Readers Respond: Do You Avoid Plastic Edging Like the Plague?

Responses: 77

By David Beaulieu, About.com Guide

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I need edging between a sloping ornamental garden and my driveway. I would like something nicer than plastic, but I haven't reached any conclusions yet. Great topic!
—Guest michele

I use the found rocks from my property as edging for my flower beds, with the exception of 2 that are between my house and cement drive. I use plastic as an edging here, to keep the mulch from moving when using the blower.
—Kpat52606

Plastic takes 25000 years to decompose, even allowing the sun to help break it down, versus about 10 years for metal. Take a moment to reflect on what you are setting up for your children and then make your selection.
—Guest Mr. Science

I prefer a trench of 4 inches deep. This edging keeps grass out of beds and gives a clean sharp look. We have also used brick and wood timbers for edging. We did have one piece of plastic edging up until Memorial Day, when I caught my foot in it -- I fell and tore my Achilles tendon. I didn't see the edging poking up there. The last of the plastic edging has been removed.
—Guest LangSaar

Great, as long as it is recycled. It's better than taking non-renewable stone materials from the earth to use as edging. Anyone have any other eco-friendly landscaping ideas?
—sunshinecrv

I never use plastic as an edging. All my gardens have limestone edging. I use limestone because it goes with the brick on my house.
—Guest Les Weese

No material, plastic or otherwise, is needed for edging. I cut a clean, crisp edge with a sharp, flat shovel.
—Guest alfiero

I edge soil at a steep angle with an edger & leave a 6" space 6" deep between grass & mulch. I've used both plastic and steel edging and neither stays in place. They are both more trouble than they are worth. I like gardening and don't mind edging every now and then. I change the shape of my gardens too frequently to install something permanent. Near the house and other fixed objects I use a border of buried 4" x 8" x 16" cement blocks. I also use them to separate the driveway from the lawn. Using them near buildings & fences reduces damage from weed-whackers.
—Guest Wickett

I avoided plastic edging as I could never get a smooth line with it. But stone, brick or concrete edging is expensive and permanent - difficult and/or costly to reshape or widen a bed. I persisted for a time with a spaded edging - I love the clean "classical" line of a well cut spaded edge but after fighting a losing battle with our aggressive warm season "running" grasses, Green Couch (Bermuda Grass - Cynodon dactylon) and Kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum) in subtropical Queensland, Australia, I recently resorted to installing plastic as edging along the vertical side (lawn side) of my spaded edge. I have buried it in the ground so that the top is at soil level, deep enough to stop rhizomes running under it and allowing me to run my mower (or line trimmer) along the top of it, picking up any stolons that try to sneak over the top. The black plastic is virtually invisible, being buried and pegged it hasn't warped or wobbled, and so far my spaded edging is staying clean and sharp
—Greg.S

I used to use metal edging but have switched to plastic. My dog cut her foot on the metal edging and needed stitches. $500 vet bill!
—Guest San Antonio, TX

We do use plastic edging. It is cost effective yet visually appealing, flexible to work with and can easily be changed should our landscaping ideas change, unlike costly bricks and pavers.
—Guest Butch

When we were planting the rose bed, the only edging material at hand was old white bricks, not too white, not too straight and not too complete - mainly halves. We put them in to just mark the border, and, surprisingly, when in line they made a tremendous effect of a very natural yet straight border. They are still there, providing nice white contrast between green lawn and black soil.
—Guest Guest

The edging my wife and I use for all our beds is plastic, and I even use it on my other, contracted accounts in the neighborhood. But I'm looking for alternatives.
—Guest Kevin

We've heard so many horror stories about dogs and children cutting their feet on metal edging that we would choose plastic over metal edging every time. However, the plastic is still letting grass grow over or under and just doesn't perform like it should. I've seen grass growing on the opposite side of the wider plastic stuff too. When the sun comes out, it seems impossible to make clean lines with plastic edging and the look, well, it looks like plastic. The concrete landscape curbing industry has come a long way from its original commercial gray 'curbing'. Many companies, such as A Better Edge and BorderMagic have come a long way toward making concrete look like very natural stone while providing clean lines and easier maintenance. These guys are the winner in my book, but I'm a little biased as I own A Better Edge dot com.
—Guest Chad Livingston

Never would I use any commercial edging. My answer: 2-3 times a year spending a few days edging my beds with just a spade. Neatness counts?
—Guest jack

Because my yard is sloped, I have to put in a edging that will not allow the nutrients to wash down hill. So I poured my edging with quick mix cement and colored it to decorate each garden, and I am planing to pour stepping stones, too.
—Guest mapletreeman

I agree that there are classier edging materials out there than plastic, but plastic was the right fit for my budget when I installed edging as a border between my lawn and a perennial bed. I would have loved stone, brick or cobblestone edging but couldn't afford them at the time.
—Guest Living on the Edge

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David Beaulieu
Landscaping Guide