Which garden edging to choose for flower beds, vegetable beds and lawns

Garden edging does three jobs: it holds the shape of a flower bed or vegetable bed, stops the lawn and weeds from spreading, and keeps soil from spilling onto paths. Which edging is best depends on what exactly you are building. Let's go through the materials, the specifications and ready-made solutions for typical jobs.

What to make edging for flower beds, vegetable beds and lawns from

Material	Pros	Cons
Concrete	Strong, withstands loads	Heavy, needs a base, hard to form curves
Natural stone, brick	Decorative	Costly to install, grass grows between the pieces
Timber	Natural look	Rots in the ground, needs treating
Metal	Thin, rigid edge	Price, sharp edges, rust in cheap versions
Plastic	Flexible, light, easy to install	Not for areas with vehicles, holds less than concrete

For flower beds, vegetable beds and lawn edges, plastic edging is the most popular choice: you can bend it into any curve, install it without concrete and move it if you change the layout. Where cars drive, a concrete kerb is the better option.

Plastic edging: pros and cons

Pros:

• flexible: easy to form a circle, a wave or an intricate pattern;
• easy to install: all you need is a spade;
• light: you can carry a 10 m coil in one hand;
• does not rot or rust; Gartec edging is made of UV-resistant high-pressure polyethylene, so it does not fade in the sun.

Cons worth knowing about:

• not suitable for cars driving over it or for heavy loads;
• if it is buried too shallow or poorly compacted, the edge can "come out" after winter;
• very cheap strips without UV stabilisation fade and become brittle over time, so check what they are made of.

What to look for when choosing plastic edging

Height

Height determines how much soil or loose material the edging will hold back. The Eco Border edging strip is 103–110 mm high: it is buried so that only the tube shows above the ground. The low Universal is 34 mm high and the MAX version 60 mm; they are set flush with the lawn or path.

Tube thickness

The tube along the top edge makes the strip stiffer and hides the cut edge. The Econom and Optimal series have a 12 mm tube, Standard a 20 mm one. A thicker tube means a stiffer edge that does not get crushed by a strimmer and holds the weight of the soil in vegetable beds.

Coil length

The longer the coil, the fewer the joints. A 20 m coil goes round a flower bed about 6 m in diameter in one piece. 10 m coils are handy for small flower beds and individual vegetable beds, and 6 m (MAX) for short paths.

Colour

• black is almost invisible, the all-purpose option;
• brown blends in with mulch, bark and soil;
• green disappears against the lawn.

The Eco Border strip comes in all three colours, Universal in black and brown.

Gartec models compared

Model	Length	Height	Tube	Coil weight	Best for
Eco Border Econom	10 m	103 mm	12 mm	1.6 kg	Small flower beds
Eco Border Standard	10 m	110 mm	20 mm	2 kg	Vegetable beds, edge next to a lawn
Eco Border Optimal	20 m	103 mm	12 mm	3.2 kg	Large flower beds without joints
Universal	10 m + 20 stakes	34 mm	—	—	Lawns, paving
Universal MAX	6 m + 15 stakes	60 mm	—	—	Gravel and bark paths

The Universal profile is 40 mm wide.

Which edging to choose for a flower bed

For an ordinary flower bed, Eco Border Optimal 20 m is a good fit: 103 mm high, a long coil and no unnecessary joints. For small beds, Econom 10 m is enough, and it is the lightest. If the bed borders a lawn that is cut with a strimmer, go for Standard with its 20 mm tube. And if you want the bed level with the lawn so the mower can pass over the edge, choose the low Universal. More on the flower bed edging page.

Which edging to choose for vegetable beds

Eco Border Standard works best for vegetable beds: its 110 mm height and 20 mm tube give a stiff, straight edge that does not bend under the weight of the soil. On long rows, Optimal 20 m is handier as there are fewer joints. At the corners the strip simply bends, so separate corner pieces are not needed. The spaces between the beds can be covered with black mulching fabric, which keeps weeds out from between the beds. More details: vegetable bed edging.

Which edging to choose for lawns and paths

Here you need an edge flush with the ground so the lawn mower can pass over it. Universal 10 m with stakes separates grass from mulch, gravel or paving, and the stakes stop the edge from shifting when paving is laid or gravel is spread next to it. For paths made of loose materials, MAX 60 mm works better, as its higher side holds bark and pebbles more securely. Plastic is not suitable for a driveway; that needs a concrete kerb.

Edging for paths and paving

For garden paths, what matters is what the path is made of. Paving laid on a sand base is held by the low Universal: it is set tight against the outer row, and the stakes stop the base from spreading. Gravel, bark and pebbles are better held by the taller Universal MAX 60 mm. The edging strip with a tube also works for paths if the path sits slightly lower than the flower bed and you need to stop soil spilling onto it.

Mistakes when choosing

• Buying the "tallest" edging for everything. For a lawn you mow over, a tall edge only gets in the way; you need a low profile flush with the ground.
• Choosing the lightest strip for vegetable beds. A thin edge can bend under the weight of the soil; raised beds need a stiffer tube.
• Ignoring joints. Several short coils on a large flower bed mean several visible joints. A long coil solves the problem.
• Forgetting about colour. A bright or contrasting edge draws the eye; if the edging should be unobtrusive, choose black or the colour of your mulch.

How much edging to buy

1. Measure the perimeter: for a circle it is 3.14 × diameter, for a rectangle 2 × (length + width).
2. Add up the perimeters of all your flower beds or vegetable beds.
3. Add about 5% for joints and trimming.
4. Divide by the coil length and round up.

For example, six 3 × 1 m vegetable beds: one has a perimeter of 8 m, all six 48 m, or about 50.4 m with the allowance. That is six 10 m coils of Standard, one per bed, or three 20 m coils of Optimal.

If you are torn between two 10 m coils and one 20 m coil, count the joints: on a single large flower bed a long coil always looks neater, while short coils are handier for several separate vegetable beds.

Prices and ordering

Prices are listed in the garden edging catalogue. You can buy from a single coil, and from 10 coils the price drops automatically in the cart. For how to install the edging you have chosen, see our step-by-step installation guide.