Healthy, well-manicured landscaping involves more than just a lawnmower and regular watering. Those lush, deep-green fairways and colorful garden beds are the result of careful planning, proper soil management, the right plant selection, and specific maintenance practices tailored to the local climate.
A key part of well-maintained Nashville yards is their landscape edging. This is what creates clean, crisp lines between lawns, adjoining gardens, and pathways, keeping grass and mulch in their respective areas and delineating pleasing focal points. And fall is the best time to install it.
What Is Landscape Edging?
Landscape edging is a finishing detail for lawns, garden beds, and pathway borders. It’s a part of landscape design that serves both functional and aesthetic purposes, preventing grass and weeds from creeping into planting beds and keeping mulch and soil in their defined areas.
Edging also helps prevent runoff during the winter months, especially during heavy rain. When properly installed, edging keeps mulch, soil, and amendments like compost, gypsum, and other organic materials in place.
For a head start to spring gardening in Nashville, creating or re-establishing these clean lines keeps your garden looking polished, organized, and intentional.
Benefits of Pre-Winter Installation
If you’ve seen homes and businesses around the Nashville area with defined and visually appealing landscape vignettes and wondered when and how to install landscape edging, fall and early winter offer favorable conditions, believe it or not.
Adding this project to your seasonal yard upgrade plan pre-winter, when cooler temperatures and soil moisture make edging more efficient, you’ll not only have an easier time of it, but you’ll also reduce the risk of disturbing established garden beds and other softscape features. When paired with professional landscaping services, edging can dramatically improve the design and structure of your property.
If you live in an area prone to snow, edging helps channel excess melt away from your home or business foundation and sensitive plant beds.
Types of Edging to Consider
There are several different types of landscape edging materials to choose from. This includes steel, aluminum, natural stone, pre-cast concrete blocks or poured curbing, brick, plastic, and rubber. Of these, your best choice should be suited to the Middle Tennessee climate and to your property’s landscape design.
Here’s a breakdown of materials and their characteristics:
- Metal edging like steel or aluminum provides a sleek, contemporary look. It’s strong, long-lasting, and, if you choose Corten steel, will weather to an attractive patina.
- Natural stone like fieldstone or stacked stone are easy to find in Nashville and offer a more classic aesthetic.
- Concrete offers a durable, low-maintenance solution that can be molded into your desired shape and style.
- Brick is a popular, more traditional choice that adds both color and a classic aesthetic. This material can also be installed in patterns, such as sawtooth or zigzag.
- Plastic edging is an affordable, flexible option that adapts well to curving and comes in a variety of colors.
- Rubber edging is made from recycled materials and is also flexible and durable. It is also non-toxic and therefore a good choice for homes with children and pets. Products these days can even mimic the look of stone or brick.
- Wood edging offers a natural, rustic aesthetic. In Nashville’s humid climate, however, wood materials must be durable and rot-resistant.
Low fencing and short hedges are excellent options for landscape edging as well. They define a garden space nicely and help guide foot traffic. These options are particularly well-suited to spaces you want to protect.
Best Practices for Nashville Yards
When planning a winter landscape installation in Nashville, it’s important to consider our region’s freeze-thaw cycles so they don’t affect the stability of your layout. Here’s how to get the most out of your project:
Preparation:
- Mark your desired edge shape with string or a hose.
- Clear branches, leaves, and other debris from your planned edging area. (Wet debris can lead to rot and the accumulation of frost over winter.)
- Using a shovel or edger, dig a trench approximately four inches deep along your defined area. Consider doing this after it’s rained so the soil is moist and easy to move.
- Ensure proper drainage is in place to prevent pooling that can freeze and expand, damaging your edging.
- Clear out any remaining soil or debris to create a clean edge and give the grass along the edging one last trim.
General Maintenance Tips:
- Inspect your edging for loose, tilted, or damaged sections and re-anchor them before the ground freezes.
- If you’ll be using de-icing salts on nearby pathways or driveways, keep these products away from your edging and surrounding plants.
- During the snowy months, be extra cautious not to impact your edging when shoveling or using a snowblower.
- Minimize foot traffic on frozen grass near your edging as much as possible.
- Apply a layer of organic mulch or straw around the base of your edging to act as insulation. This will help regulate the temperature of the soil and prevent rapid freeze-thaw cycles.
Installing Landscape Edging Before Winter — Yea or Nay?
To keep insulating layers of mulch within their defined garden beds, manage water flow, create structural lines, and make spring landscaping easier, the verdict on installing landscape edging pre-winter is a resounding yes!
At The Parke Company, we help homeowners and business owners upgrade and maintain their trees, greenery, and flower beds through thoughtful stewardship, seasonal planning, and exceptional landscaping maintenance services. Our team is dedicated to creating beautiful and resilient spaces that thrive year after year.
Whether you’re ready to plan and install edging pre-winter or design your spring planting strategy, we’re here to make it happen.
Be proactive with your landscape maintenance by working with your local professionals at The Parke Company. Contact us today for your free estimate.