No matter what your outside space is used for, there are plenty of ways that you can decorate it. From the sleek and modern to the colourful and more rustic, there is an aesthetic to suit everyone’s personal style.
As you’re looking to decorate your space, you may be looking for more creative ways to use the materials at your disposal.
When it comes to steel edging, there are many different ways, both traditional and more creative, that you can begin to decorate your space and make it your own.
In this article, we will be discussing the following:
- Planter borders
- Gravel edging
- Pathway borders
- Allotment decorations
- Creating height and layers
- Creating communal areas
- Creating stairways
- Decorating plants and shrubs
- Lining ponds and water features
Enhancing Your Space With Steel Edging
Firstly, we should discuss what steel edging is and how it can be used. Edging is a crucial part of any landscaper’s toolkit that allows you to create separation between different areas of an outdoor space.
You may want to use edging to stop the migration of features such as gravel or wood chips that you have laid under communal areas, or to stop the movement of plants through different planters.
By utilising a hardy edging, such as steel, you will be adding a feature to your garden that will last many years and add value to your space.
1. Planter Borders
No matter the size of your space, adding planters, both raised and ground level, is a great way to add a pop of colour and some life to your space. But how can we take a classic planter and make it different from what we’re used to seeing?
Utilising steel edging to line your planters can have a wide range of benefits, such as:
- Adding different textures and colours to your space
- Separating plants or crops you don’t want to mix
- Keeping top-level weeds from creeping into your planters
- Creating different levels in the same planter
- Keeping your planters’ soil warmer in colder months
If you’re thinking of adding steel edging as a border for your planter, consider some ways you can get creative with this. Why not use a mixture of different metal finishes or different heights to add some extra dimension to your space?
2. Gravel Edging
For larger areas that use laid gravel or slate, such as driveways or built-in fire pits, utilising a type of edging allows you to keep any small particles from migrating to other areas of your space. Despite them having one very obvious purpose in this setting, gravel edging can still be modified to suit your own personal style.
When using steel edging in this setting, there are a few ways that you can customise the look to mark the space as your own, such as:
- Using different heights, whether this be as part of a decorative design or to create different levels
- Utilising different steel finishes to create a blend of colours
- Creating patterns with the edging to add another dimension to the space
3. Pathway Borders
In a similar principle to gravel edging, adding a pathway border serves multiple purposes.
If you have a loose set pathway, you can use gravel or soil to make a walkway instead of laying bricks or concrete. Following the laying, edging is a great way to ensure that your pathway doesn’t move over time.
Alternatively, if you have a bricked pathway, using edging to line the path may seem like a waste of resources to some, but this is actually a good way to add another texture to the space.
If this style of pathway is something you’re looking to explore, then you may want to consider using certain materials instead of others. Think about the following:
- The main path of your space is likely to be the most trodden-down area, meaning that your edging needs to be able to withstand weight and repeated wear and tear.
- The edging will also be in an area that will likely be prone to be exposed to harsh weather conditions, such as direct sunlight and heavy rain.
With the above in mind, consider using steel garden edging instead of wooden counterparts. This is because steel edging will hold more weight over time, as well as last a much longer length of time, making it a long-term investment piece for your garden.
4. Allotment Decoration
For avid garden growers, having an allotment of your very own gives you the freedom to grow home crops. Whether it be a garden centrepiece or a designated corner for growing your favourite vegetables and herbs, getting your allotment right can be difficult to balance.
So, if you have an allotment that you’re happy with, why should you consider adding steel edging into the mix? Consider the following reasons:
- Design – utilising garden edging properly will open a whole world of design possibilities. From exploring different wall heights to using different finishes to add some extra colour to your space.
- Warmth – using metal garden edging comes with many temperature-based pros, mainly when it comes to maintaining the temperature of your soil. When the weather begins to turn colder, utilising metal garden edging on your allotments is a great way to keep the soil warmer, as the metal will hold heat better than other materials, such as wood.
- Crop separation – when growing crops in an allotment, it is fairly common to grow more than one kind of crop in one bed. For experienced growers, this set-up will pose no real issue, but for someone less experienced, keeping your crops from mixing together can be difficult. By using edging to separate areas within your allotment, you can stop crops from mixing within the soil. This also applies to stopping weeds from creeping into the beds as well.
5. Create Different Heights and Layers
Trying to think of different ways you can use different design elements to evolve the look of your space? With steel edging, this is more than possible.
With steel garden edging, you can explore the use of different heights and layers to elevate your space.
One easy way that you can look at utilising different heights and layers within your space is to use these layers to separate different areas of your space.
Maybe you want your communal areas where you would invite guests at the top of your garden, where it will get the most light and best views? Or perhaps you want to raise your plants away from where pets and children would normally play.
6. Define Communal Areas
If you are the type of person to host gatherings, then having a well-designed and defined communal area is a key aspect to add to your space.
By adding edging that can be both functional and decorative to your space, you can easily visually separate any areas that are designed to be communal. Whether it be a cosy set of picnic tables for outside dining or a warming fire pit to host late-night get-togethers, using edging in the correct way can help you define your space.
Worried about the durability of the materials? With high-quality steel edging, your garden will stay looking fresh, even in highly trodden areas of your space.
7. Create a Stairway
For anyone with an outdoor space on different levels, finding the perfect stairway to elevate the look of your space can be hard. Instead of lining your walkway with bricks and stones, consider using edging.
With steel edging, you can choose from a range of finishes to add a diverse selection of colours and textures to your space, in a way that doesn’t overpower your garden’s natural beauty. Whether it be an industrial look you’re wanting, or a warm glow with CorTen steel’s copper patina, add some dimension to your stairways with your edging.
8. Decorate Your Tall Plants and Shrubs
For those who have fruit trees, tall shrubs, or sentimental plants, finding ways to keep these plants protected without creating an eyesore in the space can be difficult. However, when you’re exploring the uses of edging, consider how you can use this to protect your plants.
Some ways you can protect and sometimes decorate your plants include:
- Creating tree guards with your bespoke edging
- Crafting smaller versions of your existing tree guards to keep shrub stems protected
- Adding a small wall around a section housing your plants, to stop small wildlife that damages your plants
- Creating plant guides to keep your younger plants growing straight
9. Line Your Ponds and Water Features
Ponds and water features are eye-catching centre-pieces for any outdoor space, but we need to make sure that they are eye-catching for the right reasons.
In the case of ponds, using steel garden edging, you can build a sturdy wall to line the outer edge of your pond and stop water from creeping into the soil of your garden. This will also help to stop your pond collapsing in on itself if the soil dries out in the warmer months of the year.
For water features, such as water fountains, creating an area around the water feature to act as water overflow will stop the rest of your garden from getting oversaturated with water.
If you are considering using steel edging near a water source, you should think about how you want the water to affect the edging. For example, do you want to use a finish that will rust a beautiful colour?
High-Quality Steel Edging From Steel Landscaping Co.
Ready to look into purchasing high-quality steel edging for your space? At Steel Landscaping Co., we specialise in crafting steel products that will elevate any space, no matter what your overall aesthetic is.
Browse our online shop and see our full range of estate fencing, steel edging, raised beds, gates, and garden ironwork, including tree guards, and pots and troughs.
Can’t find something to suit you? With Steel Landscaping Co.’s bespoke design and fabrication services, you can inquire about completely unique pieces to be made by our team of skilled, UK-based craftspeople.
Contact our team to discuss Steel Edging Installation today, or purchase Edging directly.