Best edging for drainage

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​Garden edging not only serves as a structural element, it can also have a dramatic impact for drainage.

Landscape edging plays an important role in defining levels and directing surface water run-off. Edging needs to create visual connectivity with the surrounding garden and serve other functions simultaneously. 

Therefore, the importance of edgings functional and aesthetic attributes cannot be underestimated.

​In this article I will summarise how edgings affect drainage and the best garden edging solutions for drainage. 

​What is the best garden edging for drainage?

The best garden edging for drainage will set levels to slight falls directing surface water to drainage features.

Edging can frame a landscapes surface at a 'flush level' avoiding bellies and troughs avoiding the accumulation of standing water. Garden edgings can also help to collect and divert water away utilising channel drains and gravel traps.

​Utilising intelligent design, garden edging and drainage installations can be combined to realise bespoke drainage solutions. 
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​How to improve drainage with edging

The best way to improve your landscapes drainage with edgings is by 'setting levels'. Very often gardens experience drainage problems and boggy areas due to level sumps.

This is where surface water runs into low spots and saturates the soil. Such low areas can be very difficult to identify with the naked eye as levels can be subtle.

However, with a tight string line, wooden pegs and a long spirit level these can easily be identified.

Edging should be installed to a new, 'flush level' with slight falls to the lowest garden boundary. Then topsoil, lawns and other surfaces can be landscaped flush with the new edgings.

​The result will be a landscape which drains water away easily with no flooding. 
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​Raised edgings to improve garden drainage

​If you have a low lying garden which congregates water it is inevitable you will have poor drainage. One of the best ways to solve this is by raising your gardens level up slightly.

This does not have to be a large amount; a couple of inches can make a big difference! You will need to install raised, retaining edgings to your garden perimeter.

These edgings can gently slope to your lowest boundary maximising drainage. Raised edgings should be robust to retain soil and ideally be made of masonry materials.

​Materials such as landscape bricks, blocks and concrete edgings are best for such raised edgings. 
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​Gravel strips for garden drainage 

​​If you want edging to drain water away from lawns and other surfaces consider gravel strips.

These linear strips of gravel collect surface water and channel it away to a drainage feature. An effective way to install such a feature is by installing a parallel line of concrete pc edgings.

These can be hunched into position with concrete and filled with free draining gravel. It is best to lay perforated pipe under the gravel to enable water to drain quickly.

​Why not visit our article on how to install a gravel strip for drainage here. 
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​Double row edging with a drainage trap

If you have considerable amounts of surface water during heavy rainfall you can incorporate extra drainage within edging.

The most effective way to do this is by sandwiching channel drains between two edgings. The edgings must be level with the surrounding ground in order to collect water.

A typical drainage chamber with a metal grill can be laid between two rows of brick edging like in the image below. For less visual impact a slot drain can be installed underneath the edgings.

​The drainage slot can run the length of the edging collecting any surface water that travels over them. This principle of a double row of edging can also work well with an inbuilt gravel strip. 
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​Weep holes under garden edging

A great way to integrate drainage into landscape edging is by installing weep holes. This is only possible if edging is raised or retains an amount of ground.

The installation is the same concept as weep holes for raised beds and retaining walls.

Sections of 30mm PVC ground pipe can be based under edgings every metre. These will help to drain the ground on the higher level if it becomes too saturated.

It’s best to cap the buried end with wire mesh and filtration fabric so they don’t become clogged.
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