[matt80]

Hi all,

Can anyone recommend a cheap way of edging my veg beds (and paths between them)? Its for my back garden so I want it to look reasonably attractive, but the pre-made edging at garden centres can be as much as £10 a metre which will end up costing me a fortune.

I thought about timber, but I'm worried that any preservative applied will leak into the soil - not very organic!

[Celtic Eagle]

Modern preservitives are much better than they used to be.  Tanalised boards will be fine and just use a bit of cuprinol to cover the cut ends .

[senrab_nhoj]

modern pressurised treatments on wood don't contain arsenic which was always a concern previously. however if you are concerned then you can always line the wood with blue builders membrane which is cheap and effective

[andreadon]

is there any way you can hold of some old bricks? they usually look quite nice in a garden. or some up-ended slabs (our local travis perkins gives away the broken ones)

it's worth asking around at your local builder's merchants because they are often quite eager to give away bits that are broken and usually (as with broken biscuits) they're not always hideously broken.

my edges are all done with flint-stone - but that's because my back garden is full of it!

[Moosey]

Bricks are my choice of edging, back garden plot also!  But... thats really only because I have tonnes of them stacked up against the house from a wall that was demolished 

Morrisons had the timber edging stuff on wires at 2 for £5 the other day 1.5m long each.  Was a bit pricy for me though! 

[matt80]

Thanks for the suggestions.

WRT the bricks - how do you lay them - on their ends, or flat? Do they need fixing down, or do you just place them down?

[Moosey]

Mine are on their sides short end to short end just laid on compacted soil.  Its not the best job but a neat edge and does the job.  I am debating building them a few bricks high for a type of raised bed thingie but have not ventured any further with that at the mo 

[nobby]

plastic facer boards work quite well
you get deferent sizes they last for ever and fairly cheep from wicks

[celjaci]

Treated timber  could be cheapest and easiest to install

Look out for a rural timber yard/ sawmill  they have fencing rails 3 x 1 or better still         3 1/2 x 1 1/2 usually in 3.6 m lengths and for  perhaps £1.50 each ( not per metre )
They should also have 'site pegs'  1 1/2 in square and already pointed. Then all you need is a farmers tool kit - a Big Hammer!!

[andreadon]

Thanks for the suggestions.

WRT the bricks - how do you lay them - on their ends, or flat? Do they need fixing down, or do you just place them down?

ours are flat, long side on.
but! the gardener has his in diagonally, so that they make a pretty edge.
i haven't got a picture on fiel, but it looks like  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[Moosey]

Oooo thats a nice idea, I might pinch! 

[andreadon]

i've just been outside in the cold and dark to take a picture.
you have to imagine them without the moss (it's been very wet this year)

[zazen999]

Have you tried a reclaim yard? Ours does 1.1m lengths for 50p each - 2 holes drilled, and screwed together - take about 10 mins each to knock up.  Job done.

[Etherelda]

I saw somewhere someone using bottles pushed top down into the ground at an angle. It means drinking lots of wine. Not a problem for me!!!!