Granite Garden Edging

Granite garden edging is a popular favorite for those who enjoy stone garden edgings.  The granite can be used in a couple of different ways.  It also comes in a variety of styles and colors to make it acceptable in any landscape design or color scheme. 
 One popular use is that of cobblestones.  These can be used to edge driveways, gardens, walkways etc.  They are a stable and solid edging.  With proper installation they can almost completely eliminate grass creep into you r garden, drive or walkway.  Another popular use is crushed granite.  This is also an elegant installation and can create stunning results.  With the crushed granite you will need to install a thin border edge of some sort, aluminum or plastic in order to keep the gravel from shifting and moving out of the space you intended.  Crushed granite can also be used as a ground cover in a garden that has lots of open area.



Because granite comes in so many different colors it is very appealing. 

To properly install either granite cobblestone or crushed granite, we first need to prepare a trench.

For cobblestone:  The trench should be an inch or more wider than the cobblestone.  Layer the bottom of the trench with at least 1 " of coarse sand.  For cobblestone, you need to determine what height you would like your stone to be above the ground and then use your sand to level your trench to achieve that height consistently.  You can lay a 2 X 4 across your cobblestone and place your level on it to ensure that your garden edging is level.

After installing the cobblestone apply crushed gravel or granite to the outside edge of the trench and fill the inside edge next to the drive, walk or garden with sand.  Also put sand in the cracks between the cobblestones to help hold them in place. 

For crushed granite:  After digging your trench to the desired width for your project, you may want to put down a layer of Weed Bloc or heavy grade plastic sheeting, before putting in the sand to help prevent weeds from growing up into your crushed granite edging. For crushed granite place your thin edging material on both sides of the path where the granite will lie.  If the granite is adjacent to a walk or drive, then you will only need to do the outer edge.  If your granite is adjacent to a lawn, you can set it in two ways.  You can raise your thin edge to be level with or slightly below the grass when it is freshly mowed and fill with crushed granite to that point, or you can lower the edge to a point 1/2 to 1 inch above ground level and fill.  If you install a raised crushed granite edging adjacent to a lawn, you will need to use an edger to keep a clean look.  With the lower installation of the crushed granite edging, you will be able to push your mower close along the inside edge of your crushed granite edging and keep the grass under control without having to use a string edger. 

Granite is a beautiful and natural garden landscape edging.  It is a bit on the pricy side, but holds its value and when properly installed lasts for a very long time with very little maintenance.