Garden edging

A border is an essential element for landscaping your green spaces. It makes it possible to highlight and enhance your plantings such as trees, shrubs and flower beds. It can be installed along a path, a lawn, a terrace or to clearly separate two areas of the garden.

Installing natural stone edging involves several steps:

1. Use stakes and a string line to mark out the exact line of the edging.
2. Dig a trench along the marked layout using a spade.
3. Prepare the bedding mortar by mixing sand, cement and water.
4. Apply the mortar and lay the natural stone edging. Use a trowel to spread a bed of mortar at least 3 cm thick at the bottom of the trench. This mortar will set the edging firmly.
5. After leaving it to dry for 24 hours, carry out the finishing by backfilling the trench with topsoil. Spread the soil along the natural stone edging, level with the ground, and tamp it down.

Regarding the formats available for natural stone edging, the choice is generally limited. The common dimensions are 60/20/6 cm or 100/25/8 cm. At Minéral, we mainly offer edging stones 60 cm and 100 cm long, 20 cm and 25 cm wide, and with a thickness of 6 cm and 8 cm. It is up to you to choose the dimensions according to your preferences and the needs of your project.

Ideally, try to choose a natural stone garden edging using the same material as the one used, for example, on the ground (terrace, pavers, house driveway, pool coping), the stairs or the copings. This will create a pleasant visual harmony. However, you can also play with colours while staying within the same range of natural stone. Let your creativity run free to achieve a unique style that matches your tastes and the overall aesthetic of your garden.

Indeed, there is a wide choice of natural stone palisades, each offering remarkable sturdiness. Among the natural stones commonly used for edgings are: slate, granite, sandstone, limestone, basalt and blue stone.

The slate is appreciated for its smooth texture and dark colour. It brings an elegant and sophisticated look to an edging, in addition to being offered at an excellent value for money (for example: the edgings in Galician black slate) .

The granite is a natural stone extremely strong and resistant. It is available in a wide range of colours, which makes it possible to create fully customised projects by varying the colours while staying within the same material.

The edgings in hard limestone offer a natural and timeless aesthetic to your outdoor space. They are generally available in a fairly light colour palette ranging from beige to grey, which allows them to blend harmoniously into various landscaping styles.

The sandstone is a versatile natural material that offers an interesting natural combination thanks to its variety of colours. The Kandla Dorato is an excellent example in this category. It features a variety of darker tones, ranging from brown to grey and even red.

The basalt and blue stone are also two popular options for natural stone palisades. Basalt is a volcanic rock characterised by its generally dark colour, ranging from dark grey to black. In a flamed finish, it can bring a modern and contemporary look to your landscaping. Its “natural finish” version will give a rawer look, blending perfectly into a natural environment or a wilder garden style.

The blue stone, also known as Belgian stone or Blue Stone (depending on its geographical origin), is a very hard sedimentary rock that stands out for its distinct blue-grey colour. This makes it an interesting choice for anyone wishing to create a contemporary, clean-lined atmosphere within their outdoor environment.

One of the advantages of a natural stone garden border is that it is easy to maintain and clean. Here are some useful tips:

• For routine cleaning, simply use a jet of water to remove accumulated dirt and dust. You can also add a little moss remover to prevent mold from forming.
  
• If you notice that the north side of the border is damp and starting to turn green, you can use specific maintenance products to remove stubborn stains. The Outdoor Cleaner or the product Allex (very good value for money) from the Lithofin range are perfectly suited. These products are available in your Minéral stores, where you can talk to our sales staff for further maintenance advice to preserve the beauty of your natural stone garden borders.

The main difference between a palisade and an edging lies in their respective height. Edgings have a limited height of 20 to 25 cm and are mainly used to delimit or retain small differences in level over a length of 60 to 100 cm. On the other hand, palisades offer a greater variety of formats that make it possible to create stepped descents or to play with heights in order to embellish walls.

Natural stone garden edgings can be installed in different types of soil, whether earth, sand or gravel. They offer a practical and attractive solution to define your spaces and showcase your plantings, whatever the type of soil in your garden.

In addition to their aesthetic appeal, natural stone garden borders offer several advantages:

· They hold back the soil of a raised bed, preventing it from spilling onto the lawn or paths.

· They mark out the areas reserved for planting, whether flowers, vegetables or fruit trees, thus creating a clear separation.

· They prevent the lawn from spreading onto flower beds or vegetable gardens, thus preserving their visual integrity.

Natural stone garden borders are therefore a smart choice for laying out and structuring your outdoor space, while adding an aesthetic touch that will showcase your plants.

Feel free to visit one of our 7 Minéral stores. You can choose from our various formats of natural stone borders available in stock, and our team will be happy to provide you with a detailed quotation including prices and delivery options.