White Picket Edging

Styles

• White picket garden edging is available in several styles and materials. The edging comes in sections that measure around 12 inches in height and 7 feet in length. Plastic picket edging is coated with UV protection and flexible so it works well with curved and straight edges. Other styles of picket edging are made from vinyl or wood. Sections of wood edging are not flexible and work best for rectangular gardens.

DIY

• If you have sections of old picket fencing in your workshop, cutting these pieces down into 12-inch-tall strips is an effective way to re-purpose the material. Give the old fencing a fresh coat of white paint and dig post holes in the four corners of the garden. The advantage of cutting old fencing yourself is you can size it to the scale of your garden. Taller picket edging complements the vertical lines of tall trees, while low picket edging accentuates rather than dwarfs low-growing flowers.

Installation

• Installing white picket edging is a straightforward process. Unlike stone, pavers and other styles of edging that last longer when laid over a gravel base, picket fencing comes with stakes that you sink in the ground with a hammer. This simple installation makes it easy to remove or adjust the edging if you decide to expand the garden. Note that this method of installation is not as effective at blocking weeds and grass from entering the garden and does not improve the site's drainage.

Maintenance

• Like fencing, white picket edging is made to last with light maintenance. If the sections bend or fall after strong winds or other weather, you can reinforce the edging with pea gravel or mulch. If you're using wood, cedar, redwood and cypress are naturally rot-resistant. Pressure-treated wood is best used around non-edible gardens as the chemicals used to make it rot-resistant seep into the ground.