In a fully grown garden, plants often tend to spill over into the turf area or into each other and can start appearing a little unruly. One solution to give your garden the 'well groomed' look is by adding hardscape elements like pathways and edgers to delineate margins and to create pathways for walking and bringing in machinery.

A pathway can be made of simple gravel and if budget is not a problem then you can go in for more aesthetic materials. There is quite a choice available in the market ranging from granite, reclaimed bricks, gravel, limestone chips, bark and cockle shells. Of the lot gravel and granite are hard materials and the most durable and you can choose from a variety of colors which are available naturally. Unpolished granite slabs used as stepping stones give a rustic and natural look. Limestone can also be used but care needs to be taken regarding its positioning near sensitive plants because of its high pH. They also come in several colors and its hardness varies depending on the type of limestone. Cockle shells and bark are softer material and can break down easily with time. Bricks are an all-time favorite and can be laid out in various patterns. Terracota cobble stones also make quite a statement in the garden and come in various shapes. Interlocking pavers, on the other hand, provide the neat look to the garden.

During construction of pathways it is better to excavate and check for any unstable material below, which may cause the pathway to sink. If it is indeed present, then the material should be replaced with more stable material and compacted before the pathway is layed.

By adding edgers to your garden you instantly incorporate order in the landscape. They also aid in hiding planting errors which may have occurred. Edgers can be used between plant beds and turf so that they do not grow into each other. Bricks are used more commonly and you can use them by stacking them up vertically or by laying them flat. This also makes mowing easy. You can lay them in various shapes and contours from straight lines to scallops to a crescent shape. Decorative cast iron and wrought iron add a touch of class to the garden.

Plants can also be used as edgers as long as its height and space can be controlled. Stachys lanata or lamb's ear is a good edger plant and they can be used to outline and contrast to the surrounding landscape or hardscape. Shorter varieties of Ageratum houstonianum are also excellent as edgers.

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