Steel Edging

1. no

2. yes, alluminun

3.  I would recommend it

Your boss probably finds that it is more difficult than other alternatives. The answer is to charge enough to make up for the difficulty and let the client decide not to do it instead of deciding not to do it for the client. Your boss wins either way.

A lot of people’s aprehension comes from using the really old stuff which never really anchored well and would eventually work loose. They were probably also using residential-grade, which is much, much thinner. If you use a good quality THICK commercial edging that has a proper fastening system, you will be just fine. Aluminum is a good alernative, but will not get the rusty patina, if that is the look you are after. I usually got for aluminum to prevent corrosion from deicing salts at the connection points (I use it on top of concrete and fastened with TAPCONs for unit paver restraints) 

I used to spec a lot of steel edging when I first entered the profession. The common thought was that it helped keep turf from migrating into the bed areas. This has not been the case in my experience, it seems like the grass rhizomes just spreads right past it. Then I rationalized using it because it acts as a more permanent marker to define the bed areas. But, when a landscaper told me a story about a kid getting a nasty cut from falling on rusty widely spaced joint in the edging I stopped using it unless the client demanded it. That said, the last time I used it I called for the thick stuff  and had them weld the joints and grind the sharp edges down to avoid this problem. Every two or three years a couple of sections need to be reinstalled because of frost heave, but it’s no big deal. If you have a client that insist that you use steel edging make sure you make it clear that ongoing maintenance may be required to avoid possible hazardous conditions (note this on the drawings).

I still pretty much don’t use the stuff. It’s a pain in the butt on curving slopes and undulating grades. Most importantly I think a bed that’s professionally deep edged in the spring and maintained with a steel edged trimmer during the growing season looks soooooooo much better. Besides most of the time the plants ultimately decide what the bed edge will be. I like to be able to move the edge as a garden matures or more plantings are added.

To be fair I may be a little biased against steel edging because I was probably traumatized as a young LA by my uncle who always asked for my garden advice, but never followed it. I sketched and labeled a foundation planting plan for him and told him exactly what to do to give his house some “curb appeal” and to call me if he had any questions. A couple of months had passed and I stopped by to see him and his wife for something totally unrelated. I almost passed out when I saw his place; he had sheared this gorgeous Japanese Maple that was planted about 30 years ago into a neat gumball shape and used white marble chips for mulch instead of the aged shredded hardwood mulch that I told him to use. Once my eyes adjusted from the glare of the marble chips I could see he was using green steel edging that was sticking up 6” out of the ground like a little curvilinear retaining wall. He was so proud of his work I couldn’t bring myself to tell him just how disgusted I really was. My uncle is no longer with us, but his steel edging which is now sticking 10” out of the ground and marble chips live on. Anyway who cares what a fancy college boy landscaper has to say about anything.

Another edge I always wanted to try is vinyl paver patio edging. If installed deep enough can give you a similar look.

LOL I guess my suggestion and long a$$ story gotta big…meh!

I’ve done landscapes in Texas using 419 Tifway to St. Augustine and projects in Kansas, Ohio, Florida, New York and Connecticut using all kinds of Blue Grass and Fescue to Zoysia. Steel edging might retard growth for a while, but without maintenance the turf will always invade the beds—well at least where I’ve practiced it has. Maybe grass does something different in your parts.

Anyway I was going to suggest concrete edging, but not the kind that’s extruded from a machine because that stuff cracks up like crazy in a cold climate. On commercial projects I’ve used concrete edging with carefully placed expansion and control joints on the curved sections, this was back in the early nineties and they have held up well. But, that’s if you want that kind of look on your project. Like I said, I did it in the early nineties; do you know/remember what people dressed like back then?  

No dis to edging users, but I’d never sacrifice safety to make such minor design statement. But you best believe if I were to use steel edging it would have an urban/industrial flavor to it. Like welding two pieces of salvaged Ryerson steel edging together and distressing it in a funky way. Or smooth graceful curves using ½ thick steel. Go big or go home. Otherwise stick with the classic deep edged bed practiced by gardeners for the longest. Deep edge in the spring, along with a couple of passes with a wheeled lawn edger during the growing season and it usually holds up with bi-weekly touch ups with a string trimmer with a steel blade. I think this is a case of less is more. No law suits for the firm and save the client on materials and labor.

Hi there,

An alternative could be cobblestone edging – we have a huge demand for this kind of edging. For a more contemporary look, you could use a cobble with cleaner lines,or perhaps granite cobbles… here’s an example using a 100 x 100mm cobblestone set in concrete… it’s not as clean as steel, but there are some manufacturers with narrower, less obvious versions and of course a darker color will not stand out as much…