Whether designing your landscape or redoing an existing one, having a good landscaping border elevates the garden’s aesthetics and adds a bit more personality. Edges or borders give your landscape a clearly defined look, making it look neat and well put together.
While a border is primarily made to improve your landscape’s visual appeal, it can have several other positive impacts on your garden, including helping with nutrient retention and plant hydration. It also prevents plants from growing and encroaching on other spaces by creating a natural physical barrier.
Frequent landscaping and edging may be costly, but several long-lasting and cost-friendly options will ensure your yard is always at its A game. Here are 20 budget-friendly landscaping borders to transform your space.
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1. Go for a Paver Border
Concrete pavers offer unmatched durability for landscaping borders. They handle various weather conditions, so they’ll look right no matter the location. This landscape border requires significant physical effort, so expect to dedicate several days to transporting and precisely positioning these weighty blocks.
During my garden renovation spree last summer, I discovered that while the initial labor was substantial, the finished borders defined my landscape completely. Concrete pavers’ versatility extends beyond simple edging, allowing for cohesive pathways or defining distinct planting areas within your landscape.
2. Consider Hand Edging
Budget-friendly landscaping borders don’t come much better than hand edging; you won’t incur extra costs in your edging! You only need an edging shovel, spade, and electric edger to create the perfect edges.
Remove any extra soil and trim overgrown grass around the border to create an orderly look to prevent runners from creeping into beds. The only challenge with this method is that it’s labor-intensive, hence will need to be repeated after every 6 months. On the upper side, your edges will always look clean and neat, allowing you to enlarge beds or expand your garden area.
3. Plastic Border
Plastic isn’t the most glamorous material for landscaping borders, but it won’t bleed your pockets dry and will last many years. You’ll first need to dig a trench and sink the plastic edge to install a plastic border.
Plastic border materials come in long rolls, and since they can sometimes be too wide, you may need help to install them. I’ve realized that the quality and type of plastic will significantly affect how long the border lasts, so keep that in mind.
4. Brick Edging
Brick borders offer timeless appeal for yard boundaries. It has two fairly simple installation methods: position bricks sideways in a shallow trench with their broad surface downward or arrange them vertically for a taller, more defined border. The only challenge I’ve encountered installing this border is achieving straight, level edging throughout the landscape.
For a hassle-free installation, use a rubber mallet to gently adjust brick positioning and utilize a string with a level to maintain consistent height. This ensures your border appears well-organized rather than all over the place.
5. Charm with Glass Bottle Border
If you’re into eco-friendly designs, you should probably consider recycling glass bottles as a landscaping border. Dig a small trench and install the bottles upside down in the soil. Keep the design simple, or play around with different shapes to create a unique pattern that suits you.
I recently updated the border around my patio area with some painted bottles, each with a unique image, and it has dramatically elevated the space’s visual interest.
6. Grass and Shrub Border
Creating borders with ornamental grasses and flowering shrubs offers a dynamic alternative to hardscape edging methods. This DIY approach brings movement, texture, and evolving beauty to your landscape boundaries throughout the seasons. One secret to a successful shrub border is strategic plant selection.
Consider contrasting leaf shapes and blade colors; silver fescue alongside deep green boxwood creates stunning year-round visual interest even when blooms have faded. By carefully combining plants with sequential flowering periods, your border will maintain continuous color from spring through fall.
7. Bring a Rustic Feel with Weathering Steel
Weathering steel (corten) landscaping border transforms organically in your landscape, developing a rich rust-brown finish that adds character as seasons pass.
While installation requires technical skill and patience, the investment yields a permanent garden definition that won’t deteriorate.
8. Natural Log Border
Large tree branches can be used as landscaping borders, especially if you have small garden beds. The logs’ natural look adds a rustic charm while giving your landscape an all-natural look.
What I like most about logs is that they’re long-lasting; you’ll rarely need to replace your border unless you expand your garden.
9. Go for a Cedar Landscape Border
Cedar shingles or shakes make for a good landscape border because they’re easy to install, and you can incorporate them as part of your garden once they’ve run their course as a border. Installation is relatively simple, too; hammer shingles around your garden’s perimeter, and you’re good to go.
Their life span is about 5 years, as trimmers or lawnmowers can damage them. My cedar landscape border lasted for about 6 years, thanks to very delicate plant care routines, and looking back, it was a worthy investment!
10. Try a Woven Willow Border
One of the best, and in my opinion, an underappreciated landscape border, a woven willow border will instantly add an element of uniqueness to your space. It’s perfect for countryside gardens and extensively used in Europe. Like most natural wood borders, it’s easy to install, but due to its organic nature, it won’t last forever.
What interests me most about a woven willow border is how intricate you can make the patterns. You’ll need skills, and it may be time-intensive, but once complete, the border will help retain your plants and add to your garden’s beauty.
11. Gravel Edging
If your landscaping project is already over the cost, try some gravel edging that’ll cost you almost no money; save for the price of the gravel. A single person can easily install this landscaping border, and since it’s not labor-intensive, you’ll be done in no time.
First, dig a trench around the area you want to edge. Dig a few inches further to ensure enough growth area if it’s next to your garden. Next, line the four-inch deep trench with a weed prevention barrier and add gravel, raking it for even distribution. A gravel border can also serve as a drainage solution, so it’s a “kill two birds with one stone” kind of situation
12. Stone Landscape Border
Stone border delivers a dramatic landscape definition but demands meticulous installation effort. The foundation preparation phase is crucial for success with this method. Try interlocking stones to ensure the border maintains visual harmony throughout its length.
The most challenging aspect of this border is creating straight lines since it needs careful alignment. Use individual stones rather than connected sections for winding garden paths or rounded bed edges. Each stone element needs proper seating and stabilization using a mallet to prevent it from shifting in the future.
13. Flagstone Edging
Flagstone’s versatility makes it a unique material for landscaping borders. Even though it’s moderately expensive compared to the previously suggested border methods, it’s relatively long-lasting and stylish.
Natural stone is the best material for such projects, as it resists harsh weather. Flagstone borders can easily be done by hand; simply lay out flagstones around the landscape and stack them to a desirable height for classic cottage or country aesthetics.
14. Impress with Recycled Tires
DIY tire borders have emerged as a practical alternative to traditional landscape borders. These eco-friendly options offer significant installation advantages over conventional materials. Remarkably durable in all weather conditions, tire border resists cracking, rotting, and fading.
For a whimsical look, consider painting your tires different colors. Having installed these borders in several client properties last season, I can assure you they’ll maintain their integrity despite harsh weather and heavy traffic.
15. Scalloped Terracotta Border
Scalloped terracotta border brings classic Mediterranean flair to your landscape while ensuring it’s always in shape. These decorative clay pieces are a good choice when defining flowerbeds and creating visually distinctive borders through your landscape.
Terracotta’s warm, earthy tones complement virtually any planting scheme, adding subtle color that enhances rather than competes with your yard’s natural beauty. Their distinctive scalloped pattern provides an ornamental element that plain border materials can’t match.
16. A Lively Hedge
Who says a landscape border only has to consist of non-living materials? A living hedge can also be a great landscape border. Find low-growing hedges like boxwood and plant them around your landscape or garden.
As the plants mature, the shrubs will pull closely together, which you can shear or prune to shape. This border will give your space a lively and natural appearance while creating neat and defined spaces.
17. Metal Garden Borders
If you want an easy-to-install landscape border, metal fencing is perfect! You only need to position and hammer the flexible material directly into the soil. This approach significantly reduces preparation time compared to trench-requiring alternatives.
The material’s inherent flexibility allows for creating both gentle curves and sharp angles, adapting perfectly to any landscape design. Consider proper hand protection during installation; heavy-duty work gloves are essential to prevent cuts and soreness.
18. Bamboo Landscape Border
We’ve suggested several organic landscape borders, but bamboo borders top this class for one simple fact: Despite being organic, it’s almost indestructible, making it a natural and long-lasting landscape border. It makes an excellent choice for an Eastern-inspired garden, adding a tropical feel to your space.
Like most natural borders, you must pound it into the ground. Bamboo works exceptionally well in open or boho spaces but may not suit all garden styles, so ensure it suits your aesthetic before you install it.
19. Make it Modern with Poured Concrete
While relatively complicated to install, poured concrete is a durable landscape border. First, build the form, then pour the concrete into the mold. This landscape border is only flexible during installation—mistakes can be harder to correct after the concrete has dried up.
Concrete can be amended to different colors, and you can add interesting shapes to the edges. Consider installing in areas where you aren’t looking to expand your garden further.
20. Weed Mat Border
If you can get your hands on one, a weed mat is an excellent natural landscape border material. It stops weeds and is easy to place around your garden’s perimeter.
Since it naturally fits with the surroundings, you can easily cover it with mulch to create an inconspicuous look. Use the elements available to you in the landscape to keep the mat in place.
