The lawn boundary is an important element of garden design. Lawn edging stones prevent the lawn grass from overgrowing and thus allow easy control of the area. With a well-installed lawn edge, you can lay the lawn and separate other growth, paths, patios or work areas without major problems. There are several methods you can use to set the stones that work with or without concrete.
Set lawn edging stones
When they hear the term "lawn edging stones", many gardeners immediately think of natural stones that give the garden a rustic look. Depending on the type of stone used, modern or minimalist accents are possible. The following list gives you an overview of the different artificial and natural stones that you can use for this:
- granite
- gneiss
- cobblestones
- concrete blocks
Natural stones such as granite are the ideal solution for many people because they are very resistant and easy to lay. Even cold they endure and putting them is not difficult. Some manufacturers offer concrete lawn curbs, which are fairly inexpensive and compliant due to the manufacturing process. This allows them to be laid directly next to each other. Mowing edge or L-stones made of this material can also be used, which do not require a concrete foundation. The most expensive variants include gneiss stones, but these are very popular because of their effect in the garden. The following dimensions should be considered when selecting the stones:
- Height: 25 cm recommended
- Thickness: 5 to 6 cm
Make sure that the height is three to four centimeters above the ground and that the foundation is about four centimeters high. It is precisely for this reason that stones with a height of 25 centimeters are recommended, since 15 centimeter variants only offer limited protection. In addition to the stones, other materials and utensils are also important for creating a lawn edge yourself. If you want to lay classic paving stones, you have to make sure that the foundation has to be higher. In most cases, these are not offered in lengths of 25 centimeters unless you choose rectangular plasters.
tip: As an alternative to natural stone or paving stones, you can use lawn edging made of other materials, which, because of their own style, lend themselves perfectly to a wide variety of garden projects. These include elements made of wood, metal or plastic, which can even be shaped like real stones.
tools and materials
Regardless of whether you want to use the stones as a boundary with or without concrete, the basic equipment is the same. The following list gives you an overview of the necessary tools and materials:
- spade
- guideline
- Lawn edging stones in the required quantity
- gloves
- Paving hammer or other hammer
- level
- folding rule
Please note: this list does not include the necessary materials for each setting method, only those as mentioned above basic equipment for both variants. You should definitely have these available when implementing the project to make it much easier. Pen and paper are part of planning the lawn edge, as you should definitely visualize them before setting them. This way you can determine how many bricks and material you need for the edge and how it goes at all.
tip: You can also photograph your garden and draw the edge of the lawn in the finished picture. This allows you to see exactly in advance how this must be done in order to be effective in the garden.
Setting lawn edging stones with concrete
The classic setting variant for lawn edges is the use of a concrete foundation, which carries the stones, which then act as masonry and thus prevent the grasses from growing rampant. In order to realize this variant, you need additional materials:
- lean concrete
- cement mixer
- bucket
- safety goggles
- gloves
- mortar trowel
If you don't have a concrete mixer yourself or want to buy one, it's a good idea to rent one. You can find these at hardware stores for a daily rate of around 20 euros.
manual
1. Dig the trench along the course of the lawn edge. The width does not have to correspond directly to the thickness of the stones and can be a little wider.
2. Stretch the plumbing line next to the trench at the height you need for the two to four centimeter visible boundary. Check again and again with a spirit level and a folding rule that they are seated correctly.
3. Now mix the concrete and then fill it into the pit for the first meter at a height of four centimetres. If you only need to dig a short lawn edge, you can immediately fill the entire foundation into the pit. For longer sections, you should only set one section at a time.
4. As soon as the concrete has been poured in, place the stones in the middle of the concrete and hammer them in to the set height. After that, check if the stone is sitting straight. Then repeat steps 3 and 4 until the entire lawn edging is complete.
5. In the meantime, keep checking the position of the stones to see if they have shifted in any way. If so, you have to correct them using the mortar trowel. You can also always refill some of the lean concrete if the lawn edging stones are not properly seated or tilt slightly.
6. Last but not least, you need to let the lean concrete dry. Depending on the length and width of the lawn edge, this can take a long time. After that, the boundary is in place and you can still seal the joints with mortar if you wish.
This method is also very suitable for lawn edges made of metal, plastic or wood. Since these are fixed by the mortar, it is easy to set them.
Laying lawn edging stones without concrete
If you want to avoid using a concrete foundation, a mixture of sand and gravel is used. This "loose" foundation is compacted and allows the stones to function as lawn edges without having to use wet materials. In addition to the above items, you will also need the following:
- building sand or gravel
- hand pounder
Because lawn edges aren't very wide, you can't use a compactor and have to switch to a hand tamper to compact the foundation.
manual
1. The course of the lawn edges is marked out as with concreting and then the earth is dug out with a spade. The depth of the ditch for the stones should correspond to the length of the spade blade so that they sit well and cannot shift too much. The width of the pit, on the other hand, must correspond to the thickness of the stones.
2. Now fill the trench with a four centimeter layer of sand or gravel. You can also fill in three centimeters of gravel and one centimeter of sand and compact them together. In many cases this is even more effective than just a sediment.
3. Use the hand rammer to compact the foundation. If you are not strong enough yourself, you should ask a helping hand to do this step for you. This task can be very strenuous and requires a lot of strength, especially with long lawn edges.
4. After compaction, place the stones one after the other on the foundation and tap them with a hammer. After placing a stone, use the spirit level to check the inclination and adjust the position of the stone if necessary. Repeat this step until the entire lawn edge is finished.
5. Alternatively, you can finish off by sealing the gaps between the lawn edging stones with mortar.
As you can see, setting lawn edging stones without concrete is possible and much easier. The only disadvantage of this variant is the possible displacement of the stones through the earth. For this reason, you should not use this variant on slopes, as the earth would simply be too heavy for the loose foundation.
tip: If you want to enable an even better demarcation, you should dig two parallel pits and place the stones there offset to the interfaces. This way the grasses cannot crawl through the cracks and still spread.