Paving sets as lawn edge / mowing strip?

I've a friend that has a perenial battle with her lawns invading her flower beds (partly becaue lawns are her husband's job, and he only edges them about once a year - but that's another story ). Talking through ideas, we wondered whether paving sets would work as a boundary (she thinks brick would be a bit too formal). Any thoughts? Would it work? If so, what kind of mortar would it need, and how much of it?

thanks

 

I have the same problem Tangle,but mines caused by the soil sliding into the grass,as my garden is sunken by about 12". I could do with some ideas myself.(fingers crossed) 02

 

problem with brick edging is you need to haunch both sides of the bricks with moartar and the soil level is usually lower on the border side meaning you see this moartar strip.

If you go ahead, set them into 2" of 1-4 fine mix concrete, haunch both sides, point with 3-1 sand and cement.

Probably easiset just to use tanalised timber or one of the quality metal edgings available eg Everedge.

 

I was looking into ever edge. Also Smartedge but decided they were too expensive.
After posting a similar topic on this forum, someone advised me to get feather boarding from B&Q.
It cost me £17 which would have cost me over £200 for everedge.
Even if it does for a year or two, it's saved me loads.
It's basically just thin fence strip panels, starting thick and going thinner on the edge. You just treat the wood (I've done mine brown) and hammer the thin edge in the soil with a rubber mallet. Hammer down to just past the lawn edge and this will stop the creep either way.
The only thing is, this will only do straight edges or very minor curves.
Hope this has helped.

 

Tangle a few of my neighbours have done various things just to smarten up their lawn area some have used a wooden surround, others block paving and some have used paving slabs all look nice and it needn't cost you an arm or a leg to get something that you will be happy with. Good luck on whatever you decide to go for.Hel.xxx.

 

I'd been thinking of doing some edging using block paving bricks, set on end. If they are set that way the base of the brick would be deep enough in the soil to be self-supporting, and so would not need any cement. Any thoughts?

 

i have got my grass done with wood and it looks all right and when you come to cut it just go over the top of the wood no harm done good luck :thumb:

 

Beechleaf, if you dont moartar them they will move over time and youll get weeds growing between them.

 

Pro's right there Beechleaf.
I have laid over 400 Blue bricks direct into the soil but I can easily alter the border to suit with out much trouble,and the mowing with a rotary is a doddle now:thumb:

 

You still need to edge the lawn every now and then. We have concrete edging all the way round our beds and I go round about twice a year and cut back where the grass has grown over . Takes a while with nearly two miles of the stuff!

 

Call me Mr Organic, but Ive always found a dose of 6 inches of ROUNDUP soon solves that problem. If you put paving etc down you just have a new edge to manage.
good luck