Edging for bark mulch
 

For those whose shrub beds are mulched with bark or other organic material, do you recommend putting an edging of some sort around the perimeter? I see many professionally installed jobs that do not use an edging for bark, etc. but I'm concerned that the zoysia grass runners will continually invade the beds.

I understand that an edging for stone mulch is pretty mandatory, but what about bark? Anyone have a metal (or some other) edging - other than curbing and glad that they did it? Or wish they hadn't?

My suggestion would be to install an edging. Like you say, the grass will crawl into bark mulch. Also edging makes it look nicer. Don't know if your installing yourself, or maybe considering concrete edging etc. I installed black vinyl edging myself, (110 ft) and it looks professional. Would have preferred concrete, BUT budget said no!! lol Good luck with whatever you do

My husband and I installed a steel strip edging around our mulch beds. Keeps the grass out pretty good. We bought ours at a place on Rolling Acres road at a landscapping supply place. I'm sure landscapers also work with it.

Mine stays all by itself, guess it does not know how to stray

For a small flower bed I installed the rubber edging with pine bark chips..... looks OK but the birds constantly move the bark chips out on the grass. It is a pain to deal with.

I don't like the stone curbing I see a too often usually beige about a 12-18" tall or in tiers, looks soo un-natural and I'm sure cost a few bucks.

It's also more work to do changes.

When we do ours I plan on the black vinyl or steel, when installed at the correct height looks nice, but to each his/her own....

I also saw this option

http://www.gertens.com/learn/images/trench2.jpg



Interesting read

.http://www.olyola.com/images/installedging-trimline.gif

We have stone in our front yard but we had mulch in the back. At first all we had was the dirt edging, which is mainly a small trench. After a month of the edging getting into the yard we opted for curbing and love it.

Earthcurb
 

We used a rubber curbing called Earthcurb. Made from old tires I believe and comes in a few colors. We used the dark brown to go with our pine bark mulch beds. We had it at our last home and loves it. It's a little on the expensive side, approx. $15.00 for a 4' section if you lay it yourself. Not hard though. Go to Earthcurb.com for more info. Purchased it at Fernwick on 301.

Good info Jimbo!!! I agree

I've used different edging, and ended up with the curbing and love it.