Our garden is often our refuge from the pressures of the modern working world. Is there anything better than getting back after a long day slogging away at the office and pouring a glass of something cold that you may enjoy in the sun? But how do we set up our garden? This question is often answered with the main features in the middle of the garden such as patios, lawns, and decks or even extravagant water features. But what we often neglect are the areas on the periphery of the area, the borders and edges. Here we offer a quick guide on how best to deal with the garden borders and what your best options are.
Plants: What to Have
One of the biggest factors that affect this decision is what are the plants bordering? If it’s a natural lawn then something nice and natural, almost anything can fit in this situation. But if it’s a path or a stone feature next to it then perhaps something a little more colorful will do.
Stones or Paths
Speaking of paths, depending on the type of garden they may be in the middle or run up the sides so there are many different types of paths. Also, a lot depends on the style of the property, for example, in a modern property some monobloc paving or buff-colored textured slabs may be just the ticket. But for an older, more traditional, property then maybe something such as a gravel path or crazy paving would give a little bit of rustic charm?
Fence or Wall
A big question this is. Do you go for a fence or a wall? Well, there are key advantages to both. A wall is much more substantial as it’s literally made of harder stuff, but it is going to be much more expensive to construct however will last much longer and there are more things you can do with it such as crawling plants or a nice Trellis. A fence is a much simpler structure to erect, it takes less material, less time and fewer materials so you can see why it may be a desirable option.
Lawn
This is an option that is not obvious and we usually mean to extend the lawn rather than do a lawn border but that is also an option. One option that has become much more popular in recent years is the emergence of artificial grass as a viable option for gardens where it was traditionally usual for large projects such as sports fields and school playgrounds.
Weeds
Weeds are going to be the pain the backside for any gardener and borders can be a prime site for this group of troublesome plants. This is especially true if you have planting beds and it’s important to tend to the plants regularly. If it’s something else such as stone chips then a good quality weed membrane is important, check the guarantee and expected lifespan of the product and make sure it’s permeable to let water through.
