I am moving my bed lines and installing a couple new beds- My plants need dividing and my original design for my front garden really turned out stinky- so I have a new plan- but I need to decide on edging. I have been planning on using rocks- 8-12 inch variety for a nice edging- but I can't afford new- I was quoted 765$ w/o installation.... Yikes, and I have been watching Craigs list- but the big stones are hard to come by. I was considering just trenching till I can afford the stones? Any other cheap easy Ideas?
Best Cheap attractive edging Ideas- Please????
It has a particular look that you would have to like, but you could edge with bottles and can get from recycler (or as I do, beg from a local bar) -I'd stick to one color and same bottle, but that is personal choice.
It's free. 'Plant' nose down. They spark up real pretty and allow the bed to drain and provide color in the winter.
You can make your own rocks (hypertufa) or you can get some wire screening.. bend/mold in long lengths and cover with hypertufa or quikcrete right n place around the beds (no moving) If you wanted to get fancy..you could imprint with leaves or found objects, stones, china etc. in parts. (like broken china laid in the shape of a 'vase' to visually hold the flowers you plant right behind.) Have fun with it etc. I'd like to place an odd watch face here and there.
When I saw the subject of your thread, I immediately thought of rocks because I'd like to do the same thing, but agree the cost of having rock delivered is more than I want to pay.
I hope Missingrosie can post a picture of her bottle edging. I've seen it in a magazine (I'm thinking Southern Living). The gardener set the bottles with about one inch protruding out of the soil and said that they (is it burgundy that has the indented bottom?) had the effect of a little extra resevoir of water. It was quirky, yet attractive. Rosie has some nice ideas about found materials. I have a box of different colored and sized tiles acquired over the years that I thought would look good integrated into a rock (there's that word again) wall. I've seen broken crockery used like a mosaic tile floor. That could be really cool.
At our last home we had a trench and I liked the nice clean look of the healthy lawn against the dark soil of the bed, but we had a company that mowed the grass and did the trench and the shrub trimming. We don't have that here and I don't know that I could keep that up on my own. If only I had a Mantis tiller....hmmmm
You have made me think of what I'm going to do now that my brick supply is practically depleted. I'd have to buy a whole pallet and the cost would probably approach rock prices. I can see myself hauling a rock from here and a rock from there, one from the river and one from the woods. Only thing is I'm getting to old to haul rocks home one at a time. Hmmm, this is an interesting thread.
No bottle edging at this house so far - but do have in the landscape.
I last saw a bottle curb-style edging (maybe about 4-5 inches high) at the NC botanical garden. If there is a photo floating around I will find and post.
The hypertufa and concrete forum has ideas and recipes for creating rock, boulders (some fantastic things done there --even a huge 'sofa; with planters built in and a wall with plant niches.) It would be fairly easy to bend wire around a mold in a 'curb' style and make your own edging. If you found similiar sized square styrofoam you could use that a as a mold too. I like the extra strength of the metal. I stopped midstream with the change of seasons but I am making a 'boulder' to use as a cover for PVC pipe in the pond. I just have too many projects going at once.
Anyway do check out the Hypertufa and Concrete forum - some really ingenious ideas there, talented folks and they are always perfecting techniques to make things stronger, longer lasting, more attractive. Hats off to all of them!
I'm pretty sure that in the Chaska area, you have some farmers with large piles of "field-stone". Around here (about 2-3 hours from you), they just give it away as long as you haul it out of there. It's not uniform in size, but that's the charm of it!
I hardly ever pay for ANY landscaping materials, but use freecycle, Craigslist and general word-of-mouth to get items that I can use. Requires a bit more creativity to make it work, but that's half the fun! And saves me money that I can use to buy more plants.
Isn't this what you love about DG? Creative people with great information willing to share. Love it. I'm checking out the Hypertufa and Concrete forum (who knewww!) tomorrow and Freecycle for info there. I live right near the Blue Ridge Parkway, but I don't think you're allowed to take their rocks home with you lol.
I'm planning on building a raised garden bed and some edging with old busted up concrete from a driveway demo. You could always ask on craigslist whether anybody has any broken concrete they need removed. It would only cost gas, labor & time.
check out this post there are some links to what can be done with this material. It can be really nice looking if it's done right. it can also look pretty crappy it it's not done right.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1017878/
good luck!
I've seen folks fill 2 leter soda bottles with concrete as a mold. Cut the top off down below the shoulder, use them many times over.
Suggestion - go to a landscape center (not a Lowe's or Home Depot, but the kind landscapers use). See if they have stone or brick leftover from a job - a partial pallet. You can get a good deal, because believe me, they want to get rid of it. Then find a friend with a truck. Actually, we used my husband's Mazda 6 to haul it (yeah, it rode a little low).
Donna
Love the visuals conjured up of Donna & DH bouncing/bumping all the way home in a low-rider. :) Also love the suggestion.
It was pretty entertaining. Thanks! You made me laugh.
Donna