I’m looking for ideas for DIY edging to make a gravel driveway look pretty. Currently, there is no nice, crisp line between the driveway and the grass, rocks are just spilling over everywhere and it makes the whole thing just look messy! I’m wanting to install some type of rock border or even just plastic/metal edging, but the easier the project the better. Would prefer to use something that won’t require machine rental or hiring out - a nice, easy DIY project would be super 
Thanks!
I am going to do a cement/block edging. I saw it done with dry cement & that looks pretty promising. I don’t have time now, but will try to find the Youtube video to share later.
[QUOTE=TrotTrotPumpkn;8565523]
I am going to do a cement/block edging. I saw it done with dry cement & that looks pretty promising. I don’t have time now, but will try to find the Youtube video to share later.[/QUOTE]
I’d love to see that, when you get a chance to find it! I feel like we are in the middle of all of the same farm projects, too bad we don’t live closer to share contacts :lol:!
https://youtu.be/BlucSy6dmSM?list=FLhJh7wvKAvfYHvmBbnjeFEQ
It says the full instructions are on their website. I haven’t had a chance to look. I probably won’t get to this project until next year, so if you do something please share how it goes!
I feel like my life is one big farm project.
We’ve got the same issue, but add in that what is and is not driveway aspect. We have a clear drive from the street to the garage, and a similar drive from the street to the shop (separate gate, 150 feet from the house), and then a bit that connects them, sort of. Oh, and areas we drive around the shop that don’t grow anything, but also aren’t gravelled.
While it isn’t as tidy as what I think you’re after, we helped delineate what would be the center of our makeshift circular driveway with log planters. Cut up 6-8’ sections of log, carved out the middle to make it a planter, and spaced them along. It helps visually, though doesn’t solve making the grass and gravel end at a particular spot.
Be aware of the need to drain the driveway. Don’t dam the water with your edging. If you capture the water on your gravel, it’ll sink into the dirt. Then you’ll be fighting pot holes and mud.
All of our drives are edged with reclaimed railroad ties, but those may not be available (legally) in your area. And we have a lot of driveways - over 150 RR ties in all. They are drilled and anchored with re-rod. In places, we have them stacked two high as retaining walls.
For the most part, the drives are lower than the lawn. We have a couple of places we get pooling, but we also have several dry wells and drainpipes in the lower areas of the lawn to help route the water and reduce pooling. There is one area, when we get heavy rains, that fills right up to the top, but we have stabilization mat under everything so we never get mud.
We have a few places where we have reclaimed road brick paver walkways and patios. Those are subject to heaving in the cold weather so if you use blocks, your base and installation will be critical.
I also really like the look and concept of the tall metal edging but we have not used any yet. In that case I would think you would need to take into consideration the differences in grade between your lawn and the drive as it applies to lawn mowing. You wouldn’t want to hit that metal edging repeatedly with a mower blade.
I am not going to edge the whole drive. That would get a bit long! Just to kind of delineate the house. I have a pin I will try to find. Picture it with the edging I showed above.
The rainwater is a good point. Mine all drains straight down the drive and the lawn (it is a bit steep at the top).
I will need to flag it so the snow guy doesn’t drive over it and ruin my edging!! He went on the lawn once this winter and made a huge rut. But that’s the first time that happened.
Except I’m going to go down a bit further than above with hostas. http://pin.it/YNAhf03
I think once the edging is in, it would be a good time to get some fresh gravel spread.
Trottrot - Those pavers would look awesome as edging! I’ll have to see if I can bribe my handy mom into tackling that with me, I’m a little intimidated, not gonna lie ;)!
Normandy - We have a similar situation going on…we have a gravel driveway that goes from the house to the barn, but the pad around the barn is half gravel, half dirt/mud. Can’t wait to put in some edging to contain the rock so I can throw down some grass seed! I LOVE the ideas of hollowed out logs as planters, how pretty! Where did you find the logs you used? I wonder if RR ties would work too?
Hoss Good point, thank you! Whatever I go with, I’ll be sure water can either drain under or through the edging!
SmartAlex I watched a video on youtube of RR tie edging and it looked really nice. I have no idea if I can get them in my area or not, I’ll have to do some research! Did you dig out a trench to lay them in or just lay them right on the ground then anchor them?
We get a truck load of logs so we can buck and split our own firewood. We used trees that were roughly 14-16" diameter. I thought I had a pic of them all finished, set up, and grown in, but can’t seem to find it…
[QUOTE=SugarCubes;8567630]
SmartAlex I watched a video on youtube of RR tie edging and it looked really nice. I have no idea if I can get them in my area or not, I’ll have to do some research! Did you dig out a trench to lay them in or just lay them right on the ground then anchor them?[/QUOTE]
We dig out a trench and bury them by about 3/4 depending on the area. You’ll want to get down to a more solid base and fix any grade fluctuations. You don’t want your tie sticking up more than the mowed height of your lawn.
RR ties are not legally sold in our area because of the creosote, but there are still sources behind high fences if you start asking around. It’s like a RR tie black market.
I realize that this is not the kind of edge you’re describing, but what I do to with our gravel drive is go around it with my pump-up sprayer of Round-Up and walk along the edges (inner and outer). I hold the wand down quite low (so there is no overspray); the trick is to walk slowly and evenly, with the wand very steady.
It makes for a pretty clean delineation between the grass and the gravel, although I wouldn’t call it crisp, exactly. Here, drainage off the driveway is very important, so I am satisfied with this.
I do the same thing around our gravel barn pad.
Here is a progression of installing RR Ties in our back drive. This drive already had a “crusher run” base and had been driven on. DH cut in the edges, set the ties, put down stabilization mat and finished with #1 washed gravel. You can see in one area he added top soil to the lawn side to level it off at the tie height, planted grass and spread straw. Also along that area, where the rained usually washed through, he put a dry well just inside the ties and ran the drain out to the road ditch.
We have about 1200ft. driveway through woods. When I bought the farm the prior owner had used downed timber mostly large pines cut into manageable length along the drive where there might be run-off issue. I thought it unattractive but after heavy rains,ice and snow I was very glad we left them there. Ten yrs later they have now turned back to dirt and i will again replace it with the newly fallen pines once i find a pretty young man to do the work…
[QUOTE=Jarpur;8569250]
I realize that this is not the kind of edge you’re describing, but what I do to with our gravel drive is go around it with my pump-up sprayer of Round-Up and walk along the edges (inner and outer). I hold the wand down quite low (so there is no overspray); the trick is to walk slowly and evenly, with the wand very steady.
It makes for a pretty clean delineation between the grass and the gravel, although I wouldn’t call it crisp, exactly. Here, drainage off the driveway is very important, so I am satisfied with this.
I do the same thing around our gravel barn pad.[/QUOTE]
It is not the kind of edge I am describing, but it sure does sound a LOT faster and easier :lol:! I may give this a try before doing anything else!
[QUOTE=SmartAlex;8569375]
Here is a progression of installing RR Ties in our back drive. This drive already had a “crusher run” base and had been driven on. DH cut in the edges, set the ties, put down stabilization mat and finished with #1 washed gravel. You can see in one area he added top soil to the lawn side to level it off at the tie height, planted grass and spread straw. Also along that area, where the rained usually washed through, he put a dry well just inside the ties and ran the drain out to the road ditch.
http://smartalexphotos.blogspot.com/2016/03/driveway.html[/QUOTE]
He did a fantastic job, that looks great!
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
