ksia
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New terrace - how to edge?I'm planning to start terracing a new area this weekend (don't think it'll be finished this weekend!).
We've lots of weed supressing fabric and gravel.
See photo - It'll be here, the left hand side for cold frames etc and the right hand side for us, but finishing before the pear tree 'cause pear drop and leaves will be a mess to clear up on gravel.
I'm think a curvy shape.
Narrower on the left as it's the entrance to partners workshop and wider for us to have table and chairs.
However how do I stop the gravel drifting onto the grass around? As it'll cause problems when cutting the grass. Also as we've a sit-on mower we still need to be able to get close to cut the grass.
In another part of the garden I have a small flower bed which separates the terrace and grass, as it's filled with annuals/mint/bulbs, if it's run over or trimmed a little it's not a problem. However it's extra weeding work and in spring needs covering to protect it from chickens and cats - so I don't really fancy this again. Although I may edge it (inside the terrace part or outside) with lavendar plants.
Any suggestions? What edges do you have?
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Mary-Jane
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Brick edging works quite well.
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mochyn
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I like brick too, but I'd use a water permeable membrane behind it and ensure that there are weep holes in the vertical section for drainage. If you're going for a gravel surface I'd use the membrane under that too.
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vegplot
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I was head gardener for 'The Wakes', home of Gilbert White when I was 16. 
Actually, I was the only gardener and part time at that 
I remember they used sunken gravel paths and trimmed the grass with edging sheers. The edges were trimmed every year with an edging iron. It was labour intensive but very effective and didn't need any other edging. Treated timber work well and doesn't chew up lawn mower blades if accidently hit.
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LynneA
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Old roofing tiles are good as well.
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ksia
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I'd not thought about brick (as we've not got any) but it's a good option.
I'm not thinking of digging or anything too labour intensive. I guess I could take the clippers to the bit of grass we miss as it'd be flat to the brick. Hmm
Roof tiles sound interesting - but having only slates not sure - are tiles different? Could slates work as we have plently of old? I'm just worried they'd be brittle. Hmm
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Mary-Jane
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| mochyn wrote: | | I like brick too, but I'd use a water permeable membrane behind it and ensure that there are weep holes in the vertical section for drainage. If you're going for a gravel surface I'd use the membrane under that too. |
Defo listen to this woman - she's a recently retired professional garden designer and knows her stuff... 
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dougal
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| ksia wrote: | I'd not thought about brick (as we've not got any) but it's a good option.
I'm not thinking of digging or anything too labour intensive. I guess I could take the clippers to the bit of grass we miss as it'd be flat to the brick. Hmm |
Bad news.
Labour is likely involved!
The idea behind all of the ideas above is that you should set-in some sort of hard edge, so that the mower can safely overlap onto the hard.
This means digging to set in the edge.
To look good it has to be smooth (if not level).
While you could plonk down some hard stuff, and build up around it (rather than insetting the hard), but I fear it would take ages to look right.
Vegplot's concept of digging out the gravel area and leaving a couple of inches of cliff to the grass is very 'soft' in appearance, but with traffic over the edge, it will quickly break down.
If you intend any sort of a step, then I think it'll need support -- which I think is where Mochyn was coming from.
Back to digging!
I'd start by removing the turf from the area to be gravelled...
And trying to level it.
Gravel and slopes don't work very easily together...
Many French garden paths (in capital-G Gardens) seem to use a rammed and bonded sandy material - with just a dressing of loose grit on top.
I wonder if such a methodology would be useful (even as edging) to keep your grass and gravel apart?
I reckon you want 10cm at minimum of transition zone for easy maintenance. And I think a definite, broad boundary looks much more confident than a sharp (initially anyway) line...
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