Home Garden

Garden edging ideas to beautify your landscaping

Give your garden an edge.
Loading the player...

These garden edging ideas will help you highlight pathways, garden beds and lawns for the perfect, structured look.

Watch: How to create a garden on a slope

If you want your backyard to look polished, garden edging is the solution. It features specific areas and creates structure and definition. It also separates weeds from flowers, helping them stay healthy.

Think of lawn edging as giving your yard the perfect finishing touch.

Many ready-to-use materials are available on the market, including plastic sheets, stones or metal panels. Just remember to choose materials that define borders neatly and are able to withstand harsh weather – aside from this, your imagination is the limit.

Let’s take a look at all the different garden edging ideas and find out which option works best for your garden!

The best garden edging ideas for 2024

1. Spaded edge 

edging
Spaded edge (Credit: Getty)

The easiest (and cheapest) way to edge your garden is to cut a line in your lawn using your spade edge, about 10-15cm from where your lawn meets the garden bed.

Whether straight lines or organic curves, maintain the look by running the spade or your whipper snipper around the edges occasionally. The benefit of this look is that it’s low-cost but has the con of regular upkeep.

2. Bamboo edge 

edging
Bamboo edge (Credit: Supplied)

Highlight your hibiscus plants and frangipanis with bamboo edging to make your garden feel like a tropical paradise! You can buy this bamboo edging by the roll (typically 15cm-long pieces of bamboo wired together in 1m lengths), which makes it easy to install with no upkeep required. 

Pick up enough edging to suit your project, roll it out, then keep it upright by wiring it to small garden stakes every metre or less. Some models include stakes, so you just simply push or hammer the edging into position.

3. Wire edge 

edging
Wire edge (Credit: Getty)

Enhance the borders of garden beds and pathways in your yard with elegant wire hoop edging. This style of edging works well for cottage gardens or informal schemes – just spike it in and you’re done!

Your dahlias and daffodils will look great behind this kind of edging as it tends to blend in rather than stand out, making your flowers the focal point of your garden. Wire edging also helps keep any unwanted animals out of your beautiful beds, including pets!

4. Plastic edge 

edge
Plastic edge (Credit: Supplied)

Built to last in the tough Aussie conditions, plastic lawn and garden edging comes in a variety of designs and lengths to suit your garden scheme. Plastic edging, while not the most glamorous look, is very affordable and will last for years to come. 

Use this durable plastic edging system in combination with a spade edge for a classic look alongside flowerbeds. So sweet!

5. Paved or bricked edge

edge
Paved or bricked edge (Credit: Getty)

One of the easiest to maintain edgings, and great for using up spare pavers or bricks, is this simple approach.

Dig a narrow trench of suitable depth (so pavers or bricks sit at same level as soil) then place pavers end-to-end along edges. If you wish to, you can concrete them into place.

The advantage of this technique is that you can run the wheel of the mower on the solid edge, trimming the lawn edges as you go – no whipper snipper required!

If you don’t have any spare pavers, or bricks aren’t in the budget, then adding in a stone-look garden border works just as well to replicate this style.

6. Granite paving blocks

easy edging ideas
While granite paving blocks might seem like an expensive choice, in the long run they are more durable and cost effective. 
Granite pavers generally have a very low absorption rate, making it ideal for wet weather. Granite looks great in a more modern garden, with structured garden beds and lots of succulents. If grey and sleek is your thing, then granite is the perfect option for you.
If you’re looking for a more inexpensive option, you can DIY it yourself with a concrete paver mould and some cement mix. You’ll still get the modern look of granite for a fraction of the price.

7. Wooden palisade edge

easy edging ideas
(Credit: Getty)

Upcycling old bits of wood to create a wooden palisade is a great way to reuse old materials. The only downside is that hardwood doesn’t curve, so keep that in mind when choosing your edging. 

This design is great for native gardens and will blend seamlessly with Aussie shrubs and flowers. You can forage for your bits of wood or use a natural edging made of eucalyptus that works the same way as the bamboo edging. 

8. Metal edging

lawn-edging-ideas
(Credit: Getty)

We think rusted metal edging might be the newest gardening trend for 2024. It’s easy to install, is cost-effective and the rusty red colouring is striking against greenery. 

This edging could work in any style of garden, but it does look great for encompassing lawns and creating clear divides within your outdoor spaces. 

Why use garden edging?

Garden edging is designed as a barrier or boundary and is meant to define different spaces in your backyard. These borders are most often used between garden beds, pathways and lawns for easy maintenance.

Edging can also be used within garden beds to separate planting styles or vegie patches if necessary.

Is landscape edging worth it?

Landscape edging is the best option out there for creating structured boundaries in your garden. Edging is beneficial for keeping unwanted visitors out of garden beds, both people and pests alike. Its primary purpose is to create a stylistic barrier between garden beds and lawns. 

You might also like:

How to make saw-tooth brick garden edging

The easiest way to edge your lawn

Charlie creates a gorgeous side garden

Related stories