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

Edging performs such practical tasks as keeping grass stolons out of planting beds. But edging should offer an attractive definition for a border, too, so there will also be an aesthetic dimension to your selection of a material. Plastic is the most readily available material for edging, but many abhor it and seek an earthier (or, at least, classier) edging material.

What's your opinion? Do you use plastic edging? If so, why? If not, what material do you use instead? Metal? Wood? Brick? Another material? Fill in the boxes below to give us your opinion on edging materials.

No Problem With Plastic as an Edging

I have used plastic edging around all my beds. It's easy to shape around the free-form beds. When put down deep enough, only the rolled lip shows, and there's no problem with the lawn mower. On newer beds, I have laid a row of bricks lengthwise for the lawnmower wheels.

—Guest Kathy

Edging

I would not put plastic edging in your yard. I prefer the tried and true 4 X 6 PT landscape timber. If put in properly, it serves the purpose and is unobtrusive, keeping all of your gardens clean and easy to maintain.

—jcstew

Plastic Edging is Ugly

Nothing is as nice as a clean cut edge done with a spade, This is the most natural looking edging.

—Guest wilma

Easy Alternative to Edging of Any Type

We have a large garden with a number of raised beds. My husband dug a trench along each bed. He just spruces up the trench in the spring. He then uses a power edger about once or twice a month as needed. We do not need a weed wacker to trim. We have no problems with grass growing into our beds and I am free to expand or change whenever I feel it is necessary.

—Guest Roxane

Edging With Wood, Plastic

I found a nice looking grey plastic edging that you can install which has an edge to it that the lawnmower can run over. It looks neater!

—Guest Judy Peterson

New to Edging

I have read about plastic edging in magazines and have not tried it. I am starting to learn about gardening and landscaping so I still find some things difficult to try.

—Guest yvonne

Edging: Pavers, Plastic, Wood, Stone

I have used plastic and hated the results of the look and like others mentioned, the plastic gets beaten up. I also found it very unfriendly to work with. However, having some left over from trial and error, I decided this time to use the plastic on the grass side of pavers so the roots wouldn't go through the cracks. You don't notice the plastic, it's functional, and the look of the concrete edging really works for me. Since I have a massive yard and can't pay someone to manage it for me, I have to make it as maintenance friendly as possible. I have also used treated wood where the situation dictates but for most people who want a little bit of shape to their gardens, this typically wouldn't do. I have also used boulders, but the use of a grass trimmer ends up being a lot of extra work and I just can't afford the time on an acre plus of finished land. Good luck all and I hope this was helpful.

—Guest Tim Britton

Edging: What's the Fuss About Plastic?

I use plastic edging. I don't see anything wrong with it .

—Guest Adam

Edging With Brick or Wood

I prefer the decorative brick, or wood, depending on the look I want. I hate plastic edging!

—Guest sharon.espin

Junk Edging: Brick, Stone

I hate plastic anything, but in addition to being a gardener, I'm also a junk collector. There are so many abandoned construction sites around because of the poor housing market that it's fairly easy to pick up free brick, stone and/or concrete pieces, even slabs. Any of this free material makes attractive edging material.

—Guest Marguerite

Edging With Pavers for Easier Mowing

My lawn people run the edging over and the plastic gets cut up or it pops out of the ground. So I read in a magazine about edging that uses pavers or bricks. It is a little more work to put down and cement in, but it works beautifully, and the lawnmower wheels run over it and no harm is done. I love it.

—Guest jeanette

Edging? Eakk!

An edging spade and mulch is what I use in my cottage garden. I suppose plastic has its place if you want a 'landscaped' look, but I prefer a more natural look. Keeping plastic in place over long, S-curved runs is almost impossible. I will ALWAYS look for an alternative to that plastic.

—Guest CountryRefuge

Weedeater Needed Regardless of Edging

I have used plastic edging around all my trees and when i have done it properly it has worked fine. I have raised flower beds made from railroad ties and they work fine also. The problem with both is I still have to use the weedeater around them and that takes a lot of time.

—Joe_Rose

Edging With Flat Rocks or Spade

There are very few situations where I would use plastic for edging. I would rather edge my beds every year with a spade or use small, flat rocks around my beds.

—Guest Marney

Don't Like Plastic? Paint Your Edging!

I use different edging in different locations. I use the plastic where most of it is below the soil level to edge a path that leads thru one of my flower gardens in the backyard, because one side is on a slight slope. It works great to hold back my mulch in the flower garden and also keeps my pea gravel in the path. I used a primer and spray paint recommended for plastic to change the top of the edging so that it blends with the mulch. The edging is about six inches wide and made to be held down with spikes. These are driven into the bottom before covering with dirt. They are also included with the edging. This has been in for ten years now and still functions pretty good. For my other areas I use the new man-made stone or our natural stones of which we have plenty. The man-made stone definitely stays in place better. It just depends on location. I use a weed killer, spraying (with low pressure) very close to the outside of the stones to keep WIRE grass from traveling into my gardens.

—Shelby24019