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Tropical gardens have always been admired for their lush foliage, radiant blooms and the taste of the exotic.
However, when it comes to tropical garden design there is much more to consider than simply plant selection. The most successful tropical gardens do not just replicate a jungle environment! Successful tropical gardens can also build suspense, create journeys and provide tranquil resting places. This can be achieved with good design, a defined structure and the correct landscape elements. One crucial element is tropical garden edging! Edgings within tropical gardens can retain surfaces, form transitions and create contrasting borders. In this article I identify 8 edging materials and products which are perfectly suited to tropical garden designs. 1. Flexible metal edgingTropical gardens allow us the opportunity to become transported to a far away land! Creating your own jungle can be the perfect way to nature bathe surrounded by greenery. In such circumstances you may wish to keep man made installations as secretive as possible. This makes flexible metal edging the perfect edging material for such tranquil spaces. Its thin profile and high tensile strength means it can retain any surface while being almost invisible. This metal edging is perfect for a contemporary feel and perfect for forming organic shapes and curves. 
2. Bamboo garden edgingIf there is one building material associated with a tropical environment it is bamboo. If you want to provide an authentic tropical feel to your landscaping bamboo offers a great solution. This natural material is strong and flexible making it perfect for edging planting and pathways. This bamboo edging comes in long, flexible, rolls which can be fixed to accommodate any shape. This edging can also be fixed to existing features and structures to present and softer, tropical, aesthetic. 
3. Dry stone walling
One common association with tropical regions and jungles is stone walls and ruins. Such ideas have become engrained within popular culture with films such as ‘The Jungle Book’. However, most of these perceptions are indeed seated in truth. There are many examples of ancient jungle stone ruins across South America and Tropical Asia. Consequently dry stone walling makes a perfect edging and retaining low wall material for tropical gardens. These can be obtained as natural stone packs, stone walling or dry stone cladding products. 
4. Rendered block
One of the most striking aspects of tropical gardens is the vast array of bold lines and visual textures. This is typically due to the varying types of dense vegetation and foliage jungle planting provides. These dynamic shapes and forms look their best when contrasted against smooth hardscaping materials. This makes rendered block a very effective edging for tropical gardens. The smooth render provides the perfect backdrop for bold vegetation and vibrant flowers. This is particularly so if painted in light and neutral colours. 
5. Natural stone blocks
Natural stone blocks come in a range of different sizes and natural materials. These stone blocks are typically sold as walling products to accompany a specific paving material. This is demonstrated by the Indian sandstone blocks in our image below. These blocks greatly compliment tropical garden landscaping and make great edging. These blocks can be used to edge pathways, borders and create retaining edgings to steps and low walls. 
6. Rocks
Rocks and builders are a natural feature of many tropical environments and jungles. During the rainy season, large volumes of water cascades off mountains and into river basins. These flash flooding events create huge gorges within the tropical landscape full of dislodged rocks and boulders. Consequently positioning rocks and boulders within your tropical garden is always really effective. Rocks are also a great way to implement natural looking edgings into your design. These can be used to retain surfaces or form natural borders to planting and seating areas. 
7. Black slate edgingBlack slate provides an incredibly refined and attractive edging material for tropical gardens. Slate has a smooth and dark surface which forms a dramatic contrast against tropical foliage. Its dark tones are a perfect match for shady jungle floors and humus rich mulches. Black slate paving can be cut into edging strips or blocks and make very effective edgings within tropical gardens. These edgings are great for retaining bark chipping beds and adding borders to lawns and gravels. 
8. Kerb edgings
Kerb edgings are pre-cast concrete kerb stones which are utilised as retaining edgings and edging kerbs. These kerbs are designed to be implemented into driveway, patios and other hard landscaping projects. Coming in a range of different sizes and shapes these kerbs are robust and bulky. This makes them perfect for creating retaining edges to steps, pathways and planting borders. Kerb edgings come in both rustic and modern styles all of which work well within tropical gardens. 
Thank you for reading our article on tropical garden edgings. If you require tropical garden landscaping or edging installation services contact us here.
Based in Amersham we serve Buckinghamshire, neighbouring counties and now also have a Norfolk office. Below I will link to some other articles you may also find relevant to tropical gardens.
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