch prefers a flagstone stack bonded with mortar. But you’ll pay considerably more for natural stone edging, he says. Most of it is brought in from other states.
Without mortar to hold them together, any rocks, including flagstone, will collapse and fall apart, Frisch says.
While some Orlando homeowners like the rock landscape edging look of cobblestones lined up in a row, they’re a bit of a maintenance hassle, Frisch says.
“It’s very hard to trim sod around them since they have big gaps between the rocks,” he says. “With spreading sod like zoysia and St. Augustine, it's a constant problem to keep it looking clean on the edge.”
Any landscape edging materials that cause you more yard maintenance aren’t a great choice, he says.
4. Top Pick for Landscape Edging Materials: Black Aluminum Edging
Frisch typically opts for classic black aluminum edging.
It comes in multiple thicknesses, heights, and colors, he says, but the standard 4-inch black edging is always a good bet. It works well and is less expensive than concrete or stone.
“Aluminum edging is staked together and can easily be bent to make curves,” Frisch says. “If a client wants to change the shape of the bed in the future, 100% of the edging can be reused.”
Not the case with concrete blocks, which have likely been cut and might not fit your new design.
“It's also much more subtle to look at, so you're not taking away from the house and plants,” he says. “I don't really want to see the edging as the first thing I notice in a front yard.”
Maintenance is easy with this landscape edging material, too. It’s simple to run a metal edger tool along the front of the metal edging to keep the bed edge looking crisp and clean, he says.
“The metal edging keeps the line in the same location forever.”
Need Great Landscape Edging Ideas? Trust Ground Source
Edging adds that tidy finishing touch to your Central Florida landscape beds, and the right choice makes maintenance easier, too.
Need some help deciding which landscape edging materials are right for you? We’re happy to help.
We’re landscape edging experts, and our teams will be there with you every step of the way as you plan your perfect outdoor space.
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