Landscape edging creates a barrier between different areas in the yard, such as by separating the grass lawn from the border flower beds. Its purpose is to contain mulch while preventing plants from migrating into adjacent areas. There are many choices in edging materials, but concrete landscape edging is one of the best options for most yards.
1. Damage Resistant
Weather, soil movement, and lawn equipment can tear up lesser edging materials within a year or two. This means spending time and money to repair or replace the edging when it starts to look bad or stops serving its purpose. Concrete edging is resistant to weather damage and doesn't tend to have issues with soil movement if installed properly. It also is resistant to damage from lawnmower blades and other yard equipment.
2. Low Maintenance
Edging should be something that you install and then think very little about other than to enjoy the way it makes the yard look. Unfortunately, some materials require maintenance. Wood edging may require sealing periodically to prevent rot. Vinyl and rubber edging needs to be reset in the spring as it tends to move in response to frost heave in the winter. Concrete, on the other hand, rarely requires any type of maintenance.
3. Design Options
There are two main types of concrete edging — poured-in-place curbing and pre-formed edging blocks. Poured curbing can be poured into forms to give it different looks, from simple concrete curbs to molded or stamped edging that looks like brick or stone. Blocks come in various designs and shapes to fit nearly any aesthetic. Concrete can also be dyed so that you can have it in a color other than gray.
4. Installation Flexibility
Standard edging materials may be acceptable if you are edging beds with straight borders. It can be more challenging when the edging needs to follow curves. Since concrete can be poured on-site, it can be molded to fit any shape of the garden bed in the yard. You can also vary the height of the concrete edging to meet your needs.
5. Barrier Efficacy
A significant purpose of edging is to keep roots from spreading into adjacent beds, such as keeping lawn grass out of a flower bed. Some edging materials don't sink in low enough to prevent roots from spreading underneath, while others aren't strong enough to keep roots from penetrating. Concrete can be poured with deeper footings to keep out deep-rooting plants, and it's strong enough that roots generally can't force their way through.
Contact a concrete landscape edging installer if you think this is the right material for your garden beds.
