Beautifully Bordered Beds

These days, with all the materials available, you can add many different border decorations. Not only attractive, they help to define borders and made weeding and mowing easier..

Diagonal Brick Edging

Lay old, mismatched bricks on the diagonal for a 19th-century domino effect. Dig a trench and add one inch of sand for drainage. Set the bricks in the trench, half exposed, leaning one against the next, then fill in with dirt. If you are edging several beds, lean all the bricks in the same direction.

Flagstone Edging

Define the space between bed and lawn by stacking rocks. Flagstone and bluestone feature wide, flat faces and lend a romantic English country feeling to a garden. Irregular in shape and thickness, flagstones are durable and stack securely in this garden.

Brick Mowing Strip

Use flat edgings that are flush with the ground to make mowing easier. If you choose brick, as shown here, use paver edging strips, available at builder's merchants, to hold it in place.

Cast Concrete Edging

Concrete edging eases mowing and its serpentine shape creates a winding path through the garden shown here. Varying heights add interest and allow for a smooth transition on a slope or uneven landscape.

Cobblestone Edging

Square cobbles of granite combine with a hedge of boxwood to give this garden shape. Hydrangea add billowing blooms of white, their large leaves contrasting with the textures and shapes of the paving, edging, and hedge.

Rock Edging

Mix and match rock shapes and colours for a natural edge. Gathered by family and friends near and far, these large multicoluor rocks complement the garden's informal style. Positioned in a winding pattern, the round boulders allow alyssum to creep over and between the rocks, creating a lacy, scalloped look.

  source: meredith publishing