Basic Landscape Edging Options

A gardener should consider why he wants to begin installing edgings of physical landscape, before he actually does it. As it relates to installing, using and maintaining edgings, each type has its own advantages and disadvantages. Installation becomes less difficult if you chose the most suitable kind of landscape border to meet the needs and wants of a gardener, allowing him more time to take pleasure in his flower beds or yard.

Inground and aboveground are the two types of basic landscape edging options. Inground edging is seated flush within the ground and has little or no ornamental appeal. Aboveground edging however is firmly planted in the ground and has a decorative rim that peeps above earth's surface. The same groundwork is needed for installing aboveground edging as is for inground edging, but more manoeuvring during installation to get the component of the aboveground to sit in a manner that is pleasing. If a decorative effect is not desired by the gardener for his edging or lawn, then installation and time will be saved by selecting inground edging and also for later on when kits time to trim the plants, weeds or grass around the edging.

The material for landscape borders should also be considered by gardeners. Though masonry is appealing and durable, it is difficult to move if the person installing it is working alone. When choosing to install masonry features such as paver edging, it is better to get the assistance of a friend. Wood in comparison is easily manoeuvred as it is a lightweight, but it wears out with time even when it is properly cared for. Plastic however not just a lightweight but it is also cost effective, though it may not be so appealing aesthetically.

When installing a landscape edging, timing is crucial. Avoid the installation of any kind of yard edging right after heavy rains. Edging placed on very wet ground may move and shift while the soil is drying. Being his heavy, metal or stone lawn edging is not as affected by this shifting unlike other types. Dry soil is hard to work with and needs to be more loosen prior to putting up a landscape edging. Decide on landscape restraints that are lightweight or slightly wet the soil before starting the installation.

A clear border between one fraction of the yard and another is provided by landscape edging and it also complements plants. If the edging is warped or mislaid, then its effect becomes lessened. Tools such as levels should be utilised by gardeners an added set of eyes should be used in order to get a border that is just right.

General rules of safety should be observed by the person installing the landscape edging. Large jobs may become difficult and cause physical injury. Heavy materials used in shorter jobs may also cause physical injury. Utilising proper lifting procedures and back brace support and gloves does a lot to make sure the installation s completed with no hazards.

Decorative Landscape Edging Ideas

Most landscape edging is designed to serve a useful and practical purpose, such as banishing that pesky lawn grass from your landscape beds. But another very important function served by landscape edging is primarily aesthetic. Decorative landscape edging plays a vital role in the enjoyment of your garden, and adds value to your property as well. Decorative edging can provide many of the same benefits as the more mundane variety, but it does its job with a lot more style and grace.

Cast-Iron Edging

Gardeners both great and humble from all over the world have known the secrets of using cast iron edging for many centuries. In the modern world, it lends your garden a touch of Old-World charm and authenticity, and revisits the days when blacksmiths produced cast iron fences in coal-fired foundries.

Once powder coated, cast iron is beautiful, strong and durable. It is capable of lasting a lifetime. In fact, it might even last longer than you will! There are so many beautiful and interesting cast-iron styles to choose from. Take a look at Canterbury-style overlapping peak designs from the Victorian era, or check out the modern elegance of an Art Deco design.

Cast-iron edging can usually be assembled as a series of individual sections. You simply press them into the ground, since they are constructed with spiked support posts that are easily pressed or pounded into place. It's hard to think of any other kind of landscape edging that can provide so much elegance and authority with so little effort.

Willow Branches

Natural willow branches for garden edging are used widely in European gardens. It's an ideal choice for those folks wishing to re-create a garden border that recalls the style and charm of the authentic willow fences found in English gardens. Willow is a beautiful and graceful material that provides excellent border definition - whether it's lining the walkway or accenting a bed of flowers. Being a natural wood, it also blends effortlessly into the design of your garden.

Garden Flowers

One of the simplest garden edging ideas, often overlooked, is to use beautiful dwarf flowers and plants to form living landscape edging. Is there anything more natural than seeing mounds of flowering Rocky Mountain Zinnia or Alyssum encircling your landscape beds? Other good varieties of flowers to use for edging include: Candy Tuft, Catspaw, Artemisia, or Veronica. Really, it's possible to use any dwarf species that grows in mounds.

The Benefits of Concrete Landscape Edging

Sometimes your garden just won't stay where it's supposed to stay. And sometimes the grass on one's lawn is being quite pesky no matter how you try to hold it back. Believe me, I know all about this. It was my life until I realized that there was already a solution to stubborn plant movement and I found that in my discovery of concrete landscape edging for yards. This is so simple and profound a technique that I can not believe I didn't learn of it sooner but I'm so happy that I did.

Landscape edging helps to keep your lawn looking nice and neat. Another thing about concrete landscape edging is that it serves a dual purpose: it also styles up your yard if done well and artistically. Most people think of concrete as a soulless, drab hardened mixture, but this is not necessarily so. In the hands of a deft landscaper, concrete can be transformed into very beautiful and subtle patterns - all the while keeping a stern hand of discipline on the flora.

Grass and shrubs will never stray from inside of the borders you choose for them anymore. The concrete will make sure of that! I also suggest you either learn how to do this well or hire someone who is good at it already. Not everyone can just pour this stuff into a beautiful edge; it could be disastrous and embarrassing. With a little knowledge you will surely come to have the nicest yard on your block.

Landscape Edging - Choose the Most Appropriate!

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 Advantages of Using Stone Landscape Edging

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.

Concrete Landscape Edging

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 Adds to Your Landscapes Ease of Maintenance and Beauty

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.

Brick Landscape Edging - A Classic Look

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.

Show Off Your Style With Creative Landscape Edging

The landscaping in your yard may be very important to you. Why is it that people do landscaping in their yard anyway? The main reason of course is to enhance the appearance of their yard as well as their home. They want it to not only appear beautiful to them, but to anyone passing by or coming to visit as well. The sad thing about it is if there is not some sort of creative landscape edging around your hard work, it usually will not stand out enough to grab people's attention. There needs to be some kind of divider between the where the yard ends and the landscaping begins. This is the only way to achieve a completely finished and maintained appearance.

There are many different styles of landscaping borders available. They come in a wide variety of materials and colors. You can choose from just about any color of brick and stone that you can imagine. It should be very easy to find something that will go with the exterior color of your home. It is often times more appealing to use a color of landscaping border that varies slightly, yet still complements the color of your home. For example, if you have a red brick home, you may not want to match the color of the landscaping border exactly to that color. Your best bet will be to find a color that either has a bit of that color in it or is in of the same hue but not exact.

There are a great many different ways that creative landscaping border can be implemented. It can be placed in a way that will be easily moved later. This is a great option if you are a constant gardener whom is always changing things around because you like to try new things. These are typically the types of border that you can find at most home improvement and gardening centers. You can also opt for a more permanent setting. If you are pretty sure that you will not be changing the layout of your landscape design for several years, there are companies that use a machine to lay a permanent concrete border. This type of border can also be done in an array of different shades and shapes.

Landscape Edging Stones - A Great Way to Spruce Up Your Garden

Now that the harsh winter of 2011-2012 is just a memory it may be the right time to get outside and make some of those landscape improvements that will allow the days spent on the lawn a more pleasant experience. Of course, the reason people spend time outside is to enjoy nature so why not make those improvements with a natural landscape edging stones.

Natural stone lends itself to a variety of aesthetic applications, such as edging around a flower bed to add to the natural feel of the plants growing there or to create a walkway to make it easier to go from place to place. Natural stone can even be used as a retaining wall to protect the earth that is being held back from erosion. Unlike wood or plastic, stone will last forever and needs little to no upkeep once it has been installed.

Stone has been used in a great many ways in the past and many of the structures it has been used to create are still standing centuries after their first application. It is not unusual to see stone structures built centuries ago throughout the world that are living on and being used by modern day man. This is not only a testament to the builders of those structures but to the quality of the material itself. For those wishing to leave a legacy for future generations, natural stone is the way to go.

When using natural landscape edging stones for a do it yourself project a few techniques should be considered. Remember that it will be necessary to displace some of the earth and sod from the spot that will receive the edging. By laying a plastic barrier down before placing the stones weeds and grass will have no place to grow and pop up in the cracks between the stones. That means a little digging and a bit of extra work, but the effect will be worth it.

Then again a home owner may wish to contract with a landscape expert to produce the kind of effect they are looking for. This is quite acceptable and offers even more options for the enjoyment of the family. Landscape edging stones are used not only for their durability but also for the aesthetic value they lend to any property, and making sure they are placed just right is something any property owner owes to themselves.

Landscape Edging Ideas - Professional Landscaping Software

Landscaping Ideas and Software for Your Garden

The garden of the house reflects homeowner's personality thus a refreshing garden with stunning design landscape will make them the most unique, admired and talked-about in their neighborhood. Likewise, landscaping your own beautiful garden could be the most rewarding and enjoyable thing you'll ever do.

Flower gardens, eye catching landscapes and outdoor areas that please the senses and offer a wonderful escape from the daily pressures of life can be enhanced. How? To enhance your garden, landscape designs should follow certain principles and rules to meet your desire. landscape design must include walls, sitting areas, focal points, ornaments, paths and right plants themselves. Innovation in keeping the garden stylish and how to use the whole landscape are the keys. Today landscapes have changed into extraordinary feats and all in new level.

Whether you desire to create either as small or large scale landscape design you must take the time to plan ahead since this is the starting point to obtain a successfully landscaped yard you've always wanted. It should incorporate artistic elements with principles of designs such as uniqueness, balance, transition, proportion, rhythm, repetition and simplicity. Proper planning, analysis and exploiting landscape ideas such as landscape edging idea and landscaping ideas for slopes lead into functional, harmonious and aesthetically pleasant outdoor living area.

Landscape planning deals with conceptual, scientific and design approaches that emphasize ecological understanding and multi-disciplinary approach to analysis, planning and design. Landscaping ideas should be embraced in landscaping plan as this is a combination of art and science synchronizes aesthetically for better outcomes.

However, landscaping may encounter problems particularly in houses above street levels such as slopes. Hence llandscaping ideas for slope should be employ to get a solution. These ideas suggest using simple cost-effective solutions like ground covers, terracing regarding and retaining walls. Dealing with backyard landscapes, landscape edging ideas plays a vital role. Its purpose is to make a well define line between bed and lawns, and keeps the turf grass, from invading the buds, plus it keeps soil and mulch from spilling over into the lawn.

With so many different types of decorative edging available and looking for the right landscape edging materials is not simple; therefore it would be great if you will use the landscaping software that gives you perfect visual images for your garden. Professional landscaping software is user friendly featuring the architectural graphic symbols. These architectural symbols may include trees and shrubs, outdoor furniture, people, playground sets, vehicles, swimming pools and variety of shapes, materials and colors and many other landscaping decorations. In fact a lot of home owners and garden users use these. It can save your time, money as well as unnecessary work in the long run.

Landscaping ideas either for the slopes or backyards of the garden possess different components of arts and principles. A landscaping architect could help you to implement these best landscaping ideas efficiently to accomplish a great finishing look to your garden effectively.

Great Tips For Choosing Decorative Landscape Edging

Choosing a decorative landscape edging can be a daunting task if you don't have an idea of the statement you want your yard to make. What style are you implementing in your landscaping? Do you prefer a formal or informal appearance? Do want concrete, non-concrete or a brick edging? Do you prefer a more natural look or do you like the appearance of wrought iron? Do you like rounded shapes, natural brick or wood, plastic or metal to make a statement on your lawn?

There are well over 48 styles alone of non-concrete edging and at least eight styles in concrete. Brick edging is available in many shapes, designs and colors. The most popular edging is the non-concrete edging that is available in materials from wood, resin, wrought iron and plastic. You can even find edging that is made of wooden logs for an old fashioned log cabin design and the look is even available in cedar for an added insect repellent while still giving you a great rustic look.

Wrought iron edging has really made a recent return to the home landscaping plan in many areas. Wrought iron can be bent into some very interesting shapes and designs that can lend your yard just the right look from whimsical to elegant. The design can lead the eye to a focal point in your yard while giving your landscaping an appearance of order. Wrought iron works very well for the more formal landscaping but can be used in any landscaping with the right imagination and decorative piece in mind.

Interlocking edging is available in concrete and non-concrete styles and is easy to use. The pieces interlock to give a unique clean appearance to the design. You can find interlocking edging in wood, concrete, brick, wrought iron and even plastic. It works great for defining walkways, surrounding flowerbeds or around trees and garden areas. You can even use edging around entrances, in ground pools or even to help define your driveway.

Pricing for decorative landscape edging will greatly depend on the product you decide to use. It varies on the style and material of the edging. edging comes in many designs, textures, lengths and materials that all have an effect on the price. edging can be found from under fifty dollars all the way up to four hundred dollars, depending on how much you will need to purchase and the style and material involved.

Landscape Edging Options

A landscape project requires some type of landscape edging. This helps to define the areas of landscaping, such as flower beds and helps to keep grass and weeds from growing into the flower bed. It also helps to keep mulch or other mediums inside the landscaping area. Landscape edging comes in many types and a person can choose based upon their needs and budget.

The simplest and cheapest method of landscape edging is to simple cut in the edge. This is done with a spade or edging tool. A person simply cuts along the edge of the landscape area to make a defined edge that cuts off the bed from the grass or other area. The main issue with this type of edging is that it must be periodically done to ensure it stays well defined. That is why many people choose to use some type of landscape edging material.

There are a variety of edging materials that a person can choose from. The main differences between each edging material is the cost and time to install. There is also the special considerations of each material type. Wood edging comes in an array of types. There are ready made pieces that are already shaped and cut to fit any bed type. Other pieces, like 2x4's, can also be used to make edging. The Wood should be treated so it is weather resistant and does not rot. Wood edging can take time to shape and secure together. Plastic edging is another inexpensive method.

There are many styles of plastic edging and it is easy to form around rounded beds. Plastic edging is usually easily snapped together. Metal edging can be expensive, but is what most professionals use. It is long lasting and can be used for round and straight edges, easily. metal edging usually comes with clips that are easy to use to secure each piece together. Stone edging is another costly edging material. Stones can be easily used for round or straight beds. They last even longer than metal edgings, though. The biggest issue with stone edging is that it allows for grass and weeds to grow between each piece.

Landscape edging adds a nice look to a landscape project. It helps to define and protect beds. edging helps to keep a crisp, clean looking bed. In some situations, like landscaping done near a pond, edging can help to prevent the erosion of the soil. There are edging choices for any budget and any type of project. Besides the cost it is also wise for a person to consider that some methods may take longer to install. Whatever method a person chooses they are sure to find that it adds definition to their landscaping project.

Landscape Edging - Defining Your Choices

Landscape edging adds beauty and value to any landscape. Whether you are a professional landscaper or a beginner tackling your own home project, edging adds the polished look to make your landscape stand out from the rest. There are a various ways to utilize borders and edging in your landscape. You can use them to define walkways or paths. Separate the yard from the patio or section off a piece of your property to create a rock garden.

There are various types of edging with their own different designs and constructed out of many different materials. Make sure you choose the landscape edging that is right for your project to ensure a satisfactory outcome. Are you thinking about constructing a raised garden? Raised gardens can be constructed quickly by using landscape borders. What about a sandbox for all the children in your family to enjoy for years to come? Sandboxes are another backyard addition that can be constructed easily using landscape borders.

Most borders or edging are made from wood, metal, brick or plastic. Wood borders could be railroad ties, natural bamboo or a simple 2 by 4. Brick borders come in many different shapes, sizes and designs. A scalloped brick edger is a popular choice. Natural stone borders add natural beauty to any project. Plastic or synthetic borders may be a durable choice for such as separating unruly grass and a patio. Grass that needs to be trimmed will be up against the edging and an edging that can withstand the torture of a weed eater would be a great choice.

Before starting a project of any kind you must determine what type of edging you need to use. If raised gardens are something you want to construct, keep in mind that all gardens need water and some edging may not be able to withstand continuous moisture. Wood is an economical choice for raised gardens but may erode after years of watering. Bricks or stone edging are a nice choice but could cost a little more.

Sandboxes are a child's joy and should be constructed with careful consideration of the little ones. Choosing to make a sandbox that is edged with some kind of concrete or brick edging may be a little dangerous for small child to be playing around. Landscape edging made of a soft wood or a synthetic plastic material may be best. Sandboxes in general are dry so moisture may not be such a concern.

With some simple planning your landscape will be a prized possession that will be enjoyed for years to come. Choosing the right landscape edging for your project will make all the difference in the world.

Professional Quality Concrete Landscape Edging - 5 Telltale Signs

As with any contractors, not all concrete landscape edging companies are alike. Since you can't "try before you buy", here are 5 telltale signs to guide your search for the right contractor.

1. Determine if the company is a "concrete contractor."

In the concrete landscape edging business, being a "concrete contractor" is a key indicator of the company's professional standing. This tells you the company holds the highest industry licensing and that they are insured.

Concrete contractors provide professionals for your concrete landscape edging that are covered under the company's own insurance. Less professional services do not provide this assurance, leaving your home owner's policy to cover any injured workers who are either not or improperly insured.

On the contrary, a concrete contractor takes full responsibility for their staff, alleviating that burden from you.

2. Initial and follow-up responsiveness.

If it takes a company more than a day to respond to your first phone call, there's a good chance things will go downhill from there. This is a general customer service principle, not just in the concrete landscape edging business.

Most often, the longer it takes a company to get back to you the first time, the longer -and longer - it will take them to get back to you with subsequent calls and requests. Responsiveness isn't just an important indicator of customer service, it tells you how serious the concrete landscape edging provider is about their business.

3. They do what they say they're going to do.

If the lights went out in your house, you'd called an electrician, hoping he'd be right over. If he showed up three weeks later -in the middle of dinner - would you still want to work with him?

The same idea follows in concrete landscape edging contractors. If you set up an initial survey of what you'd like to do, and they show up late--beware. Look for a service that not only shows up when they say they will, but shows up a few minutes early.

Chances are good your concrete landscape edging project will run smoothly and on time from there.

4. They don't use subcontractors.

Concrete landscape edging is a skill acquired in both specific training and practice. It is difficult to be sure that a subcontractor has the requisite expertise. Therefore, a concrete landscape edging service that uses only their own on-staff, factory-trained technicians provides a higher and more consistent level of quality.

5. Appearance

Without sounding too starched, it should be said that appearance does make a big difference. Compare the concrete landscape edging workers who show up with shirts untucked and unbuttoned with those who wear a neat and clean company version.

A company shirt is an outward mark of a professional attitude and work ethic. The person working for the company is more clear about the principles and values through which the company operates. For that matter, a company that puts some thought into appearance also makes a statement about how seriously they view their business.

Appearance may not be everything, but it definitely counts for a lot.

A strong beginning most often leads to a beautiful end. Look for photo samples of prior work. If you like what you see, use these five telltale signs to find a concrete landscape edging service worth their weight. Find a company that excels on all five, and you've found a winner.

Better Design with Landscape Edging

Nothing sets apart a yard better than incorporating landscape edging. It can be used as a defining element and also as an excellent way to draw the eye's attention to a focal point. Not only is it the perfect finishing touch, landscape edging also serves a practical use. It's it's one of the best ways of keeping grass and weeds from growing into your flower beds and it'll help keep the soil and mulch in your garden from washing away.

A Multitude of Landscape edging choices.

Next time you're out working in your garden, consider ways to take advantage of this easy way to add instant curb appeal to your home. Once you start shopping for landscape edging you'll quickly realize that it's available in a wide range of styles and prices. There are a number of natural and man-made materials to choose from including plastic, wood, metal, stone, cement and brick.

A common option is using stones and with so many stone colors and sizes available today, it's easy to mix and match them to create a landscape edging look that's truly unique.

Another excellent choice is Wood for landscape edging material. You can use railroad ties, pieces of timber or sections that are already made so all you need to do is measure and install. Since exposure to the elements is inevitable, consider choosing cedar, cypress or redwood as these woods are the most resistant to rot and insects.

If You want to achieve a look that's totally natural and seamless, why not choose colorful flowering plants or green shrubs? Take a trip to your local garden center to see the many options including those that have been especially designed for use as landscape edging.

An other option is metal landscape edging. It is both durable and versatile, but because of its ability to be molded into different shapes, the finished look can vary considerably. Your choices can include a pattern that's very simple or you can hire a professional to custom-create an elaborate filigree design.

With its many colors and shapes plastic is a practical and popular choice in landscape edging. It's generally less expensive than other materials and it's weather-resistant.

There are so many choices!

With the abundance of landscape edging options available, your biggest challenge will likely be choosing the one that's right for your yard. If you're feeling overwhelmed, you can do what others do. Take a drive and see how your neighbors are using landscape edging.Take along your camera so that later on you'll be able to remember the designs that captured your attention.

Gardening 101 - Why Install a Landscape Edging?

Gardens and landscaping provide aesthetic value to your home. Placing different kinds of plants and flowers in front, around or even in your backyard give a refreshing and cozy feel to your house. Gardens take out the harshness and coldness associated with modern urbanity and instead bringing a splash of color to the surroundings. But many shy away from keeping a garden because they fear that they don't have time or the patience for maintaining it. But these problems can easily be solved because there are ways to make maintenance of gardens easier. Installing a landscape edging is one such move. Installing this accessory make it easier for owners to cultivate and enjoy their gardens.

A garden could be first fixed by a landscape artist but when the owner's left on his own for the garden's maintenance, problems arise. One of the difficulties associated with gardens is the problems with delineating spaces and grass. There are certain areas where grasses and plants grow out of place, and so they tend to cross over walk ways and other spaces in the garden. This problem can be solved by installing a landscape edging around areas in the garden where plants and grasses are concentrated and arranged. Landscape edgings can either be simple trenches or pieces of tile, brick, plaster or plastic embedded into the soil around the landscape arrangements. They help define the spaces in your garden.

Because landscape edgings help define and differentiate spaces in your garden, you can now take care of it with ease. Landscape edgings help you determine the areas where grasses and other weeds are not supposed to grow and you can now make moves to take control. There are edgings designed to conform to the edges of conventional lawn mowers. They are designed so that the mower can use them as "tracks" making it easy to mow hard to reach grasses near the edgings. They also ensure the health of your plants because edgings prevent the spread of weeds if placed around plant beds. If they are deep enough (in the case of trench-type edgings) or deeply embedded (in the case of tile or plaster edgings), the long roots of weeds called stolons cannot reach the soil in your plant bed. These stolons, if uncontrolled, would grow into new grass blades. Therefore, placing landscape edgings would spare you from the hassles of spraying herbicide often or worse, getting down on your knees and pulling them out.

Besides these benefits, landscape edgings also provide aesthetic value to your garden. Trenches could be otherwise plain, but choosing bricks, tile or even plastic edgings with different designs and shapes will give your garden a good aesthetic boost. There are many kinds available in the market and so you can surely find the one that's right for your budget and needs.

The Many Uses Of Landscape Edging

Landscape edging is useful for a variety of reasons within your yard or garden. There are a large variety of styles to choose from, but landscape edging is not always used just for decoration. It's often handy to help separate various areas of your yard, contain invasive plants, or keep the grass out of flower or tree beds. Let's look at several ways landscape edging can be both useful and beautiful in your yard.

1. Around trees - Using landscape edging around your trees can help keep the grass, ground covers, or other vines and plants from invading the space designated just for your trees. These plants can sometimes steal the water your trees need, before that water is able to soak deeply enough into the ground to be beneficial to the trees. So putting landscape edging around your trees is an excellent way to make the yard look much more professionally finished, but it also helps your trees to grow strong and healthy.

Try putting your landscape edging several feet away from the trunks of the trees, then fill the interior area with a nice looking mulch or bark to give it a finishing touch. This bark and mulch will also help protect your trees from drying out too quickly in the summer, or being damaged by cold in the winter.

2. Around your yard - Using landscape edging around the border of a simple grass yard helps it looks more valuable and attractive, without adding the additional maintenance and water needs that comes with putting in plants, flowers, bushes or trees.

An added bonus of putting landscape edging around your grass yard, is that the grass will not be able to invade your walkways as easily, and keeping the edges trimmed is also much easier when you have edging in place too.

3. Around flower beds - Landscape edging is an excellent way to section off various areas of your yard and garden for specific plants or flowers. If you like having showy annual flowers along your walkway for instance, putting some decorative landscape edging on the outside of those is a quick and easy way to dress things up a bit.

Alternatively, if you have flower beds in place already, say in front of the house, you can make them look more elegant and upscale by simply placing a nice edging around what's already there.

If you don't want trees or bushes in your yard, or you want the yard to look pretty and finished quickly, try putting circular or other stylish arrangements of landscape edging in the middle of your yard, then planting some pretty, colorful flowers which bloom all season. You can even use landscape edging to make raised flower beds too.

Regardless of where you decide to put your landscape edging, you can make it more interesting and unique by putting in in various shapes. A standard square or circle is fine of course, but you'll add much more interest and class to your yard by creating a figure eight shape around a few trees for instance, or creating a curvy, snake like design along the edge of a flower bed or around the outside of your yard.

Landscape Edging Ideas

There are many beautiful ways to add some finishing touches to your landscaping and gardening projects, and putting in landscape edging is just one way to give your yard a finished, polished, and professional look. So let's review some great landscape edging ideas that are simple and easy to put into place almost anywhere.

1. Wood Landscape Edging Ideas - There are a variety of wooden landscape edgings that can be purchased at any home and garden store, hardware store, or regular discount stores such as Walmart or Kmart too. You can buy standard two by four or six by four wood pieces and cut them to size, or buy small round pieces of wood which look like miniature tree trunks.

When using wood landscape edging, make it decorative by varying the heights and sizes of wood pieces. If for instance, you're using the round wood pieces, put a 6 inch one in place, then a 4 inch high piece next to that, then a 2 inch high piece, then another 4 inch piece, then another 6 inch piece. Repeat this pattern around the edge of your landscaped areas.

Railroad ties are another excellent way to create wooden landscaping edges, and sometimes these can be picked up at no cost from a variety of job sites in your local area.

One of my favorite ideas for wooden landscape edging, is to use long and unusual looking branches from trees or bushes. Sometimes you'll find fallen tree branches that have unusual shapes and textures, and these can make wonderful borders and edges for your landscaping projects.

2. Stone Landscape Edging Ideas - Using stone to create your landscape edges gives you a lot of variety, style, and freedom for creativity. You could go for a hike for instance, and collect stones in a variety of sizes to take home with you. Check to be sure this is legal where you live first though. Or you could go to a local nursery or home and garden center, and select a variety of stone sizes.

Set the stones up side by side in an attractive pattern, or place them several inches to several feet apart. Alternatively, put large stones a few feet apart, with smaller ones side by side between them.

Many decorative pathway style stones can also be bought almost anywhere. These are designed to be laid flat to create walkways with, but they make beautiful landscape edges and borders too. Simply turn them on their side, and bury them into the ground about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way so they're standing upright. This is even prettier when you plant some annual colorful flowers, such as pansies or vincas in front of each stone.

Concrete and brick are similar but alternative options to using actual stone. Using these also gives you a wide variety of decorative patterns that will make your landscape edging stand out from the crowd.

3. Plastic Landscape Edging Ideas - There are many different styles of inexpensive landscape edging materials made from plastic, and available at almost any store. Some of these are designed to look like small picket fences, while others are meant to look like cobblestone, brick, or wood borders themselves.

All it takes is a little bit of thought and creativity, plus a trip or two to browse some of the materials available at your local garden center, and you'll soon be bursting with your own unique landscape edging ideas!