A few years ago, my dad got tired of the mis-matched rocks and broken bricks that my mom used to line the flower beds around our house. So he and I went to a local home improvement store and bought about a dozen scalloped brick edgers for her to use instead. We brought them home, and then went off again on another errand. When we returned, my mom had already put the brick edgers in place the way she wanted them. Because there weren't enough of the edgers to stretch to all the flowerbeds, she'd interspersed the edgers with those same old broken bricks and rocks. So it rather spoiled the effect. My dad just threw up his hands and gave up. There's no doubt about it, when it comes to designing landscaping my mother does not have any taste. But if you ask her about it she'll say that she likes the way everything looks. There's not much point to that story, except to say that either you have good taste or you don't, and if you don't have good taste hopefully you're self-aware enough to know it, and hire someone else to do your designing! What makes good taste? Well, it's not necessarily a liking for wood over metal, or metal over plastic. All that is a matter of personal taste and is not necessarily bad or good. But if you're going to have a series of bookcases in your home, for example, they should be all the same design - all wood, all metal, all plastic - so that they match and don't detract from the eye. That's the key to good taste. If you do have an eye for design, then you'll probably find that your landscaping can be set off quite elegantly with the addition of brick patio stones, paving stones and landscape edgers. As with any other landscaping accessory, these bricks come in a vast variety of colors and designs, so that you're sure to find something you like. Only please, buy enough so that you can use them on every project, and if you run out - go back to the store and get more! Don't ruin the effect by adding broken brick and rocks...it just doesn't work. Use brick to line your flower beds, build up retaining walls, or make pathways. Add a patio If you'd like to add a brick patio to your backyard, it's quite easy to do, but you do have to give it some thought. Take some time to ensure that the ground where you want to place the patio is level - otherwise some of the bricks might settle and others will rise and give the patio an unfinished look. Also if live in an area with frequent frost or snow, where the ground has a tendency to heave up, you'll have to take that into consideration. Consult with your local home improvement store professional to learn the best ways of building your patio. As for the design of the bricks, you can get plain brick and place them in rows, or alternate them vertically and horizontally, or do a sort of basket weave. The design is pretty much up to you. However, check your local building or neighborhood codes to make sure they don't have any say over whether or not you can add a simple patio. As with any landscaping feature, design what you want on paper first, before you go out and purchase the material. Then, go out and buy your material, pick up a couple of pairs of sturdy gloves to protect your hands, and get to work!
Many times, the best home improvements are very simple and easy. It is not important always to spend thousands of dollars for home improvements on high-end outdoor lawn enhancing edging. A simple touch or brush up can definitely bring in considerable changes to your lawn and increase the overall feel. landscape edging is a quite easy way to make your garden look beautiful and appealing. Simply changes may add up immeasurable value to the lawn and attract everyone instantly. It is a kind of implementing changes by relative standards to increase the overall appearance of your lawn. A planned design and edge lying can bring in all the essential difference between an attractive edging and an ordinary looking garden. For making it really nice, you have to level it on a recommended limit and lay down a piece of edging under supervision. Choose from a wide range of different types of edging: Landscape Edging Materials: In order to get the desired lawn, you need to choose the right material for your landscape edging. Look into advantages and disadvantages of several choices. Wood Edging: Wood Edging is a kind of very exotic landscape edging material . It adds a timeless look to your garden. It generally doesn't cost you much as well. Brick, Stone, and Concrete Edging: Brick, stone, and concrete Edging are the best choice for everyone who appreciates the look of brick or stone. Metal Edging: These edging materials are strong and durable. These can be easily transformed into decorative features to get that interesting feel that you desire.
The spring and summer months are coming fast and many of you are probably pondering what you are going to do to spruce up your yard. There are thousands of possibilities that you can choose from to do this. One option that you can choose is to edge your gardens, flowerbeds, ponds, or any area that you wish with stone landscape edging. There are many benefits to using stone as your edging material. Strength is one of the biggest advantages that this material gives you. Rock is very hard and durable. Many of the other materials used for edging such as wood or plastic may look good but they chip and crack very easily. Stone will not chip as easily and can withstand harder blows than the other materials. Another advantage of stone edging is the great natural look that it gives your yard. Stone, being a natural material itself, will enhance and compliment the aspects of your yard. This material helps make flower gardens pop with vibrancy because it draws people's attention to that area. One aspect that stone landscape edging has that other materials don't, is its great versatility. There are many different types of stone that you can choose from to line your yard in. This allows you to pick the color and type of stone that will enhance your yard the most. Also, in addition to having many different types to select from, there are also many design options. With stone, you can choose to create straight lines, curvy edges, high edges, or short edges. This is only the beginning of design options that you can choose from. With this freedom, you will be able to edge your yard exactly the way you want. Stone landscape edging is also very easy to install. In most cases, you can install this material yourself without having to consult a professional landscaper. The first step in installation is deciding where you want to place the edge and how you want the edge to look. Once you decide where you want the edge to go, it is helpful to paint a line exactly how you want the edge to look. It is important when placing your line that you be as precise as possible to make things easier later during installation. Once you are satisfied with your placement, it is time to start installing the stones. First, you must dig 4 inches deep along the line that you drew earlier. If you want to ensure that no weeds grow into your stones, line the canal that you make with a plastic liner. Next, fill the canal with sand up to one inch from the top. After you have place the sand all that is left is placing the stones. Place the stone on top of the sand closely together. You want to avoid gaps between the stones as much as you can. As you place them on the sand, using a rubber hammer, tap them gently to ensure that they are securely placed. With the stones in place, fill in any gaps or cracks in the stones with sand to provide extra stability. This edging will help enhance the look in any yard. Not only will it look great, but it is a project that you can do yourself both saving you money and giving you the satisfaction of a job well done.
When you are living on the suburbs, there is an ongoing competition where your front lawn says a lot about you and how well - off you are. And what would be more humiliating than a front lawn that looks like the jungle in Vietnam. So why not give it a classy and professional look. Who you would do that, you ask. Well, you could try concrete landscape edging. It has lots of benefits for your front lawn and your backyard and it would definitely save you from the trouble of being branded as a careless and untidy person. It would definitely make your flower beds look more organized, cleaner and nicer. It also provides each the sections of your lawn a neater appearance, like it is well - groomed. And the best thing about this is that you could actually do these things yourself. All you need is some effort and some few basic tools and you are ready to place edgers that would improve the entire look of your front lawn. First things first. You should determine the exact type of concrete landscape edging that would suit your preference. Anything that would make you feel a little bit comfortable with it. You could even pour down concrete and make a concrete landscape edging out of it. It is perhaps the easiest method of making it. You should choose from a variety of option that includes: Straight lengths Circular lengths Curved lengths Swirled lengths These are intended to be compatible with others so that you connect them without a problem at all. They would link together perfectly. By doing so, you would be able to create flowerbeds out of it. You could also actually pick colors that would fit your preference. Available colors are green, tan, and beige. Pick one that would perfectly fit your existing landscape. Next, you need to mark your borders. To do this, you need to measure it firs. You can use strings and tie it wooden sticks so that you could mark where you want to place the flower beds. For curved concrete landscape edging, try using an ordinary garden hose and lay it down according to the shape or curve that you wanted. Then use either of the following to mark the edge in which you want to place the curved concrete landscape edging" Spray Paint Flour Chalk Now, you have to dig up some sort of trench for your concrete landscape edging. The size should be at least the same size or width as the edgers. But to be totally sure, make the trench a bit wider. Remove all the debris, rocks and other objects when you dig the trench. The bottom of the trench should be leveled using sand. Lay down the concrete landscape edging and pour a thin layer of concrete on the trench. This is to make sure that the concrete landscape edging is secured. You should lay the concrete first before the concrete landscape edging. So now that you know how to make your own concrete landscape edging, I guess it's time to make one for your front lawn.
Landscape edging is a part of the landscape design. Landscape edging increases the perception of the landscape that has been created. Landscape edging for car parking curbs, mower edges, and playground edging are the usual landscape designs. These are generally made to give a definite shape to the man-made landscape constructions. Flashy colors draw attention to the landscape edging while the option of comforting colors are pleasant to the eye instead of being a focal point. Take care while choosing the right landscape edging colors. The texture of the edging is also given a special attention. Coarse, medium or fine could be used to describe texture but so could smooth, rough, glossy or dull. Landscape edgings like Metal edging, Plastic edging, bricks, pavers, railroad ties, wood and wood timbers are the generally used materials for landscape edging. A custom-fit, seamless concrete border for landscaping, trees and flowerbeds gives an outline to the landscape and makes it eye-catching. But before installing material one should keep in mind few things like flexibility, longevity, faster and easier installation. Concrete outlasts metal, wood and plastic and also allows for curves and contours to fit the demands of modern landscaping designs. Landscape edging gives a definite lining to the landscape design. As line is related to the eye, movement or flow, the concept and creation of line depends upon the purpose of the design and existing patterns. In the overall landscape, line is inferred by bed arrangement and the way these beds fit or flow together by landscape edging. These lines are smooth, graceful or gentle and create a relaxing, progressive, moving and natural feeling. The form of the landscape is also defined by landscape edging. As form is discussed in terms of individual plant growth habits or in planting arrangement in a landscape, landscape edging arranges the plants in the landscape. The scale or the size of the landscape edging in relation to the surroundings refers to definite measurements. Landscape edging also involves visual observation toward a landscape at the vanishing point between radial or approaching lines. landscape edging could also be used to direct traffic in a garden area. Guidance of a view toward commercial, aesthetic or cultural value may attract the eye of the unaware without conscious effort. The aesthetic value of landscape edging is also very high. The quality of the material can be anything but if the relation is maintained with the theme of the landscape, an artistic appeal is formed. The materials can be based on the pathways, plants or the other things that it edges. For example, clay edging can be perfect with the brick pathway and wood edging can go with the water bodies. Landscape edging gives the finishing touch to the landscape design. It defines the main bodies that make a landscape. Before designing the landscape one must plan the edging as well. It is also one of the important elements of the art in landscape designing.
Oftentimes homeowners try to find ways to give their home that something special which will make it stand out from the rest. There is a desire to do something different and unique. One of the items that is versatile enough to allow for personal creativity while still giving that unique look is the use of brick landscape edging. There are many different types of edging. You can use it in many places. In fact, any place where there is a definitive border can then have brick as the edge. Flower beds, mailboxes, trees, sideways and driveways are just a few of the places where this trim can be used to finish the look of your home. Brick can be found in more shapes than the rectangle you are probably familiar with. In addition, it now comes in different thicknesses as well as different colors other than traditional red. Because you now have so many more options you can use it in a variety of ways, each with their own special look. For instance, flower beds often look best when a tiered brick outline surrounds them. The brick is laid out and then an additional layer is placed on top at an offset line from the first tier. It looks very polished and professional. Trees and sidewalks very often will look best with a single layer of brick trimming around them. Sometimes the brick will be mortared together, especially for the sidewalk. Since there is a good possibility that the trim will be hit, stepped on or kicked by mistake, mortaring the bricks together will keep them from falling out of line when touched. If they are left free standing, be prepared to always fixing them after they get hit or touched and fall off their line. One of the places where brick landscape edging is very popular is up and down the driveway. Sometimes the brick is actually set down into the ground so it is even with the height of the driveway itself. This keeps people from tripping over it and gives it a nice look. To install this way though, is very taxing so you will need some time and patience if you plan on doing in yourself. Raised brick trim is used around driveways also but the chances of the brick being hit or moved is great so you will want to think about connecting the bricks either through mortar or other means available.
A few years ago, my dad got tired of the mis-matched rocks and broken bricks that my mom used to line the flower beds around our house. So he and I went to a local home improvement store and bought about a dozen scalloped brick edgers for her to use instead. We brought them home, and then went off again on another errand.