25 Walkway Edging Ideas

Well-defined walkway edging can mean the difference between a yard that looks messy and disorganized and a yard that looks like it has professional grooming. This seems like a lot of work at first glance, but you can take on these walkway edging projects in a weekend and transform your yard while boosting your curb appeal. All you need to complete these walkway edging ideas is a little time, some small tools, edging materials, and the plants or greenery to fill in the space. Let’s dive in! 

Pretty pathways serve as a guide for people to make their way around your yard or garden without accidentally stepping on your flowers or trampling paths in your grass. 

1. Gabion

If you want a dramatic walkway edging idea to showcase your container garden or path, gabion is the way to go. Originally, this word meant big cage, and this idea actually uses on to create a dramatic effect. You can purchase the cages you’ll use in several home improvement stores, garden centers, or online. Once you get them and lay them out how you want them, you can fill them with a broad range of materials. One of the most popular materials is stone, and it comes in a host of colors. Terracotta, shells, and pieces of cut wood or mulch are also popular. However, stone is timeless, and this is why it’s one of the most popular choices. 

2. Seashells

A fun way to add a beachy touch to your landscape is to incorporate large seashells as walkway edging. Sea shells are durable, available in many different colors, and they’re perfect for those spots around your flower beds where you want to create a clean separation. Quahog seashells work really well, and they create a sharp contrast between the browns and earthy greens of your landscape and the bluish-white color of the shells. If you don’t want larger shells, many people also incorporate lines of crushed seashells into their walkway edging. They have a bright coloring that naturally draws the eye, and you can buy them in bulk. 

3. Cinder Blocks

Maybe you’re planting blackberry bushes and you need slightly more robust walkway edging to contain your plants. If so, consider using cinder blocks. This is a sleek and modern idea that will instantly add structure to your garden while being slightly taller and helping support new growth. They also double as small planters themselves if you wanted to add bright flowers along your walkways. They help to define a very clear-cut area, and you can place them tightly together to prevent weed growth through them. Their grey coloring goes with almost any decor, and you can get several sizes to add dimension. 

Broken cinder blocks create a worn and rustic feel without losing their functionality, and you can mix and match whole and broken pieces into your landscaping. 

4. Double Tier Bricks 

Bricks are a popular walkway edging and walkway material because they’re built to last, have an attractive reddish hue to them, and you can create patterns, shapes, and dimension with them. If you want to create a slightly wide border between your lawn and your garden, creating a double tiered brick walkway is a chic way to go. To start, you can lay down bricks longways so they extend out into your yard. The second tier of bricks should be on the edges of the first bricks and build up so it hugs the edge of your garden. It creates an elegant look, and you can fill them in with concrete or dirt to hold them in place. 

5. Terracotta Pipes

Terracotta pipes give you the versatility that cinder blocks do because they double as a planter for your walkway edging. However, you don’t have to fill them with dirt. You could fill them with stones or crushed shells and use them for solar lights to light up your harden, or you could fill them with dirt to create a nice contrast. They match any terracotta pots you already use in your landscaping to tie your yard together and create a seamless look. They’ll give you a slightly raised walkway edging that helps to hold your plants and dirt in while creating a clean break from the grass or your patio. 

6. Plastic Walkway Edging with Stones 

Anyone who has a deck walkway that drops off into the grass knows that it’s easy for this area to look sloppy and unfinished. One quick way to spruce this area up is to get plastic edging and run in six inches to a foot out from your deck edge. Then, fill this space in with stones. If you want to create contrast, look for a variety of colors like black, gray, and white. Mix them all together and spread them between your deck and the walkway edging to create a finished and sleek look. You may want to do a few layers of rocks so there is a shorter space between the deck edge and the grass. 

Plastic edging is a cost-effective and durable option you can employ if you have a large areas to cover around your home. 

7. Raised Flower Beds

A raised flower or garden bed creates a clean edge all by itself. You can set up natural walkways using the edges of your garden beds as guides. This is a nice idea if you’re short on yard space and you want to create a nice walkway to guide your guests and family around your yard. Wood garden boxes are very popular, and you can get them in a variety of sizes and shapes if you don’t want to or can’t make your own. Other popular materials are plastic and galvanized steel. Decide what type of look you want with your walkway edging and pick out a material that helps deliver on this aesthetic. 

8. Wine Bottles 

One nice way to upcycle those wine bottles you have in your home or business is to turn them into a colorful and unique walkway edging. All you need to do is empty out the wine bottles, wash them out, flip them upside down, and sink the wine bottle into the dirt using the neck as an anchor. You can run this walkway edging idea right along your flower beds, patio, deck, or paths around your home. If you want to make it more unique, get colorful blue or yellow bottles and mix the min with the more traditional brown and green shades. You do have to be careful not to break them though when you put them in the ground. 

9. Woven Branches 

This is a slightly more time-consuming idea on your part, but you can weave small branches together to create a short fence that neatly boxes in your flowers. You will have to find branches of roughly the same size and length. Try to go for longer branches to cover a bigger area. Once you find them, get twine or thin gardening wire and tie them up in a neat stack. Set your completed woven branch walkway edging up and enjoy it. This is nice for raised beds or if you decide you want to grow peas and vegetables in containers and want to hide the pots. 

A woven fence can take time to complete, but it’s a nice way to stay in your budget and build up smaller support walls for your plants or vegetables.

10. Plastic Mulch Edging

Maybe you want something more simple and easy. If so, you can install a simple plastic mulch edging along your flower beds for walkway edging. It comes in a variety of colors and textures like cobblestone to add a pop of interest to your walkways. You can get it on a longer roll with spikes to drive it into the ground, or it comes in small pieces you individually stick into the ground along your flower beds for walkway edging. You can use it to separate different sections of your garden or flower beds, define your walkways, or create patterns that catch people’s eyes. It’ll also help hold your mulch or stones in when the weather turns bad. 

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11. PVC Stakes 

PVC stakes make a cost-effective and easy walkway edging idea that can cover both broad areas like your big flower beds or around your bird feeders to try and keep the seed in. These stakes usually come in pieces of five with one or two stakes attached to hold them into the ground. This type of walkway edging allows you to quickly and easily get a symmetrical look that is very chic and modern. They come in several different colors, won’t break your bank, and they’re very easy to install. Most home improvement stores and garden centers have them, and you can find them in different heights. 

12. Natural Logs 

Anyone who lives in an area with a lot of big trees should have no problem finding natural logs laying out in the woods. You can easily cut these logs to the size and shape  you need to go around your flower beds and create stunning walkway edging. They add a rustic look and feel to your home, and the bigger ones even double as a nice seating area for anyone that walks by. It is a good idea to reinforce these logs by either digging down slightly into the ground and setting the logs in this space or building up around the bottom of the logs with sand or gravel to anchor them in place. 

You can keep the bark on or scrape it off to create a natural edging option that looks rustic while still maintaining strength. You could even carve out seating areas if you get big enough logs. 

13. Wire Fence 

You don’t have to go big when you’re trying to create a walkway edging between your garden or flowers and your kid’s playground set. Instead, go for a simple and chic wire fence. You have dozens of colors, sizes, heights, and styles to choose from, and you can get a more durable wire or metal fence that will withstand wear, rust, tear, and corrosion without a problem. Most of these wire fences simply stick down into the ground, and you can use them as straight walkway edging or create curved designs that go around your round flower beds. It’s a very cost-effective way to go around a large area. 

14. Copper Sheet Metal 

Opting for a metal walkway edging medium is a nice way to get something that lasts and looks nice year after year. Copper sheet metal is relatively easy to bend, mold, or cut to your desired shape, and you can choose from a broad range of sizes. The copper adds a warm hue to your garden or  yard, and you can use it to line your walkways or upgrade the sides of your planter. It is important that you double-check the edges when you cut it because they can be sharp and you might have to dull them down. But, copper walkway edging resists rust and corrosion while blending beautifully with a lot of different styles. 

15. River Rock 

Stacked river rock creates a whimsical walkway edging that can easily cover larger areas around your home without a problem. One idea is to start with a rock garden and have river rock leading to it. You can buy smaller pieces of river rock and scatter it along your pathways, or you can easily go find some in your local streams or along the edges of lakes and bring it back to your home. River rock comes in a large variety of colors and shapes, and this makes it easy to stack and set up. It’s possible to leave your river rock as a freestanding stack, or you can take steps to reinforce it so it doesn’t accidentally tip over if you get storms or seasonal weather. 

The fun thing about river rocks is that they come in a large range of sizes, shapes, and colors that makes it easy to create a unique edging that stands out and is durable. 

16. Fake Rough Stone

There are fake stone pieces you can get and fit together to create an eye-catching look at a quarter of the work. You will need to have a flat surface to adhere this fake stone to, but it’s relatively easy to do it using planter boxes. Once you decide your medium, get the pieces of fake stone and fit them together before adhering it onto your flat surface. When it dries, you’re ready to put it up for your walkway edging. The nice thing about this fake stone is that it can survive wear and tear very well without fading away or peeling. Look for pieces that match your decor and create a natural-looking walkway edging. 

17. Railroad Ties 

If you’re going for rustic, try railroad ties. Not only are these larger pieces of wood, but they’ll all be roughly the same length and size to create a nice look. You can add a single railroad tie to create a low walkway edging, or you can stack two high to give it more height to support your plants. They’re also a nice and convenient way to box off your area where you play horseshoes. Many old railroads have railroad ties lying around they’d be happy for you to have. If you can’t find any, consider using slabs of old wood. It should be slightly discolored and weathered to achieve that rustic look you’re after. 

Most railroad ties have notches already drilled through them that you can use to secure stacks of two or more to create a slightly taller wall or barrier. 

18. Wood Panels 

Almost everyone has scrap wood lying around that they’re not going to use, or you can go to your local lumber store and buy a few two by fours without breaking your bank. This simple and whimsical walkway edging idea takes two by fours and cuts them at slightly different lengths. You can stain or paint each piece of wood whatever colors you like and seal them to keep water out. When they dry, stick them into the ground along your walkways or decking to create a low walkway edging fence. It stands out, and it’s easy to make the wood match your style. If you want a weathered look, take sandpaper to it before you seal it. 

19. Nested Flower Pots

Avid gardeners usually have a lot of pots sitting around that they don’t use. You don’t even have to be a huge gardener, you can have a variety of houseplants too, or you can grow things like lettuce and peas in pots. Whatever the reason, you can nest flower pots for walkway edging. What you do is get a lot of the same size and type of pot, lay them on their side, and slip the next pot slightly inside the opening of the first. You can create a chain of these pots going along your flower beds. If you don’t use terracotta pots and you use something like plastic, make sure you fill them with sand or rocks so they don’t blow away. Garden centers, home improvement stores, and Amazon have plenty of options available.

20. Wood Frame

Wooden framed walkway edging is popular with people who have porch gardens because it helps to keep the actual porch space and the garden neatly separate. This is an excellent job for a DIYer who has a few hours and the equipment on the weekend to handle it. All you’ll need is enough wood to create your frame, the tools, and a little imagination. You may want to seal any wood you use to prevent moisture from getting in and causing it to break down or warp. You can also get away with buying wooden flower boxes, flipping them upside down, and using them to box off your garden from your patio. 

21. Landscape Pavers

One of the easiest walkway edging ideas to pull off is to install landscaping pavers. These pavers come in a huge range of colors, lengths, widths, and thicknesses that make them a nice choice for small and large areas. Many of them come designed to fit together, and this is a nice touch if you’re considering building a porch and will have to work around it. They come in large slabs or smaller pieces, and you can lay them down in a single row or build them up over a staggered area. These pavers are generally very durable, and this is what makes them a favorite for walkway edging in large and small yards. 

22. Concrete 

If you want a more permanent solution that will be more labor-intensive in the beginning, it’s possible to pour concrete walkway edging You can create flat divides between your walkway area and the plants or flowers, or you can pour entire walls. Concrete is nice because it’s very durable, but it’s porous. This means you need a dry setting when you first pour it until it hardens. Once it does, it can easily last for years. To add a pop of color, try adding in some ocean glass or colorful pieces to bring out the surrounding flowers’ colors and make your wall pop. 

Concrete allows you to cover a large area in a relatively short amount of time. You can also build up walls and walkways without a problem.

23. Plants

Did you know that you can create a living walkway edging using native grasses and plants? Grasses are great for this project because you get a high level of control over where they grow and spread. They can also get relatively tall, and this is nice if you want to add a little privacy. Another option is to grow Boxwood shrubs. These are the green walls of shrubs that you can prune into specific shapes to create living landscaping edging that can thrive all year-round in the right conditions. Evergreens and native plants are also other viable ideas. 

24. Boardwalk 

One easy way to distinguish between areas you can and can’t walk in your yard is to create a boardwalk using cut lumber. You can make this boardwalk as narrow or wide as you like, and it’ll add a beachy feel to your area. There are so many different colors and styles available that you can easily create an attractive and eye-catching design. If you buy longer boards, it’s easy to cut them two or three times into pieces and put them together. You will want to build a frame to set your boards on so they don’t slide around or move when people walk on them, but this shouldn’t be a huge project. 

25. Trees

If you have the patience to grow maple trees or evergreens, they can make a nice landscape edging that will last for years after you plant it. Once they mature, they can provide a scenic shaded area to relax in during the hot summer months. This approach works best for larger commercial spaces, but you can get small trees like lilacs and put them in your yard to show off your walkway. You want something that isn’t going to take over your whole yard while being big enough to easily highlight your path. 

A tree lined path is a nice way to create a private and serene area in your yard or garden. Smaller trees and bushes are a nice touch because you won’t have to wait so long for them to mature. 

Bottom Line 

These 25 edging ideas give you the chance to spruce up your yard and add focal points of interest that take your yard to the next level. You can try one or try a few and mix and match styles to create something unique. All it takes is a few materials and a day or two to transform your space into an oasis that you can’t wait to show off to your family and friends.