20 Modern Garden Edging Ideas

A Few General Tips for an Elegant Edge

Be definitive and make a clear edge

Don’t just let the lawn stop and hope for the best. Make a clean edge with a contrasting material. This will brighten up your yard and improve your landscaping.

Be bold with colors and patterns

Your edge can become a focal point. Don’t be afraid to use contrasting colors and different materials to really make your landscape stand out.

Plan for simple, regular maintenance

Your edging should make mowing and trimming easier. Clean edges make trimming simpler by providing a clear guide. Wild edges using boulders eliminate much of the need for trimming.

The List: 20 Lawn Edging Ideas You Could Try

1. Go sleek with stone

Why not go for a smooth stone edging to give that polished finish and provide a contrast between the flower bed and the pale color of the gravel? The edging will only need to be just a couple of inches high so as not to make its dark coloration distract you from the natural feel.

2. Use contrasting tones for a statement feature

When doing concrete edging around gravel, you will want to use a material with a contrasting tone in order for it to stand out and work best aesthetically. You can use terracotta brick tiles next to gray paver stones or gravel, basically to add a bit of color to your outdoor space. Always opt for colors that contrast with each other and do not clash. There are a whole range of colored bricks to choose from so that you can figure out what would work best for your garden edge.

3. Get creative with shapes using recycled rubber

There are a lot of different options when it comes to edging ideas, and if you are worried about your furry friends or small children getting injured on sharp or hard edges, a great option to go for is recycled rubber garden edges. Not only are they an eco-friendly alternative, being made from recycled tires, but they also give your garden a fun and flowing look as the flexibility of the material means they can be molded into any shape around your flower beds, so you get less of the harsh, square edges.

4. Use bricks to create a mowing strip

Whether you are going for a modern or a more classic look, brick edging around mowing strips creates a visually pleasing garden design. If you are wanting a more natural, ethereal feel, you can let moss grow between the bricks. This will soften the contrast between the lawn and the surrounding flower beds. If the edging design is in a neat pattern, it will accentuate the impact of the mowing strips and add to the overall visual interest of the space.

5. Gray gravel border

If you want to give a subtle hint for people not to walk on your well-tended lawn and to stick to the path, a gray gravel border is likely to achieve this and also gives your garden a really eye-catching, interesting design. All you will need to do is dig a trench of just a few inches between the path and the lawn, lay down some protective sheeting to stop the weeds from growing, and then fill it with the gray gravel of your choice.

6. Wooden planks

Perhaps you are going for a more rustic feel, and there is no better material than wood if this is the look you are going for. Use old wood for raised beds to create a subtle fade between the different colors on show. If you are looking for something that stands out a little more, you can go for redwood panels. You may need to shape the lawn a little in order to accommodate the rustic look of wooden planks, but if this is what you want to do, it really requires minimum effort.

7. Raised garden beds

A raised bed can be a simple flower bed or can make use of trellis or supporting canes for larger plants to grow up. The point of these is to emphasize different colors or themes. They can include anything from cacti to beautiful flower arrangements, or raised beds around your garden could even be a neat way to grow delicious herbs or vegetables—some of these such as rainbow chard are as easy on the eye as they are on the palette.

8. Edging with hedges

Another nice idea for a natural look in your garden is the addition of hedges, which are extremely versatile in terms of shape and the range of colors possible. You can really get creative and turn hedging into a fun idea, because it can be pretty much trimmed into any shape. Using an assortment of different kinds of hedges in your landscape design can really boost the visual and sensory elements.

9. Large stone landscape edging for flowers

Stacking large rocks around an arrangement of brightly colored flowers really brings them to the fore due to the contrasting textures. For added emphasis, you could even arrange them around a tree trunk or place a water fountain or other feature nearby. You could also add large stones along the path as stepping stones to avoid walking on the gravel.

10. Simple border fence

If you are pressed for time or you’re just not feeling too creative, then a black wire fence is a great way of dividing different sections of the garden without any real effort. Although simple, this can give a really polished look to your garden’s edge.

11. Add a bench

A tip that a landscape architect might give you if you are wanting to create a softer border is the addition of a bench which curves around part of the garden space. This will not only add transition between different sections but allows somewhere to sit and enjoy the serenity of your garden.

12. Lay down railway sleepers

The industrial look is becoming more popular nowadays, and a great way to achieve this is with reused railway sleepers. Good quality railroad ties may be available at your local hardware store and will be very durable as well as keeping out slugs and other unwanted visitors from your raised beds. You can stack the sleepers at different heights or just lay them out on one level—either way it will create a defined edge for your flower garden.

13. Be bold with boulders

Large rocks and boulders around your garden can give your garden a natural, earthy vibe that will require little in the way of maintenance. Use ferns and cascading green plants to add a wild element and to add splashes of color.

14. Gabion wall used as edging

You can create your own gabion wall edging with wire basket type material and plenty of rocks. This makes for a perfect retaining wall for holding plants and soil while also giving an artistic look that is an alternative from traditional stone walls.

15. Terra cotta garden edging

Terra cotta pots can be arranged together to create a distinctive and original form of garden edging. This gives a different option from wooden planks or any of the other more traditional materials used and looks quirky and fun.

16. Concrete curves

Using concrete adds a sharp visual element, but make sure you choose a tone that contrasts well with the colored mulch surrounding the concrete curves. This is becoming an increasingly popular choice nowadays.

17. Hydrangea hedging

In a partially shaded area, something you may not have thought of is planting beautiful hydrangeas to create an edging around your home or garden. Hydrangeas will add an enchanting atmosphere—they bloom for up to two months in the summer, and sometimes even in the fall. They come in a variety of pretty colors such as pink, white, or blue, and when they are not in bloom, their foliage is still pleasing to the eye.

18. Metal garden edging

Metal edging is a great choice if you are going for the modern look, although some varieties are colored to match with the surrounding natural environment. No digging is required as metal edging can just be easily hammered into the soil, and you can choose a style that best fits with the overall theme. Corrugated metal is one of the more popular choices for this type of edging, and you can even get it with the rusted look if this is what you are going for. Whatever you choose, this is an option that is very much on trend.

19. Illuminated edging

There is no reason you have to stop enjoying the outdoor space once the sun goes down. Why not add a rope lighting strip to the garden edging? This will create a glowing effect over your flower bed and will allow you to see everything in a new light. You can even buy fiberglass edging that already has the lights installed if you so wish.

20. Natural willow edgings are intricately beautiful

Willow edging is ideal for an eco-friendly option. As well as being environmentally sustainable, it looks spectacular. One drawback is that it will require a fair bit of maintenance, but if you are of the mindset to use it in the first place, chances are you will just see this as part of the process. Willow edgings are a traditional feature of classic English gardens—you might say they are like something out of a Jane Austen novel. This is a classy option that will keep everything very natural.