Q: Hi I want to find a cheap alternative to garden edging. My garden beds won't be straight so I need something flexible that looks pretty nice. Hope you can help me. Joanne - Darra.
A: ‘Cheap alternative’ to garden edging…are you referring to a cheap alternative to concrete?
Your garden beds ‘won’t be straight’…are you, therefore, referring to garden edges that would ‘flow’ and be attractively ‘curved’ and create a pleasant appearance… 'Elle McPherson’ curves, as I tell my gardeners?
You can create these curves with a ‘spade edge’, but…in a park situation with many gardeners doing the edging…I find that the original intended edge is never constant.
I have tried treated hard wood ‘hidden’ edges, but this eventually rots out. I am about to negotiate with a particular manufacturer for an edge created with re-cycled plastic material.
Do you wish the garden edge to be ‘hidden’ and below the surface of the surrounding grass/ground (as I wish to do), or would you like it to be above surrounding ground level?
Many years ago I installed ‘mini’ concrete blocks below ground level in the City Botanic Gardens, in their ‘formal’ gardens, and this has been a tremendous success. The ‘designed’ edges exist today and will possibly be what I will do again in Roma Street Parkland.
A few more details of what you wish to do would certainly help me in answering your question.
