Create a new terrace or modernize an existing one? It’s a good time to start thinking about patio edging ideas.
Whether you like a linear landscape look or a wilder, more rustic feel, there are a variety of materials and styles to choose from to enhance your patio ideas.
From smooth paving stones and symmetrical planting to reclaimed brick, wildflowers and living walls, there is patio edging to match your outdoor style.
Terrace edging ideas
“The edging you choose can dramatically change the style of your garden; from sleek modern finishes to charming rustic options,” says Johanna Elvidge, Director of Design at Marshalls (opens in new tab).
“The patio surround helps keep your garden looking good for longer as it forms a boundary between paved and planted areas. A blocked edge around a lawn is also a great option, it enhances your lawn and acts as a mowing edge when you cut the grass.’
Get inspired by the different ways you can do it.
1. Choose a square style profiled edge
(Image credit: Future/James Tracey)
One of the easiest patio edging ideas is to choose a profiled paver or edging once you’ve laid your patio. Most outdoor flooring brands, such as Bradstone or Marshalls, offer edging to complement paver or porcelain stoneware tiles, giving a sleek, seamless look.
This square style is recommended if you like a sleek landscape look and have flower beds. As it keeps the floor where you want it instead of getting onto the decking area and making it dirty.
“For a modern look and to match a new porcelain patio, with its clean lines and smooth finish, a square style gray edge block is ideal as it gives a similar contemporary feel,” says Lee Dunderdale, Product Manager at Bradstone (opens in new tab).
“As a raised border, it is an ideal way to separate a patio or lawn from the surrounding herb beds and adds a stunning finishing touch to your garden.”
2. Plant ornamental grasses
(Image credit: Future/Claire Lloyd Davis)
Ornamental grasses add texture, height and movement to your garden, making them great for planting around the edges of your patio. Most are low maintenance too, so offer a simple garden idea that offers maximum interest with minimal maintenance.
Make sure you know how tall your ornamental grass can grow before planting if you want a low border. Otherwise this is an elegant addition to the edges of a paved area all year round.
3. Build raised beds with masonry
(Image credit: Future PLC)
When ground level flower beds aren’t practical, raised beds can be a fabulous alternative. Hidden behind a low wall, they can be easier to care for while adding an abundance of flowers and foliage to your patio.
Reclaimed bricks give your raised beds a relaxed, lived-in look. However, choose a tone that resembles the bricks your home was built of so it will blend in easily. Alternatively, if you opt for concrete, you get a modern, streamlined appearance.
“Using garden walls to create raised beds is a great way to delineate your patio and bring biodiversity to your space,” says Johanna Elvidge of Marshalls. “Look for different wall options to suit your space, or for a DIY approach, consider a veneer wall that can be easily attached to older, less attractive walls.”
4. Create contrast with a flat border tile
(Image credit: Bradstone)
Terrace edgings do not have to be raised or even relocated for practical reasons. It can be used decoratively to create an elegant contrast around the edges of decking.
“If you want to use a border between a patio and a lawn without creating a trip hazard or completely cutting off the spaces, a flat border tile provides just that,” says Bradstone’s Lee.
“I would always recommend going for the color that contrasts the most with your paving color to create distinction and definition in the area you are bordering.”
5. Opt for large planters
(Image credit: Future/Darren Cheung)
Huge planters standing majestically at each end of the patio are a stylish way to separate the paved dining area from your lawn ideas.
Repeating colors or tones from the outside of your home on the planters will ensure they match the outdoor space, while the flowers or herbs you select will bring some much-needed greenery to a paved area.
6. Surround your patio with wild flowers
(Image credit: Future/Colin Poole)
Instead of neat borders with symmetrical planting or more concrete or tile, surround your patio with a wildflower bed. Not only does this attract butterflies and other pollinators, but it also adds a relaxed, rustic feel to your outdoor space.
Choose native species like cornflower, chamomile and lavender for a fabulously scented display that spreads a calm vibe, attracts wildlife and softens hard surfaces.
7. Build a living wall
(Image credit: Future PLC / Robert Sanderson)
It’s great to create an outdoor patio area for dining or lounging. However, too much pavement can feel a little soulless due to the loss of greenery and nature. If you’re short on space and have sacrificed some lawn or flower beds, complement your concrete patio ideas by planting upwards with a living wall in a shallow trough.
Plants not only look pretty and offer a multitude of health benefits, but they also absorb and deflect noise. According to living wall specialists ANS Global, a vertical garden can reduce noise levels by up to 10 decibels and improve air quality by processing pollutants from traffic. Ideal for creating a quieter place to sit and relax if you live in a city.
8. Define your beds with bricks
(Image credit: Future PLC / Alisdair Mcintosh)
A single row of cemented bricks around your patio edge is enough to hold soil or bark from plant beds in place.
This type of patio border neatly defines the different areas and is a good budget garden idea. With the right tools, it’s a job you could do yourself in a weekend.
“Edges can be applied by a very enthusiastic do-it-yourselfer with the right tools – cement, a rubber or block mallet, and a suitable cutting tool or angle grinder,” says Bradstone’s Lee.
“However, we would always recommend having this done by a professional installer to ensure the curbs are properly cemented in place and will not move or fall out when the garden is in use or plants are growing around it. When you have a new deck laid out by a landscaper, they do a great job of edging at the same time.”
9. Surround your decking area with clapboards
(Image credit: Bradstone)
Surrounding your patio with a layer of clapboard or pebbles not only looks pretty, but also allows for drainage into the ground below. Properly laid, this will prevent puddles or puddles of water from forming on your beautiful patio paving ideas.
It’s tempting to think this style is for coastal properties, but it suits town and country homes as well. Buy a mix of different sized shingles or pebbles for a natural, uneven look.
10. Opt for a boxwood hedge
(Credit: Alamy)
A box hedge is a more traditional way of edging a patio or garden. Most boxwood hedges are slow-growing species and tolerate heat and drought, so are relatively easy to care for.
However, you will need to prune them once or twice a year if you want them to look tidy. And they need a little water during a dry spell.
What do you put around the edges of a terrace?
There are numerous options depending on the look you want and your budget. Some people like the concrete, brick, or stone edging that you can buy with your pavement or tiles that offer smart definition. However, these must be installed professionally and fixed with cement.
Others prefer wooden or metal edges to separate the planted areas from the paved ones. These are a less formal style and can be fitted by a competent do-it-yourselfer.
Alternatively, planters, ornamental grasses and raised beds can define the terrace and garden zones in a more relaxed way.