Owning a home that's been previously lived in has its financial benefits, but that doesn't mean everything is an HGTV dream. Recently, a Redditor posting in the r/Landscaping subreddit found that out the hard way while trying to figure out what was wrong with the previously installed edging restraint.
Two pictures from the original poster show the edging restraint material popping up out of the soil. The idea was to constrain the paver stones and keep them from spreading apart over time.
Unfortunately, maintaining these restraints requires either periodically hammering them back down or just removing them entirely, with the latter being the best alternative, considering the environmental impact.
"Just take it out…. it's not doing anything anyway," one Redditor responded.
The restraint in question is plastic edging, which is usually manufactured with polyvinyl chloride and degrades slowly over time. In other words, more microplastics, which are the last thing anyone needs entering their soil.
These plastics, such as the edging material in the OP's post, facilitate environmental degradation, health risks in humans and animals, ecosystem damage, and additional waste and economic costs.
Bamboo, natural stone, brick, or living edging are all better alternatives by far. Plus, going with a natural lawn alternative that includes low-growing native plants is a great way to save money while promoting the environment.
Natural lawns are growing in popularity. They not only offer a native, prettier option than plastic edging, but living edging is cost-effective, enhances biodiversity, and conserves resources, such as water.
It also creates a healthy ecosystem for pollinators, which is much-needed in the U.S. While the plastic edging can be barely functional because of harsh weather, native plants are used to the local environment, handling changes better.
"But if you live in a climate that experiences freeze/thaw cycles, it's only a matter of time before it pushes up," one person explained.
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Making it look better 🌱 Another Redditor offered a separate alternative that beats using plastic. "They tried doing a gravel border. Metal edging is the right move here if you want a gravel border," wrote another user.
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