Ideas for a Raised Bed Edging

Wood

• Wood is a favorite choice for edging your raised beds because it is fairly easy to cut to any length or shape and looks natural. Although pressure-treated lumber lasts longer without rotting due to the moisture in the soil, the University of Minnesota Horticulture Department warns that using it will leach dangerous chemicals into the soil. Look for fallen limbs or unused logs around your property for a safer wooden border. Trim off any greenery or small twigs, and stack the branches around the bed while pressing them into the soil for stability.

Masonry

• Stacking natural stones or bricks around your raised bed creates a more polished look, but these materials cost more than wood. Mortaring the bricks or concrete blocks together allows it to keep more soil in a tidy raised bed due to the increased strength, according to Home Depot. Try mixing different colors of concrete pavers or bricks for a more visually-interesting design. If you have an abundance of natural stones on your property, make a small border with them or use mortar to build a taller wall to support the sides of a high raised bed.

Metal

• The durability of metal makes it a good choice for edging a raised bed, but buying a new sheet of metal to edge a raised bed isn't necessary. Old metal roofing or roof flashing works to keep a clean edge around the bed by blocking the growth of grass, says Oklahoma State University. Galvanized roofing leaches zinc into the soil, so look for coated or bare metal when choosing materials to reuse in the garden.

Terracotta

• The red clay known as terracotta won't rust or rot when exposed to the moisture in soil, which makes it an appropriate material to edge a raised bed with. While there are a number of pavers and other edging blocks made from terracotta, use short sections of drainpipe instead, recommends Re-Nest. The tubes are strong enough to hold up the dirt in the bed and offer a little insulation from cold winter temperatures. Filling the openings with soil allows you to plant around the edge of the raised bed as well.