Not Pavers: The Eco-Friendly Gravel Driveway Edging With A Natural Look

Most homeowners want to portray their front yard in the best light. After all, it's the first thing people see when they pull up at your house. Install a gravel driveway and you instantly enhance your landscaping while providing easy access to your garage or off-street parking. You can't, however, just dump a load of gravel in a line and call it a day. You need to add driveway edging for a neat, attractive, tiny stone-corralling finish. There are a lot of stylish and simple gravel driveway edging ideas to choose between. While pavers are enduringly popular, if you prefer eco-friendly and natural-looking materials, consider railroad ties.

Railroad ties are the sturdy, wooden slabs that lie perpendicular to the steel tracks on a railway. Because of their long-lasting nature — thanks to the chemical preservatives they're treated with — old railroad ties have been repurposed in landscaping for decades. However, creosote is used to boost the strength and longevity of these planks, and it's toxic.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) notes that this chemical pesticide poses cancer and non-cancer health risks, and wood treated with it should be safely disposed of, not used in residential front yards. Therefore, you should proceed with caution when exploring any tips and ideas on how to landscape your yard with railroad ties. Creosote can leach from wood into the surrounding soil, so avoid using railroad ties as edging anywhere near edible gardens, water sources, and children's or pet's play areas. Or, to achieve the same rustic look but in a far safer manner, you could invest in railroad tie lookalikes.

Landscaping features like driveway edging are for way more than just looks. Besides their chic natural look, railroad ties — and lookalikes, like 6-inch by 6-inch by 8-feet long Severe Weather Stained Pressure Treated Landscape Timber from Lowe's — serve as a physical barrier. They contain gravel within the driveway area and keep your lawn from growing into the driveway. Additionally, this tough wooden edging option keeps your lawn safe from car tire damage. It's not going to be easy for someone to drive over such an in-your-face barrier!

Railroad ties can be sourced from local material recyclers or even Menards — they will almost always contain creosote. If that concerns you, go for landscaping timber treated with eco-friendly preservatives instead. A few 6-inch by 6-inch by 8-feet-long Severe Weather Stained Pressure Treated Landscape Timbers from Lowe's look could easily be mistaken for railroad ties. Alternatively, get some thick cedar or redwood planks, which are naturally resistant to insects, rot, and weather.

Once you have your railroad tie or a lookalike option, installing them as gravel driveway edging is pretty straightforward. If you DIY the installation, you'll save on labor fees. First, dig a trench along both sides of the driveway using a shovel as wide as the ties. Then level the trench and add a couple of inches of gravel to allow for drainage. Compact the gravel, then drop in your ties or planks. To prevent shifting, you'll need to firmly anchor each tie to the ground. Drill a few pilot holes in each plank, and then hammer in 10-inch to 12-inch rebar or steel spikes through the holes.