Yard edging, also called lawn edging, is a common landscaping element used to define the edges of lawn areas or to retain mulch or decorative stone in flower beds, vegetable gardens, patios, poolside areas or driveways. Almost any material can be made into yard edging, including bricks, cast concrete blocks, plastic, metal, pressure treated lumber and recycled railroad ties. Spade or dug edging is a method by which an area is defined by a narrow trench or strip of removed grass.
Cheap and easy to install, plastic yard edging is very common. Its flexibility allows it to be formed into curves and abstract shapes for landscape design. It can be found in various widths, and when dug into the ground, can help inhibit the spread of some types of plants by blocking runner roots and stolons. The most common color for plastic yard edging is black, but green, brown and red are often available as well. The main drawback of plastic yard edging is its low durability.
Metal edging is an attractive type of edging that is available in a wide variety of finishes and textured designs. It is much more durable than plastic edging and can also serve to inhibit the spread of certain plants and ground covers. Some types are flexible, but metal yard edging is also commonly available in interlocking, stiff sections. Metal edging is much more expensive than plastic edging, but many feel it is much more attractive.
Pavers or bricks are another common type of yard edging. These masonry products are attractive and come in a wide variety of shapes, styles, and colors. Some interlocking types may be used to design shapes with curves. They are very durable and can be installed so that they are flush with the ground surface or raised above the ground for a fence-like effect. They are very heavy and more expensive than many other types of edging.
Pressure-treated lumber, landscape timbers and recycled railroad ties are another common type of yard edging. Woods resistant to rot, like cedar, or woods treated with chemicals to make them resistant to rot are often used to edge lawns and flower and garden beds. They are durable, easy to work with and may be cut to any length or joined at angles to each other to create almost any shape with straight sides. They may be dug into the ground or placed on the surface and secured with stakes or posts.