Cool (cheap?) Garden Edging
July 10, 2010 2:14 PM Subscribe
Ideas for neat / interesting garden edging.
Desired properties:
* cheap
* able to make curves
* low maintenance
* fireproof (we burn down the yard from time to time, prairie)
PVC edging is the obvious one, but I want something more interesting (and it's not fireproof). I'm thinking something like ductwork aluminum, or some other sheet aluminum. Think "crazy eccentric" rather than Martha Stewart, but all ideas welcome!
By 'neat' I mean things like:
* bowling balls (saw this over in south minneapolis)
* gears / machinery bits
Obvious other contenders:
* gravel
* pavers
* brick
(If it matters, this is Minneapolis, which has winters)
Desired properties:
* cheap
* able to make curves
* low maintenance
* fireproof (we burn down the yard from time to time, prairie)
PVC edging is the obvious one, but I want something more interesting (and it's not fireproof). I'm thinking something like ductwork aluminum, or some other sheet aluminum. Think "crazy eccentric" rather than Martha Stewart, but all ideas welcome!
By 'neat' I mean things like:
* bowling balls (saw this over in south minneapolis)
* gears / machinery bits
Obvious other contenders:
* gravel
* pavers
* brick
(If it matters, this is Minneapolis, which has winters)
Wine bottles will go soft fairly quickly in a fire. If they are in long enough they melt, otherwise they solidify again but are then very brittle and much easier to smash.
posted by emilyw at 2:49 PM on July 10, 2010
posted by emilyw at 2:49 PM on July 10, 2010
Ceramic tiles on edge.
broken concrete
glass bottles
broken terra cotta pots
bricks, broken or not
posted by faineant at 4:37 PM on July 10, 2010
broken concrete
glass bottles
broken terra cotta pots
bricks, broken or not
posted by faineant at 4:37 PM on July 10, 2010
There's a local restaurant that uses corrugated tin, cut jagged to mimic mountain ranges, as an edging along the top of their fence...I think it would look great as garden edging and weathering would add to the character. It can be seen behind the diners outdoors here (last 3 photos).
posted by kattyann at 5:26 PM on July 10, 2010
posted by kattyann at 5:26 PM on July 10, 2010
kattyann writes "corrugated tin"
Even galvanized sheet metal or aluminum sheet is going to corrode very quickly when in contact with the ground; especially if your fire gets hot enough to anneal it.
However stainless would last a long time; pretty expensive though. Some grades of stainless will get a rusty patina. For example stainless exhaust pipe; which cut into short lengths might make an interesting edging. You might be able to get quite a bit of for scrap value. And it could be pop riveted to screwed together if you wanted studier sections.
posted by Mitheral at 9:34 PM on July 10, 2010
Even galvanized sheet metal or aluminum sheet is going to corrode very quickly when in contact with the ground; especially if your fire gets hot enough to anneal it.
However stainless would last a long time; pretty expensive though. Some grades of stainless will get a rusty patina. For example stainless exhaust pipe; which cut into short lengths might make an interesting edging. You might be able to get quite a bit of for scrap value. And it could be pop riveted to screwed together if you wanted studier sections.
posted by Mitheral at 9:34 PM on July 10, 2010
Brick! You can do lots of fun patterns and you don't need to use mortar although you can. If you look around you can often find someone that has a pile of them in their backyard that wants to get rid of the free or cheap.
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posted by mincus at 5:33 AM on July 11, 2010
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posted by mincus at 5:33 AM on July 11, 2010
One of the best looking ones in our neighborhood uses something like the stone in this picture, only standing vertically (and half buried), so it kind of looks like a sawtooth/stegosaurus. The rocks they used are a bit thinner, and so there are about three layers. It looks really unusual.
I have to wonder how much of an issue the heat will be? Given that the temperature in question would be just a few inches off the ground, I would think the fuel density (compared to, say, melting beer bottles in the coals of a campfire) would be such that any given spot wouldn't get too hot - at least so hot that you have to worry about annealing metals or deforming glass. A quick pass with a weed whacker near the edging could dramatically reduce the temperatures it is exposed to.
I would also say that something like concrete edging, but with an interesting stone or glass aggregate and maybe some dye mixed in. I've done this for an indoor fireplace mantel, gathering all the different shades of blue wine bottles I could find. Quite possibly this would be a horrible idea given freeze/thaw/burning, though I wouldn't be surprised if there were admixtures that would make it more durable under those conditions.
posted by BleachBypass at 9:16 AM on July 14, 2010
I have to wonder how much of an issue the heat will be? Given that the temperature in question would be just a few inches off the ground, I would think the fuel density (compared to, say, melting beer bottles in the coals of a campfire) would be such that any given spot wouldn't get too hot - at least so hot that you have to worry about annealing metals or deforming glass. A quick pass with a weed whacker near the edging could dramatically reduce the temperatures it is exposed to.
I would also say that something like concrete edging, but with an interesting stone or glass aggregate and maybe some dye mixed in. I've done this for an indoor fireplace mantel, gathering all the different shades of blue wine bottles I could find. Quite possibly this would be a horrible idea given freeze/thaw/burning, though I wouldn't be surprised if there were admixtures that would make it more durable under those conditions.
posted by BleachBypass at 9:16 AM on July 14, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by kellyblah at 2:30 PM on July 10, 2010 [1 favorite]