How To DIY A European Garden Edge

European gardens are known for many different features, depending on which particular country you are examining. For example, French gardens typically feature symmetry, perfectly straight lines, and geometric shapes. English gardens, on the other hand, are designed to look more natural, incorporating winding paths and a large variety of plants. If you want to add an element of European garden style to your own landscape, one option is to add a garden edge to separate two parts of your landscaping. This is a project that you can do on your own, and there are many ways to customize the design to make it closely suit the style of European garden you wish to emulate.

For this project, you will need bricks or natural stones to make the wall, paver edging and stakes, a spade or shovel, a rubber mallet, a rope or hose, and measuring tape. The measuring tape is used to help you determine how many bricks or wall stones you will need and how much paver edging. After measuring and getting the stone you need, you can dig a trench using the spade or shovel. A rope or hose can help you stick to the shape you want. Be sure to consider where water will drain and adjust the landscape so the water drains away from the edging. For the paver edging, you can learn the best ways to secure paver landscape edging for longer-lasting borders, or you can just stick to stakes. Cut and join the edging as needed to create the border, then backfill it and anchor it in place every 3 or 4 feet using the rubber mallet.

All you need to do now is place the rocks along the paver edging and add any other finishing touches of your choice. The finishing touches can involve filling one side of stones with river rocks or gravel, or simply redistributing mulch or dirt. If you are considering filling with rocks, there are many stunning gravel garden ideas to transform your outdoor space to try out to complement the European style.

When placing your edging, the lines you create will influence the effect of your garden. Gentle curves can remind one of a soft English garden, while straight lines may be more reminiscent of the symmetry and alignment of French gardens or the sharpness of Italian gardens. The materials you choose will also determine the style your garden evokes. Consider the colors, sizes, and shapes of the stones. Rocks that closely resemble one another will fit more with styles that favor symmetry and straight lines, while rocks with more variances will work well for more relaxed garden styles. No matter which you choose, however, a stone border should be able to evoke the European garden aesthetic.

Although simple to achieve, this DIY is long-lasting. The paver edging helps the rocks stay in place, and there are plenty of ways to optimize your garden to make it fit the European vibe you want. Whether you want to try out ideas to transform your garden into a Mediterranean retreat or emulate the naturalistic style of English gardens, this DIY European garden edge can work for you.