Low maintenance garden border ideas
10 easy care methods |
(Image credit: Sue Townsend Garden Design)
Low maintenance garden border ideas are perfect for those gardeners who, whether due to necessity or preference, do not have as much time or energy to devote to tending to their gardens.
Lack of time does not mean you can't still create beautiful garden beds and borders brimming with color and interest. With careful planning and design as part of your flower bed ideas, it is still possible to enjoy a yard full of variety through the seasons, but with less maintenance required.
10 low maintenance garden border ideas
Not only can a more hands-off approach with low maintenance garden border ideas benefit a gardener, but the plants and wildlife can also reap the rewards of reduced intervention.
Soil health and structure can be improved through no-dig gardening; using native and resilient plants that require less feeding and watering helps to create a sustainable garden; and attracting pollinators and other beneficial insects, improves biodiversity for a wildlife friendly garden.
'Low maintenance garden border ideas doesn’t have to mean evergreen or sterile,’ explains garden designer Sheila Jack .
1. Follow the rule 'right plant, right place'
(Image credit: Alice Ferguson Garden Design)
Essential for low maintenance garden border ideas is first choosing the right plants for your site. Assess the conditions, light levels, soil and moisture and choose plants suited to the location.
‘If your border is sunny, look for drought tolerant plants, such as those you would choose if planning a dry garden, which can cope with some neglect through hot spells. Such as Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote’ and Rosmarinus officinalis for evergreen structure, and Echinacea purpurea, Echinops bannaticus for seasonal impact,' explains garden designer Alice Ferguson .
Many of the plants that suit a sunny position are those that can be incorporated in mediterranean garden ideas.
(Image credit: RHS/ Anna Brockman)
In a border with little sunlight, on the other hand, plants and shrubs for shade will be vital for success. 'Consider a greener border with Sarcococca hookeriana, Mahonia eurybracteata subsp. ganpinensis 'Soft Caress’ and a selection of evergreen and deciduous ferns, such as Dryopteris wallichiana, Polypodium vulgare and Blechnum spicant. Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’ and heuchera are great for shady low ground cover,’ adds Alice Ferguson.
Do your research before planting. ‘Select shrubs and plants that will not outgrow the position, so find out how large they will grow overtime and allow them space. Position key shrubs carefully as they are harder to move when larger,’ advises garden designer Sue Townsend .
2. Include resilient plants
(Image credit: Sue Townsend Garden Design)
The key to low maintenance garden border ideas is to include in the planting design choices that are tough, consistent and complement each other beautifully.
‘Incorporate resilient plants that, in their natural habitat, could exist as plant communities, and plant at a reasonable density,’ says Sheila Jack.
‘For instance ornamental grasses, such as Sesleria autumnalis and Helictotrichon sempervirens with Achillea ‘Terracotta’, Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’, Echinops ritro ‘Veitch’s blue’ and kniphofia that combine color and form with a long season of flowering and little maintenance.’
‘Hardy geraniums, such as Geranium Rozanne and Geranium psilostemon are excellent for knitting between plants, providing impacting color in the summer and filling in the gaps. Alchemilla mollis has a similar habit, yet with bright lime green colour,’ says Alice Ferguson.
3. Choose low maintenance planting
(Image credit: Future / Annaick Guitteny)
Choose plants that look after themselves and don’t require lots of attention.
‘Avoid plants that need deadheading, such as roses, regular pruning, staking and extra feed, but low maintenance doesn’t have to be a border of solely static shrubs,’ says Sue Townsend.
‘Many grasses, such as Pennisetum Hameln, or Chinese fountain grass, Panicum shenandoah, switch grass, ferns, and perennials, including white gaura, and Hylotelephium ‘Herbstfreude Group’ just require a cut back or comb through to tidy them up once a year. Combine these with a few evergreen shrubs that don’t need pruning, for structure, flowers and fragrance, such as Hebe rakaiensis, Mexican orange blossom, or Daphne x transatlantica Eternal Fragrance, or other flowering evergreens,’ Sue adds.
Position key shrubs carefully as they are harder to move when larger, whereas perennials and grasses are relatively easy to reposition.
If you combine with other organic gardening methods, such as companion planting mutually beneficial plants, you can nurture a plot where the plants happily co-exist and largely look after themselves.
4. Add a backbone of evergreens
(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)
‘Use a backbone of evergreen shrubs with a repeating tapestry of hardy and hard-working perennials with long seasons.
Repetition is good for impact, a balanced design and easy maintenance,’ says Alice Ferguson.
To make your flowers go further, learn how to divide plants and perennials as a cost-effective method.
‘Bring your evergreen structure to the front of the border. Once your perennials are starting to die back they will be hidden behind the evergreen shrubs. Providing a tidy appearance
'A repeating plant matrix provides a more cohesive and pleasing design than a border bursting with a huge variety which can appear messy to the eye,’ adds Alice.
5. Use edging for tidy borders
(Image credit: Alamy Images)
Border edging and Lawn edging ideas is a low maintenance garden border idea to keep borders looking tidy and stops the creep across from paths or lawns. ‘If the border is proud and edging exposed, consider a material worth being on show, such as slate, Corten steel – with its rusty patina – or mild steel for a more contemporary look. Otherwise timber edging to contain the planting within its border has a neat finish and works well,’ says Alice Ferguson.
‘Steel, brick or stone edging, if adjoining a lawn, all work well and can also be used as a mowing strip.
'Raised garden bed ideas can be created in many ways using timber, Corten steel, brick or stone, but do make sure you have thought about watering and drainage,’ adds Sue Townsend.
6. Mulch the low maintenance garden beds
(Image credit: Alamy)
Mulching will help to retain moisture in the soil, reducing the need to water garden beds and borders, and keep weeds down, and is a method used in permaculture gardening for an organic plot.
‘Use peat free compost, homemade compost, or opt for gravel, decorative pebbles or even building waste materials, such as crushed concrete or brick,’ says Sheila Jack.
For other mulching materials, Alice recommends composted woodchips or bark, ‘which also provide a tidy appearance to the border,’ she explains, while organic options to consider include well-rotted horse manure and leaf mulch.
7. Add bulbs for seasonal interest
(Image credit: Mint Images/GettyImages)
‘Include layers of spring bulbs or summer bulbs, which will naturalize and repeat flower every year,’ suggests Sheila Jack.
‘Snowdrops and narcissuses will grow happily in partial shade. If you have more sunlight, tulips and alliums add a beautiful burst of color. Allium sphaerocephalon, Allium hollandicum ‘Purple Sensation’ also provide beautiful seedheads through the winter months,’ says Alice.
8. Keep a hands-off approach
(Image credit: Alamy images)
To maintain interest through the seasons, ‘do one simple cut back in late winter instead of fall. This way you will enjoy the dried seedbeds of the grasses and flowers over the winter,’ says Sheila Jack.
Allow plants to die off where they are so that their decomposition adds to the soil's rich nutrients, and also leave plants to self-seed so that they naturally populate the garden.
9. Use the no-dig method
(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)
The simple no-dig gardening method requires less time, effort and work as a gardener, so should be top of the list of low maintenance garden border ideas.
‘No dig’ gardening – which involves adding a mulch of well rotted garden compost or mushroom compost in spring and autumn – not only keeps weeds down but keeps the soil healthy,’ advises Sue Townsend.
No-dig, as the name suggests, involves just that, so cancels out the time spent weeding and digging over borders. It improves soil drainage and aeration and garden beds and borders require less watering.
10. Plant in gravel
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Planting into a deep gravel mulch is among the low maintenance garden border ideas that has inspired Sheila Jack.
‘Rather than planting into existing or imported topsoil, plants are added into a layer of ‘fines’ free gravel, ranging in depth from 10 to 20cm, as a gravel garden idea,' she explains.
'Unlike soil, gravel contains no weed seeds. Rapid drainage ensures that the surface dries quickly, so weed seeds that blow into the planting are unlikely to germinate. Even in the heat of summer, when moist soils are hard and impermeable, gravel plantings are still able to infiltrate rainwater,’ she explains.
How do I make my garden borders low maintenance?
To make your garden borders low maintenance you need to carefully choose the planting so that it will exist happily in the space, with little intervention required from you.
Ways of designing a low maintenance border, advises Sheila Jack, include:
- Choosing resilient, drought tolerant plants.
- Analysing your site conditions to ensure the plants will thrive in the position
- Keeping out weeds – what you start with, you’ll end up with – so aim to eradicate as much of the existing weed material as possible
- Planting at a reasonable density
- Including bulb layers
- Adding a mulch will help retain moisture and is a method for how to get rid of weeds
- Irrigating for the first summer
- Leaving seed heads over fall and winter
How can I make my garden borders look good?
To make your low maintenance garden border ideas look good, include a mix of evergreen shrubs for year-round interest, and hardy perennials and bulbs that will add seasonal color and variety.
Mulching and no dig gardening methods will help to keep weeds at bay, while edging materials or opting for raised beds will help to keep your planting neat and contained.
Rachel is senior content editor, and writes and commissions gardening content for homesandgardens.com, Homes & Gardens magazine, and its sister titles Period Living Magazine and Country Homes & Interiors. She has written for lifestyle magazines for many years, with a particular focus on gardening, historic houses and arts and crafts, but started out her journalism career in BBC radio, where she enjoyed reporting on and writing programme scripts for all manner of stories. Rachel then moved into regional lifestyle magazines, where the topics she wrote about, and people she interviewed, were as varied and eclectic as they were on radio. Always harboring a passion for homes and gardens, she jumped at the opportunity to work on The English Home and The English Garden magazines for a number of years, before joining the Period Living team, then the wider Homes & Gardens team, specializing in gardens.
Low maintenance garden border ideas: 10 designs for easy-care flowerbeds
(Image credit: Alex Ramsay/Alamy Stock Photo)
These low maintenance garden border ideas are just what you need if you want a beautiful backyard but don't have much time for chores. As it turns out, you can still have a show-stopping display without hours of upkeep.
At least one or two borders brimming with blooms is a must-have for most gardeners, but some plants are more demanding than others. And, to put it simply, life might seem way too busy to be out deadheading, staking and watering every two seconds. Plus, you'll most likely want to spend the precious time you do have enjoying the view, not working for it. That's where the best low maintenance plants come in.
But when it comes to combining these plants to create rich and vibrant tapestries, you may feel a little unsure of where to begin. That's why we've rounded up some gorgeous low maintenance garden border ideas below – whatever your backyard's style you'll be sure to find something that suits.
Low maintenance garden border ideas: 10 stunning schemes that are easy to care for
From cottage-garden borders to jungle-style pockets full of verdant ferns, these low maintenance flowerbed ideas are sure to have you inspired for your own stunning display.
1. Opt for drought-tolerant plants
This planting scheme was designed by Tom Stuart-Smith for RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2021
(Image credit: Beth Murton/Future)
Watering the plants can seem like an almost endless task, especially in the height of summer. And if you're often away, or are too busy to get outdoors every day, then plants can perish quickly beyond repair. No one wants to return to a backyard of dead flowers and foliage – not only is it depressing but replacing them is unlikely to be free of charge. That's why choosing the best drought tolerant plants to begin with is a brilliant option for time-poor gardeners, as they'll happily survive during periods of neglect.
As this display by Tom Stuart-Smith shows, the results can be breathtaking. It features the likes of Echinacea pallida (the pink cone-shaped flowers), Bupleurum falcatum (delicate lime-green foliage), the silvery perovskia 'Blue Spire' (otherwise known as Russian sage), and Macleaya microcarpa 'Spetchley Ruby' which adds a delicate tint of red to the scene.
For this kind of planting, you actually shouldn't water more than you have to. In fact, on the RHS's website , Tom advises to hold off with the h3O until things are looking quite stressed. This encourages the plants' roots to search out the moisture, meaning they will stand up better. Otherwise, a bit of light weeding in spring and a cut-back in late summer is all you'll really need to do.
2. Go for hardy perennials
Create an easy-care cottage garden scheme with nepeta, hardy geraniums and alchemilla mollis
(Image credit: Mark Bolton Photography/Future)
If you're a fan of relaxed, romantic planting and want to create a cottage-garden theme, you'll be pleased to know there are plenty of easy-care plants to choose from.
For low maintenance garden ideas, perennials are your friend – as long as you put them in a place that's suitable, they'll come back year after year. For the most part, all you'll need to do is give them a quick chop at the end of the flowering season.
Easy-care nepeta is a well-favored choice due to its gentle fragrance, silvery foliage, and spires of blue-violet blooms that flower for months on end. Low-growing varieties such as 'Walker's Low' look lovely along the front of a border, spilling out onto pathways or patios.
Continue the purple theme with a hardy geranium such as 'Roxanne'. As Chris Bonnet from GardeningExpress.co.uk says, 'Hardy geranium flowers are sometimes referred to as indestructible, due to their ability to flower for several months on end whilst also being drought-tolerant. The plant rapidly builds a dense carpet of foliage that suppresses weeds, making them a staple for both their aesthetic and their practical advantages.' Just remember to cut them back after the first flush of flowers and they'll be likely to bloom again in the same season.
Alchemilla mollis will provide a welcome shot of acid green against all the purple tones. Not only is it resistant to diseases and pests, but it's also an excellent self-seeder.
All three are tough and forgiving if you miss a watering session or two, and will grow happily in full sun or part shade.
Looking for more cottage garden ideas? You'll find lots in our guide.
3. Plant bulbs for springtime joy
Bright bulbs are a low-maintenance choice
(Image credit: iBulb)
Bulbs are a fabulous choice for a low maintenance flowerbed. Sure, you'll need to pop aside some time in autumn to plant them, but once they're in they require practically no maintenance at all. Most will grow back year after year (leave their foliage to die back naturally).
'Flower bulbs are not too picky about where they are planted, although most do like a bit of sun,' say the experts at iBulb . You can plant them in beds beneath trees, between shrubs or perennials.
'The code word is "masses",' add the team. 'The more flower bulbs you plant, the bigger the effect.'
Of course, there are tons of choices to pick from – from daffodils to hyacinths and snowdrops. 'With their different shapes, colors and heights, they can be combined almost without limits,' continues iBulb. Will you choose peace and unity by working with a single color or variety, or will you go for a color explosion with a vibrant combination? 'Choose the style that makes you happy so that you can enjoy your personal mix to the fullest,' they add. We love this simple combo of sorbet-pink and magenta tulips.
When it comes to planting, 'If you prefer a natural look, mix the different varieties together in a bucket or basket and scatter them casually,' says iBulb. 'Plant the bulbs wherever they end up landing.'
You can find more advice in our dedicated guide to planting bulbs.
4. Create a cool leafy scene with ferns
This verdant scene works well in a shaded space
(Image credit: Leigh Clapp Photography/Future)
You don't have to stick to blooms for your low maintenance garden border ideas.
In fact, there are plenty of types of foliage which are just as attractive and won't demand much in terms of upkeep.
'When searching for low maintenance plants, ferns are always a great place to start.' says Chris Bonnett from GardeningExpress.co.uk. 'Instantly adding texture and volume to your flowerbed, decorative ferns provide an eye-catching contrast in form and color whilst proving a backdrop to your choice of flowers.' They're also particularly good if you're looking for an easy-care choice for moist, shady spots. Most will grow quite happily in a wide range of soil conditions and don't require feeding (although mulching now and again will encourage growth). Simply cut back dead fronds down to the ground in late winter or early spring, before fresh growth begins.
Pair with more of the best shade loving plants such as blue brunnera for a pretty display with a woodland feel, or add in a slow-growing tree fern for a more dramatic look. Bear in mind that the latter requires more maintenance, though – especially in terms of watering.
If you'd like to recreate the look in your backyard, our guide on how to grow ferns will come in handy.
5. Add texture with ornamental grasses
Wispy grasses look stunning against structural blooms
(Image credit: Alex Ramsay/Alamy Stock Photo)
Ornamental grasses are becoming increasingly popular in planting schemes. It's easy to see why – they offer an ethereal view, especially when their delicate leaves catch the sunlight. Plus, their gentle swaying movement and rustle in the breeze adds a soothing sensory element to any backyard.
They're really easy to look after, too, which is why they're a great choice for low maintenance flowerbed ideas. They seldom need watering or feeding, there's no deadheading to take care of, and they tend to be both drought and heat tolerant. In spring, simply cut deciduous grasses back, or comb dead foliage out of evergreen grasses (whilst wearing gloves).
Use them along the back of borders in sunny sites, then position low maintenance flowers in front (purple alliums, yellow Phlomis fruticosa, and echinops, for instance) for a diverse range of color and texture.
You could take a cue from this scene and add in a spiky yucca too – another plant that needs little water to thrive.
Some of our favorite grasses to try include the delicate Stipa tenuissima, the pink miscanthus 'Flamingo', the blue-hued Festuca glauca, and Pennisetum villosum with its bunny-tail-like flowers.
You'll find lots more tips in our guide on how to grow ornamental grasses.
6. Bring soothing fragrance to your backyard with lavender
Combine different types of lavender with a slow-growing topiary tree for a timeless look
(Image credit: Leigh Clapp Photography/Future)
'Lavenders are known for their beautiful foliage which add a fragrant aroma to your garden,' says gardening expert Callum Maddock at HomeHow.co.uk . 'They also come in a wide range of colors including purple, pink, white silver and more so are great for adding a little color to your garden throughout the seasons,' he adds.
As long as your garden gets plenty of sun, these shrubs are an almost failsafe option for low maintenance flowerbed ideas.
They don't require feeding, and once established, need infrequent watering. You'll need to trim them back in late summer once flowering has finished, but this won't take too long and due to the calming fragrance, is rather a soothing activity. It's useful to bear in mind that English lavender tends to be hardier than French varieties.
Pair different tones together in one flowerbed for an easy yet effective display – try the elegant 'Arctic Snow' with its white blooms alongside the deep purple 'Hidcote' and the dusky pink 'Miss Katherine'. Add a central topiary tree for extra wow factor – holly is a slow-grower so will only need shaping a couple of times a year, plus will reward you with greenery throughout winter.
You can learn all about how to grow lavender in our feature.
7. Make a rock garden
'The Mindset' garden' designed by Anna Galagan at the RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2019
(Image credit: Neil Hepworth/RHS)
Another option for an easy-care flowerbed is to opt for a rock garden.
There are tons of beautiful plants to choose from, they're not too tricky to build, and once they're established, they need hardly any watering at all.
You can go for a sprawling design or a miniature haven in a container – just ensure you pick a sunny spot. If you're going for something larger, take a cue from this scene and raise it up with a short stone wall for greater impact. That way, you can then tuck more plants into the vertical nooks and crannies. We like the deep gray shade of the gravel here too – it sets a contemporary tone and looks particularly lovely against the vibrant planting.
In terms of the plants themselves, sedums are always a good choice and come in a huge range of colors and shapes. There are plenty of pretty alpines to opt for too, or how about a flowering cactus? Or, for a more Mediterranean feel, try introducing some creeping thyme – it will produce an enticing herby fragrance and sports pretty purple flowers.
Our small rock garden ideas feature is full of extra tips.
8. Switch out the flowers for easy-care shrubs
White hydrangeas will always look elegant
(Image credit: Geoff Wilkinson/Alamy Stock Photo)
As the RHS says, ''Much routine work in the garden involves weed control in borders and the maintenance of herbaceous perennials (e.g., staking, cutting back, lifting and dividing). It makes sense, therefore, to replace some or all perennial beds with shrubs.' And if you think garden shrubs are boring, think again. There are plenty that are undemanding and look spectacular.
Hydrangeas are a well-loved example. Their impressive flowerheads will add drama and beauty to any backyard every year, and they can complement traditional schemes as well as more modern spaces. Give them the spotlight by planting them by themselves along fences or in large planters for an understated yet elegant look.
Looking for an alternative? Choisya (Mexican orange blossom) is another low maintenance shrub which offers white flowers with an intoxicating fragrance.
Or, for a more minimal approach, opt for variegated pittosporum with its attractive leaves.
Shrubs tend to be undemanding in terms of watering too, especially once they're established. For an even easier gardening life, plant your shrubs through weed-suppressing membrane, then top with bark chippings.
Feeling inspired for your own? Our best shrubs for small gardens buying guide will help you get started.
9. Create a natural scheme with self-seeding annuals
Go for a more relaxed approach with pretty wildflowers
(Image credit: Derek Harris/Alamy Stock Photo)
You can also choose to take a more natural approach when it comes to your low maintenance garden border ideas. A meadow-style scene is easy to achieve, will flourish on poor soils, and won't need much maintenance. And, it's fantastic for wildlife, too. Ready-mixed seed packs are available from most good garden centers – all you need to do is sprinkle them onto your prepared bed (get rid of any weeds first), water them in, then wait for them to grow.
Once flowered, many of these annuals are excellent self-seeders, meaning you'll get new blooms the following year. These include the likes of cornflowers, nigella, poppies, and calendula.
Our guide on how to plant a wildflower meadow has more advice.
10. Add an edge
The natural stone bull nose edging by Homebase instantly smartens up this space
(Image credit: Homebase)
Making a low maintenance flowerbed isn't just about the plants itself – there are other tricks you can do to keep upkeep to a minimum. Mulching is one, as is clearing the soil from weeds before you get planting. But garden edging ideas are useful, too.
Firstly, they add a stylish accent to your backyard and there are plenty of designs to pick from – from contemporary Corten steel and classic stone to more discreet looks. They'll give your borders a more orderly appearance whilst keeping everything (mulch, gravel, sprawling plants) in their proper place.
What should you avoid when making a low maintenance flowerbed?
According to the RHS, there are a few things you should avoid when planning out your low maintenance flowerbed ideas:
- Avoid using lots of tender plants. These require seasonal tasks such as lifting, winter wrapping, or moving to a protected environment. Instead, opt for fully hardy plants which can be left outdoors all year.
- If you're looking for small garden ideas, you may be tempted to bring in containers. True, they're a great way to add color and interest to a space, but they can require a lot of work – from planting up and repotting to regular watering. If you don't have another option, larger planters with lots of compost will dry out less quickly, or consider choosing self-watering designs.
- Avoid trying to coerce plants into a site which doesn't suit their optimum growing conditions. It'll only result in more work for you as you try to keep it alive. If you need some advice for identifying your backyard's conditions, our guide to soil types will help.
Hardy and long-lived candelabra primroses look gorgeous against vivid green ferns – an easy-care duo for damp conditions
(Image credit: Jacky Parker Photography/Moment)
What are the best low maintenance flowers?
As you'll now know, there are plenty of plants to pick from when it comes to filling your low maintenance flowerbed ideas. However, here are a few more of our favorite picks:
- Echinacea: Otherwise known as coneflowers, these perennials have an eye-catching structure, vivid color, and are loved by pollinators. They make a lovely addition to prairie-style planting schemes and need little watering.
- Heucheras: These evergreen plants have beautifully scalloped foliage in a range of colors, from deep russet to acid lime. They're generally unfussy about where they're planted, and sport spikes of bell-shaped blooms in summer.
- Erysimum: A great addition to the best cottage garden plants, the perennial erysimum offers long-lasting flowers in jewel-like hues.
- Buddleja: Once established, these shrubs need barely any watering and don't need feeding. They have purple, cone-shaped flowerheads which smell of honey, and butterflies adore them. You may need to give them an annual prune to keep them looking smart. A fantastic option to bring height to the back of a border.
- Cosmos: One of our most-loved annuals, cosmos bring joy to any flowerbed with their daisy-like blooms and easy-care nature. They're a good choice if you want to learn how to grow flowers from seed.
The garden was always a big part of Holly's life growing up, as was the surrounding New Forest where she lived. Her appreciation for the great outdoors has only grown since then. She's been an allotment keeper, a professional gardener, and a botanical illustrator – plants are her passion.
17 Ways to Add Aesthetics to Your Garden Space - Roomble.com
2021-06-20T09:46:03+00:00 2021-06-19T21:19:57+00:00 Flowerbed Borders: 17 Ways to Add Aesthetics to Your Garden Space 2021-06-20T09:46:03+00:00 Borders for flower beds play not only an aesthetic role: we tell you why flower beds still need edging and how to make it functional Flowerbed Borders: 17 Ways to Add Aesthetics to Your Garden Space nine0003
Borders for flower beds play not only an aesthetic role: we tell you why flower beds still need edging and how to make it functional
Flower beds without borders are garden paths dirty from the ground and mulch, broken lines of flower beds and zero style.
The edging adds aesthetics, neatness and purity of lines to flower beds, flower beds and beds, plays the role of the finishing touch in garden design. And also borders for flower beds can perform other tasks at the same time as protective and aesthetic. We show with examples. nine0003
The classic and most popular way to protect garden paths from slipping flower beds is brick edging. Functional garden accent, for which you can use the bricks or tiles left over from the construction.
Rustic and sustainable. What wooden fences for flower beds are better? First of all, those that do not rot by the next season (pine is a priority). Do not forget about the processing of wood and its protection from moisture and decay.
You can use the leftovers of lining to frame the flower bed or combine high and stylish borders of flower beds with comfortable benches for relaxing. nine0003
A large fallen tree, which everyone does not reach, can also be used as a functional border: if you make depressions in the upper part of the tree, they can be used for miniature flower beds for succulents, for example.
Timber and logs arranged vertically will add a special charm to the flowerbeds.
Rocky "banks" of flower beds, dry streams made of sea pebbles or "fences" made of sandstone according to the "Bohemian rolling pin" principle: natural stone is always in harmony with the garden landscape, regardless of its style. nine0003
If there is neither time for edging flower beds, nor improvised materials in the barn, use ready-made options in the store, which are definitely not in short supply today: fences for flower beds made of metal and plastic, wooden fences, exquisite forged borders - solutions for every taste.
Stylish concrete flower bed borders are a beautiful and effective option that is affordable and has a clear advantage in terms of durability and reliability.
Stylish, functional and popular today. Gabions add aesthetics to the site, play the role of high-quality retaining walls, they can be used for multi-tiered flower beds on ordinary and sloping sites.
nine0003
Lightweight and simple plastic border available at any gardening store: cheap, convenient and effective.
High stone fences for flowerbeds are ideal for an area designed in accordance with the eco-trend.
Plastic stake garden fence is a convenient and inexpensive solution. An alternative is pegs-holders for garden or border tape.
Editor's note:
— It is not necessary to spend a lot of money on the decorative edging of country flower beds: a fence for a flower bed can even be made from improvised materials - old bottles and shards, flower pots and containers, bicycle wheels and tires, straw and so on. All you need is a couple of free weekends and a little creativity. But for a functional fence, which should protect the flower bed from slipping onto garden paths, it is better to use more solid structures. nine0003
Old and unwanted crockery with chips is an excellent material for a decorative border. If you do not know where to attach different-sized plates, which take up a useful place in the country, take note of the idea.
Both plastic and metal pipes of different diameters are suitable, which can be filled with soil and decorated with succulents.
You can weave such a fence with your own hands. For example, from willow branches. And also from old wires and hoses.
Another multifunctional flowerbed edging option that doubles as a protection, leveling aesthetic line and additional space for planting. nine0003
This fence is not afraid of moisture, quickly installed and does not require serious investments: plastic bottles in a large family usually accumulate a solid amount. They are filled with sand and placed in a "trench" around the flower bed.
Glass bottles are more difficult, but you can buy them for a symbolic price in the nearest bar.
Luxurious idea - perennial boxwood border. The plant is easy to form, it is suitable as a living green fence for any flower bed, garden bed and flower garden. nine0003
Galvanized steel decking is rust resistant and excellent for fencing.
Especially in combination with the right frame and in the right color to match the style of your garden.
This option is suitable if you need to mark the borders of flower beds and flower beds, make a gravel path edging, protect beds from sliding onto paths.
Garden fences give a well-groomed, tidy and stylish look to the suburban area. Not only are they good for flowerbeds and flower beds, but also for gravel paths, for defining lawn edges, or simply for adding textural elements to a garden space. nine0003
Don't forget about mulch, gravel and pebbles, which can be used to further decorate and emphasize the graceful geometry of garden borders.
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Attractive landscape border ideas. Photo - Botanichka
Landscape borders are not only a great addition to the garden.
They support the aesthetics of cleanliness and order, create a decorative border between zones, helping to unite or divide the space. By clearly delineating paths or areas, a curb will hold the material being used (gravel or mulch) in place. Fringing small areas around trees, for example, will create bright accents, as well as the expected benefits.
At the beginning of the journey
Creating borders is quite fun and easy. Before starting work, you should think about the style and color scheme of the garden, plan the desired scope of work and intended use, and then determine the contours of the boundaries. Work is best done in autumn or spring, being careful with barely hatching plants.
For vegetable borders, consider how long and which areas are in the shade and in the sun. Soil type is a key factor when planning new zones and choosing materials. Straight and rectangular borders will add tidiness but can make a small garden look smaller.
Keep the boundaries consistent to avoid asymmetry. The curved outline will create the impression of more space. Narrow borders brighten up a limited space. When creating a border on the lawn, you should clean the turf with a shovel, then fertilize and level the soil. Having designed the zones, shape and dimensions, you can begin the selection of materials. nine0083
Choosing a material
To create a border, the modern market offers a variety of materials: from stone to wood and even recycled materials.
It's hard to resist the admiration of 's neat braided border . Willow, like raspberry, is a very flexible and easy-to-use material. And weaving intricate patterns will be a wonderful family activity. All that is required from the care is trimming or replacing the rods as necessary.
It is difficult to resist the admiration of a neat wicker border. All that is required from maintenance is trimming or replacing the rods as needed A very strong and neat perimeter around the garden and between zones will create a straight or curved concrete and concrete stone border .
They can be one-sided (separation of zones by height) or two-sided (separation of zones of the same height). Garden concrete curbs can be painted, or can be purchased already in the required color. Monolithic and molding fill borders and concrete rectangular blocks are also popular, which are placed randomly or in tiers, and plants are planted in the cavity. The surface can be decorated with mosaics or pieces of colored glass. The need to prepare the base (membrane) and a large amount of trimming for curved lines is compensated by durability and resistance to natural conditions. nine0003 A very strong and neat perimeter around the garden and between zones creates a straight or curved concrete and concrete stone border
Natural stone is still a favorite among border materials today. High strength, naturalness, variety of textures and shapes, durability - all this material is valued for. Workpieces of the same shape can be placed by immersing them in the ground or creating contrasts, or you can arrange multi-tiered compositions by stacking them on top of each other.
Tuff and loose limestones are more fragile, and porous rocks will accumulate moisture, destroying them from the inside in winter. Crushed stone or pebbles laid inside the wire frame will become a rather exquisite border. Gabions will create the possibility of a tiered arrangement of a flower garden with a waterfall of cascading and ampelous plants flowing down. Such structures are quite durable and fit perfectly into the composition of hilly areas. nine0003 Natural stone is still a favorite among curb materials. High strength, naturalness, variety of textures and shapes, durability - everything this material is valued for
Made from durable and resistant plastic, edging material provides simplicity and minimalism. Ideal for protecting the coating from destruction or contrasting separation of different zones. Among the advantages - ease of adoption of any form and invisibility in the garden. Varieties that differ in curly ribbon are quite high and will be able to distinguish a flower bed from the general background of the garden.
Unfortunately, this material is not suitable for separating zones with stone paving stones. nine0003 Made of durable and resistant plastic, the edging material ensures simplicity and minimalism. Ideal for protecting cover from destruction or contrasting division of different zones
Metal border will bring minimalism to the garden . It will protect against foreign material and shedding of rubble and will focus on the strict geometry of rectangular flower beds. The height and thickness of steel and aluminum curbs is selected based on the level of the zones. They are distinguished by ease of installation, the possibility of staining and durability. nine0003 Minimalism will bring a metal border to the garden. It will protect against foreign material and shedding of rubble and emphasize the strict geometry of rectangular flower beds There are several ways to demarcate the garden using paving clinker bricks . The usual look is not suitable for garden work. Borders made of natural wood successfully emphasize the rustic flavor. Boards, bars, rounded logs will be an excellent basis. You can connect them with metal corners, creating a rounded shape or multi-tiered. Blocks of logs hammered at different heights will give a special flavor. Minus wooden borders - the need for regular treatment with antiseptics and painting and fragility. To create borders, you can use any materials at hand , for example, terracotta flower pots or remnants of metal tiles. Tall or short, spreading or compact border plants create a neat and colorful look in the garden. Plant framing will add color, movement and texture to flower beds, paths and any garden area. It can be multi-level flower arrangements. Tall plants will create airy accents. Herbs of the lower tier will soften the look and add visual zest, scattering along the steps or path. Colorful bushy plants will add color and vibrancy. Evergreens (yew or boxwood) will make time stop. Do not place many individual plants together. The best option is from 3 groups at a distance of 24-60 cm from each other. nine0003 Do not discount shady areas or spaces that can be transformed into a border.
The pouring of the concrete base is carried out at will. Bricks are laid on an edge or end, plunging into the ground. A layer of cement mortar is laid between them. Bricks laid symmetrically in a square, decorated with small stones, mosaics or miniature or ground cover plants add elegance. Adding an LED strip to the border will bring a little mystical touch to the evening garden, and placing it at an angle will create the effect of a running wave. nine0003 You can also demarcate the garden with paving clinker bricks 
It all depends on the creativity of the grower. Often these materials are not as durable, but can add sophistication to compositions. Plant border
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