Grass - gravel border ideas

jeepinator · Oct 24, 2006

I have about 120 feet of grass/gravel bordering to do. We just installed (grew) a new lawn with sprinklers and the whole 9 yards. And a new graveled parking area is adjacent to it, with some pretty loose gravel (and will likely stay loose at is not used much). I'd like something that lives up to the quality of the new lawn, but simple and not terribly expensive. Perhaps 2/3 of the way up the scale. We priced out some concrete border stuff. Top of the line in both appearance and cost!

What have you done?
FWIW, I am not afraid of work. For work I don't work at all, if you know what I mean, so actually working when I am not at work is not really work either

It's more like fun.

Thanks!

Molerj · Oct 27, 2006

This may not go with the rest of your landscaping but I have used railroad ties in the past. They can look neat if you place them so that the top of the tie is even with the surface. Paint them with some used oil.

LBrown59 · Oct 27, 2006

jeepinator said:
I have about 120 feet of grass/gravel bordering to do. We just installed (grew) a new lawn with sprinklers and the whole 9 yards. And a new graveled parking area is adjacent to it, with some pretty loose gravel (and will likely stay loose at is not used much). I'd like something that lives up to the quality of the new lawn, but simple and not terribly expensive. Perhaps 2/3 of the way up the scale. We priced out some concrete border stuff. Top of the line in both appearance and cost!

What have you done?
FWIW, I am not afraid of work. For work I don't work at all, if you know what I mean, so actually working when I am not at work is not really work either
It's more like fun.

Thanks!

Trouble with RR ties post curbing is you have to drive around it > You can't mow across it.
Just let the grass and gravel meet where they do much better than driving around hundreds of feet of RR ties 4x4s or curbing to mow or remove snow.
Tried all thes items for edging ;they'e all a PITB.
Best solution>< Pave not gravel.

jeepinator · Oct 27, 2006

I kinda like the RR tie look. Some people over do it though.
My reason for creating a border at all is that gravel will find its way into my grass, and the grass will invade my gravel. When I bought this place you couldn't tell where one ended and the other began. Only when I tilled did I really learn.
Plus I REALLY don't want anyone driving over my sprinkler heads!
I am kinda going for the estate look, but I don't have an estate budget. Hence why it is not paved. Although that will happen eventually.
If I did use RR ties, I think I'd have them maybe halfway in the ground. Just enough to provide some feedback to people parking there.
...and we don't get snow here much. Not enough to move anyways. If it snows, the place pretty much shuts down.

KubotaSteve · Oct 27, 2006

I went with the railroad tie along the one side of my drive as the stone kept sliding into the yard. I dug down enough to make the ties just above the drive about an inch or so and the yard is right at the top of the ties so I can mow over the side of them. It works great and has saved a lot of stone. It actually looks pretty good but I used almost brand new ties. My drive is a little over 200 feet long and 3 of us did it in an afternoon. The problem I'm going to run into is eventually I want to pave my drive and I'm debating whether to leave the ties there or pull them up.
One other thing you could do but it may be pricey is use composite decking material on its side. It would keep the two separated and wouldn't be that noticeable. The downside is trying to keep it straight as it likes to bend easily.
You may want to try some of that rubberized looking mulch. Not sure of the cost but it looked pretty good in the flyers. That would give the more natural look.
If cost wasn't a factor, I'd go for the nice pavers. They look really nice when done right.

LBrown59 · Oct 28, 2006

The problem I'm going to run into is eventually I want to pave my drive and I'm debating whether to leave the ties there or pull them up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do away with them if you pave.
I had 4x4s along my T shaped driveway.
They were a real pain in the but. You couldn't drive the tractor across them to mow so you had to drive around them and they were nothing but a nuisance when it came to plowing snow.
I finally removed them as they were more bother than the gravel getting into the grass,
One big reason I want to pave is it eliminates both the problem with the gravel in the yard and the fiddling and fussing with the Ties or 4x4s.
Why do expensive paving and eliminate only one of the problems when paving will take care of both problems ? ? ? ?
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lawn_king · Oct 28, 2006

cobble stones are nice, easy to install & they last forever.

tractchores · Dec 30, 2014

It won't last like gravel, but wood chips are a good substitute and if you have a chipper you can make them on the spot. I do this on my trails and they last several years and ultimately become soil raising the trail. Otherwise sounds like you may have a lot of work ahead!

gphil12873 · Feb 12, 2015

I say no on the rail road ties also. I purchased a home with a drive about 200 feet and the previous owner put down RR ties along each side. I liked them at first but after about 6 months of living there I gave them away. Sort of you want them you come and load them. They were gone in two days. I would have to drive out to the end of the drive just to get back into my yard. They would be ok if you didnt have to cross over them. They did work for keeping grass from getting into the road. But i am planning to concrete the drive but havent mustard up the money to do it.

DrRod · Mar 19, 2015

In my part of the country we use slate for driveways. Its abundant and very cheap - like $20 for a truck load [spreading it is another matter]. While it will break down through use, it still lasts 20 years or more. But grass encroaches from the sides and weeks spring up in the middle. I control all this with a semi-annual shot of Round-up. I spray it from an ATV tank and it takes no time at all and is actually sort of fun.

One option I rarely see used is granite blocks. In fact, the only place I can think of that uses these is the Baltimore Zoo. They have cubes about 4 inches square and spaced about 6 inches apart. Grass fills in the gaps and it makes a water permeable, never muddy, low maintenance parking surface. As with anything, I'm sure there are pluses and minues but they've had these for 50 years and it would seem an excellent alternative.