garden edging

[My Old Tools]

We have been thinking about adding some garden paths to our landscape, probably crushed stone with a steel edging. I'm familiar with the 10' steel sections that go together with stakes and I'm not crazy about it. Does anyone make a steel edging in long lengths coiled? What other types have you had success with? Down here we deal with runner grasses, Bermuda, Bahia, and other tough grasses to control. I need something that can take string edging and mowing against.

 

[cowboy73]

If you don't need the edging to curve at all, railroad ties are pretty durable even sitting on the ground half buried.

 

[DenisG]

We've had several neighbors install mower style curb edging and my wife wants it to replace what we have now:

 

[Raymond Fast]

I use stones I dig up from the yard/garden. I also have some friends and family members that give me the stones they dig up. They range in size from baseball to bowling ball size and I use them to line paths, beds, and my garden and to reinforce banks.

I also use a variety of low-profile blocks to border beds and paths. I have a large flower bed border, a short retaining wall, and several terraces that I've built with recycled pressure treated lumber.

I've built a couple of terraces with used tires. I cut them in half, stake them in place with the concave side facing in toward the terrace, then back fill them. I've gone as many as four or five courses high and they don't budge. I stack stones on the exposed side to cover it.

Just a few ideas for you.

 

[PelicanPines]

We've had several neighbors install mower style curb edging and my wife wants it to replace what we have now:

My neighbor bought into that franchise... invested like $70,000... went bankrupt in 3 years and sold the whole rig for 26K to some guy in chicago. Had every template every option...

Looks nice but if the person is not real steady dragging the forming machine... it can appear wonky... which was my neighbors issue... every example he showed me that he did... was "squigly/jittery" instead of nice and straight and flowing.

 

[PelicanPines]

Anyway... in my yard... I used two/three techniques... blue stone flat stones piled like a wall... and for lower walkways... i did 5"-8" river rock piled in two rows with a cap stone. It looks rustic but nice. I even did one area with flat river stones buried so it looks like cobble stone. I did that flat transition to allow a spot for me to drive my mower over to that area of grass...

I also did the transition from yard to forest on one side... with 8"+ rocks... single row...

 

[paullie]

i have stuff like this. Mine came from a landscape place and was about half the cost. Pretty good stuff

http://www.homedepot.com/p/COL-MET-8-ft-Steel-Landscape-Edging-814/100327736

 

[DenisG]

My neighbor bought into that franchise... invested like $70,000... went bankrupt in 3 years and sold the whole rig for 26K to some guy in chicago. Had every template every option...

Looks nice but if the person is not real steady dragging the forming machine... it can appear wonky... which was my neighbors issue... every example he showed me that he did... was "squigly/jittery" instead of nice and straight and flowing.

The local contractor did a nice job on my neighbor's lots, but one thing that makes me a bit hesitant is the longevity of them. Although they're heavy, I don't think they use wire reinforcement and I'm not sure how they'll survive freeze/thaw cycles.

 

[My Old Tools]

The Col-Met stuff is what I don't like with the joints and stakes. The concrete curbs don't look good to me for a yard. I want something like 6" flashing but heavier and not galvanized, long lengths like flashing rolls.

 

[jdsac]

Something like trex decking thin side up?

 

[K13]

The local contractor did a nice job on my neighbor's lots, but one thing that makes me a bit hesitant is the longevity of them. Although they're heavy, I don't think they use wire reinforcement and I'm not sure how they'll survive freeze/thaw cycles.

Poorly it was pretty big up here years ago and most of it now looks like **** so unless they have changed something not worth the money if you live in a cold climate. Cracks and frost heaves all over the place within a few years.

 

[DC73]

We have been thinking about adding some garden paths to our landscape, probably crushed stone with a steel edging. I'm familiar with the 10' steel sections that go together with stakes and I'm not crazy about it. Does anyone make a steel edging in long lengths coiled? What other types have you had success with?

I'm in the middle of a landscape project. Removing a bunch of grass and xeriscaping with crushed stone and drought tolerant plants. I hired a landscape contractor who is a friend of mine. He is using 6" x 20' sheets of steel that are 1/8" thick. He gets them from a steel supply house and then welds them together. They are fairly flexible and are easy to make curve. He made a 6' diameter ring for one of my trees with no problems.

DC

 

[AndrewDouglasBird]

My landlord used 1/8" thick, 6" or 8" wide steel flat bar on edge. Then on each side to hold it in place, he drive an 1/8" thick x 1" wide steel strip 24" into the ground. Minimalist and fairly cheap.

 

[flat tire]

find a sheet metal shop and have them order or make what you want (thickness)
do a google for 6" coiled metal
depending the height you want , say you want 6", buy a roll of 12" and cut it in half

 

[My Old Tools]

I'm in the middle of a landscape project. Removing a bunch of grass and xeriscaping with crushed stone and drought tolerant plants. I hired a landscape contractor who is a friend of mine. He is using 6" x 20' sheets of steel that are 1/8" thick. He gets them from a steel supply house and then welds them together. They are fairly flexible and are easy to make curve. He made a 6' diameter ring for one of my trees with no problems.

DC

That sounds like the ticket.

I'd be cautious about driving a 6" deep ring around a tree. Most of the roots are in the top few inches.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

The mower curb wouldn't last 1 season anywhere the ground freezes. A decent sized commercial mower would probably snap it like a twig, too...

Tommy

 

[DC73]

I'd be cautious about driving a 6" deep ring around a tree. Most of the roots are in the top few inches.

Yep. Depends on type and/or age of tree and the diameter of the tree ring. Wasn't an issue with mine. We drove the ring in 3" and left 3" exposed.

DC