Many of you know that I used to edge the border in front of my veggie garden with plates. Then we decided to move and in the process of neutralizing the house and garden I removed all my plates and started using some concrete edgers.
Fast forward – we decided we couldn’t move just yet and now I have these concrete edgers instead of the plates that I don’t like very much. I thought about painting them white. But I’m not sure. Anyway, I was looking for some bed edging ideas the other day and thought I’d share some really cute garden bed edging designs that I found with you.
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Flagstone edging
I really like this big rock edging. I think it looks very informal and cottagey. But I’m thinking that the gaps in between the rocks would give the Bermuda grass space to spread into the border unless I also install some plastic or steel edging.
Here’s a cute idea from decoist that might work if I used shorter pieces of log.
or should I just go to the thrift store and get some more plates and do a plate border again?
Just for fun – I think this bowling ball edging around the mailbox is a cute and unique edging idea!
source: Beth Ramos
If you have any suggestions or thoughts let me know!
*click the photos to take you to their source and please only pin the collage from here not the individual photos.
If you still have all the plates, you could always use those again – I thought the look was very creative and pretty! I also love that flagstone edging. Gives me some ideas for my own gardens.
Nope, I donated them all to my local Goodwill. So I’d have to start over again.
Manuela
I like the plates. I have that around my circular herb garden in the back.
As an edging to my border around the front of the house I use little clay pots — I have a mix of small 2 inch (I think) and 4 inch pots. I pick them up at Michaels when they are 4 for 1$. They are a nice cottage — but mellow — look. I do have to take them up in the late fall or they would deteriorate in the winter, and then set them back out in the spring. I’ll likely be setting them out today or tomorrow after I do some weeding and put out some mulch there. I got the idea of the clay pot edging from Pickets, the home and garden shop I like so much in Seagrove, FL on 30A (heading back there soon, yay!).
The one where you got those cute bunny finials?
Well this is a big border so as much as I like the clay pot idea, I just don’t think I’d want to pick them up and set them out every year.
Manuela
Yep, same store. If you get the pots cheap enough — then you could just leave them out and replace as needed. This winter I could have left them out, I think. It’s the same issue with plates, really — if you get a lot of freezes and thaws you will have some breakage or crumbling in the winter.
I loved the plate border….but all of the ones you showed are great….
I like all these ideas, especially the plates, which as you know, I blatantly copied from you. My neighbor enjoys mowing my front lawn for whatever reason, yet he hates my plate border. Hates is probably not a strong enough word. He’s actually clipped the border and broken several. Grrrr… I may have to come up with another plan myself.
What a nice neighbor!
Well I always used the weed whacker in front of the plates. I’m the one that mows the lawn so I would leave an edge and go back with the trimmer. I have to edge all my beds with it anyway so it wasn’t doing something extra.
You could install a plastic or steel edging and place the plates behind it.
Manuela
I love the plates, so different! I have mine lined with rocks, I love that too:) Have a blessed day, HUGS!
You are so right about the large rocks–I love the look but any grass just loves to creep between and invade the flower bed. Sigh. They don’t hold the soil back if the bed behind is raised either.
I do like my bricks though. And I plan to surround my rhubarb plant with a plate border this summer to keep the pups from running amuck.
I’m so happy that spring is almost officially here and I can think about my garden again!
I know your making a change,, but I love
the dish edging.. it’s unique to say the
least…
I have the flat brick around my garden..
nice
Sandy
I actually had the flagstone rocks bordering a lot of my beds and one bed I did with huge rocks, in my old house, Manuela. In fact, I think your inspiration picture was my inspiration picture at the time! You are right though, the grass and weeds would come up in between even when I did the alyssum as they show in the picture, so plastic underneath the rocks is a good idea.
I had a variety of plates around our pump house and loved it…but in front of a garden bed got frustrating, because the dogs would sometimes knock them crooked or over, when rough-housing and running through the back yard…and you are right about the big rocks…we used the dark grey rip-rap and I loved the natural look but the grass DID creep in no matter how much I dug little front trenches and sprayed…(their roots travel UNDER the ground)…I love the flagstone and my hubby would triple vote for the flat brick pavers, because of NO trouble mowing and weed-eating around them…He hated what the big rocks did to his trimmer line… 🙁 so what shall it be??? we shall have to wait and see! 🙂
Well I’m leaning towards the double brick edging although I’d LOVE to do a plate border again. I just think I have to find a smaller bed than this one to do the plates. I think the brick would make mowing etc easier. But I haven’t decided for sure 🙂
I love the plate border! The bowling balls are clever!
D
Wow…I have never seen a plate edging before! How pretty! So great for a cottage garden.
I like the brick edging, myself. You can probably find it someplace where they sell re-claimed brick. The plates that you used before was unique and pretty, if all else fails, that would be such a pretty way to go again.
Hugs, Cindy
Hi – so glad you posted the pictures of when you had plate borders. I like the other borders you showed too. We hope to do some major work in our little backyard this summer- we need some serious dirtwork and to install a patio before I do the flower beds though.
You have given me lots of food for thought, thank you!
Lots of pretty options, but not a fan of the bowling balls.
Hope you are enjoying your weekend.
After seeing the plate border nothing else stood out to me. I love those plates. If you don’t use them for this garden use them for something smaller like you said.
Nope, the bowling balls don’t bowl me over.
Good luck deciding.
I loved your plate border, but I’m sure you will come up with a wonderful “cottagy” border, if you decide to make a different one.
I thought of you yesterday when I bought 2 chairs to make planter chairs. Come see! I found a bunch of planter chair images on Google. Just not sure where I’ll put the chairs in the yard.
After reading all the other comments, I was surprised to find that I was the only one who did not like the plates at all. I prefer something that truly would be authentic historically to a cottage, and that would not be plates, even if the were beautiful assorted china plates (which I love). Although I love rocks, I agree grass could be an issue and I know I don’t ways have the time to weed-wack. I think bricks are nice because you can bring your mower up on the bricks and don’t have to weed-wack at all, plus the look goes with a cottage home, but does not overwhelm or become the focal point itself. Good luck with whatever you decide.
Interesting point. However, I don’t live in an authentic historical cottage – I live in a 1960’s split foyer, so to me it’s not an issue. I’m not trying to recreate a historic look but rather more a cottage feeling in the garden. Which these days includes whimsical elements.
I am leaning towards the brick edging because I like the look, think it would make mowing easier plus hopefully keep the grass out of the bed.
Manuela
We have different edges because we have different gardens. Some good ideas! Enjoyed the pictures.
I actually like all of the looks you show. I think I would prefer the plates in a smallish bed to add interest, but would probably keep the other beds with one of the other choices. I have heard that the bricks make for the easiest mowing as the mower can ride right over them.
I am working on a rock border around my herb garden. I have found some really pretty large rocks on my walks through the neighborhood. It’s kind of a slow process, but gives me “treasures” to look for when I’m out walking.
I vote for the plate borders! Very whimsical.
I love the flagstone look and the plate look. I grew up in an area where many of the cottages used flagstone and even slate. so it brings back memories. Brick is too formal for me.
I love the plate look! Very unique, I’ve never seen that done before! It would never work in my garden because my husband would break them all with the wee wacker. I love the flagstone and the double brick edging. My edging is done with the large river rock. I love it! The photos that you used for inspiration are beautiful! Hubby and I just cleaned up our garden so we’re ready for spring. Sure hope we don’t get any snow because everything is already starting to bud. This is highly unusual for March in Michigan!
Thanks for dropping by today for a visit. I hope you’ll come back for many more.
Sandy
I love the plate look! Very unique, I’ve never seen that done before! It would never work in my garden because my husband would break them all with the weed wacker. I love the flagstone and the double brick edging. My edging is done with the large river rock. I love it! The photos that you used for inspiration are beautiful! Hubby and I just cleaned up our garden so we’re ready for spring. Sure hope we don’t get any snow because everything is already starting to bud. This is highly unusual for March in Michigan!
Thanks for dropping by today for a visit. I hope you’ll come back for many more.
Sandy
Our summer project for 2012 is installing our backyard. So I’m just so happy to see all of these edging ideas. Making the decision is always the hardest part for me! Loved them all. Mimi
Hi Manuela~
I loved looking at all your garden edgings… I like the plates best.
Have you seen the edgings where they made them out of wine bottles…
I’ve included one link, not the best photo…but a good article with good info, this particular one has been in place for 10 years~
http://greenupgrader.com/12786/flickr-find-wine-bottle-garden/
You could surely google and find plenty of more examples.
I like using things that are different.
I just used two box fan frames for carrots and radish boxes this weekend!
Happy gardening~ Pat
I like to use different things as edging too! Yes, I’ve seen the wine bottle edging. We’re more beer drinkers – I don’t think beer cans would be as pretty as the bottles LOL! I saw one garden edged in license plates and thought that was cute but don’t know where I’d get them from. Also one that used hub caps but not fond of that idea.
Manuela
The rock borders are my favorite; informal, yet organized! Right now we don’t ave any edging, so inspiration in this area is so appreciated! Aren’t you just loving this weather we have been having? I just hope summer is not going to be too hot!
Have a great Monday!
I love the image of this beautiful garden, the set.up is great and the combination of every flowers is excellent… I really love woke up in the morning and watching over my beautiful gardens…
I like the brick because it looks nice but also you can mow right up to the edge. I’ve seen some bluestone used this way also and it looks handsome. Can’t wait to see what you end up with. Jo @ Let’s Face the Music
I like a lot of the different edgings that you have pictured. Although the large rocks look wonderful, be sure that you have the ability to actually acquire them–ie: do you have a truck that can handle the weight of transporting rock, or would you have it delivered?, and that you have have physical help to install the rocks–we did big pieces of broken concrete to make terrace walls at our place, and it involved 65 wheelbarrow trips up and down a steep slope for my husband, plus then all the heavy lifting to put the concrete into place. Needless to say, he is not planning on redoing any of it any time soon! It was a lot of back-breaking work (but gorgeous and wonderful now that it’s in place!) The brick edging also has the advantage, if it is placed flush with the ground around it, of allowing a lawn mower access to clip the grass. Some of those edgings would need to be trimmed using a weed eater or some other device, as I have to do at my garden. I’m curious how you trim away grass with the plate edging, (which I love, btw!) Do they hold up to using a weed eater, or do you have to weed by hand?
I’ve never broken one using the weed eater. My husband on the other hand has! I normally mow and he does edging/trimming. But I used to do around my plate border because I was more careful. I kept a strip of dirt in front of the plates so if I kept on top of the trimming the grass never got up to the plates. It’s a cute border but obviously it’s not for everyone. I wouldn’t do it if I had small children or rambunctious dogs!
Manuela
What a beautiful garden, I like it very much! I love the idea that you made the plates as edge of the garden, so beautiful. Such a great idea !
Love the cina plate edging idea – charming for an English-style cottage garden.
I guess my favorite border is the plates,it’s simply charming! But the flagstone or bricks are probably easier to mow around,and more durable for a large garden edging. I think I will use different edging on different areas of my yard.
Happy Spring!
Linda