Metal edging ideas – garden landscape edging advantages
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Metal edging ideas are one of the easiest ways to have landscape edging and install it easily. Metal landscape edging is widely used to define walkways, roadways, lawns and flower beds and to preserve and protect the existing landscape. Metal edging will protect the flowers planted in a flower bed from passersby. Metal edging is a beautiful decorative element and has long been an integral part of landscaping designs. The versatility of metal as a material for house siding, metal roofing, pool fences, etc, is a characteristic used by landscape architects to create original garden designs.
Metal edging ideas – advantages and disadvantages of metal landscape edging
Metal edging ideas accentuate the beauty of your lawn, flower bed, flower garden or garden path. Metal landscape edging is the perfect decoration for gardens, parks and squares and creates an atmosphere of comfort and tranquility. What are the advantages of metal edging?
On the first place metal edging offers a clean separation between the lawn, flower beds, garden paths and can be almost invisible which means the eye distraction will be minimal. Metal landscape edging will prevent spreading of gravel or mulch and will keep grass and weeds from invading into your flower beds or paths.
Metal garden edging is very durable – it will not rot, crack, chip and withstands extreme weather conditions such as excessive rains or frost. In addition, it is resistant and will not be damaged by garden maintenance tools. Breaking metal landscape edging is quite difficult which means that your garden edging will last for years.
Appearance – Metal edging comes in a variety of styles, designs, materials and colors. Metal garden edging comes as steel, galvanized steel, wrought iron, aluminum, etc. It can be shaped in almost any form – curves, straight lines – whatever your landscape design requires. Metal garden edging works with different exterior design styles – modern, contemporary, industrial, rustic, etc.
As you see metal landscape edging offers many benefits durability, strength, low maintenance, easy to shape and install, clean and unobtrusive appearance and long life which makes it a very popular choice in the landscaping of public and residential outdoor spaces.
Custom metal edging designs – people who prefer individuality and sophistication are attracted to wrought iron garden edging with custom design. It could be floral ornaments, geometric shapes or a any other design which works with the exterior style and the surrounding elements – arbors, benches or buildings. The process of manufacturing custom made metal garden edging is usually laborious and time-consuming and that is the reason for the high price.
Metal edging ideas –disadvantages of garden landscape edging
Metal edging ideas, however, have some cons and one major drawback, which is rust. Usually, metal landscape edging is powder-coated and susceptible to flaking, which leads to unattractive rusty appearance. That is why some people think that metal is not a good idea for garden edging. The above argument is generally valid for steel edging and if you wanted to avoid that problem you could opt for aluminum edging or wrought iron garden edging although each of those has its pros and cons as well.
Metal edging ideas- choosing the material for your garden edge
When choosing among the many metal edging ideas, it is good to know the properties of the different materials. Steel is strong, it perfectly holds any shape and is not affected by erosion which means it will not bend. It is available unfinished or in different corrosion-resistant finishes and blends in a great way with contemporary exterior designs. Keep in mind that it is not resistant to corrosion, but the process is slow and it may take decades before your steel garden edging needs to be replaced.
Aluminum garden edging is softer than steel edging and a perfect choice for any curvaceous installations. Aluminum garden edging does not rust but due to the softness it bends and loses shape easier.
Cast iron or wrought iron edging for lawns and gardens is, perhaps, the material used for centuries. Usually such edging looks like a very low fence and comes in a variety of ornamental designs. The great advantages of cast iron and wrought iron garden edging are the durability and low maintenance. The con is the high price as this type of metal edging is considerably more expensive than any other metal edging.
Metal edging ideas – installation tips and safety considerations
Metal edging ideas are eye catching and beautiful but they must meet current safety requirements, be durable and strong, not afraid of bad weather conditions and temperature changes, as well as having a decorative look. The installation of metal garden edging is an excellent DIY project for anyone – whether a beginner gardener or an experienced DIY-er. Metal edging typically comes in long strips. Before installing metal landscape edging, make sure that the soil on the spot of installation is soft. If the soil is hard, dig a slim trench so that you can bury the edging. Place the edging and using a rubber mallet fix the metal edging into the ground. Some metal edging designs come with horizontal metal straps attached to one side into which you insert metal spikes to anchor the garden edging.
Finally, we have to mention the safety considerations which are of great significance for metal edging. Children and pets run and jump around the yard and you wouldn’t want anyone fall on a sharp metal edging. In order to avoid any injuries or unpleasant accidents, it is recommended that metal edging is covered by a plastic safety strip or cap. Even if you do not have kids and pets, the protective strips or caps will reduce the opportunities of stepping on a metal fragment or damaging your metal edging with a lawn mower.
