Eco-friendly garden care that doesn’t cost the planet

23 November 2022

The mental and physical benefits of gardening are well documented and are why it became so popular as a lockdown hobby. Sales of seeds, vegetable seedlings and trees are up 50% since the end of the level 4 lockdown. With continued gardening sales growth, a shift has occurred in how people relate their gardens to a sense of health and wellbeing; is there anything more soothing than looking at a green space and being immersed in nature?

But have you thought about the environmental impact of your garden design? A garden requiring a drowning or a host of synthetic chemicals to survive may look picture-perfect, but at what cost?

Here’s some food for thought:

Maintaining gardens produces more greenhouse gases than they absorb.
Gardens stripped of biodiversity have contributed to fading insect populations.
Residential lawns require more irrigation than the same size agricultural spaces yet provide no agricultural value.

How can I make my garden more eco-friendly?

An environmentally friendly garden goes beyond harvesting water, it’s about mindfully creating a garden design that will flourish with minimal human interventions.

1. Find out what soil type the garden has

It’s easy, accurate and inexpensive to test the soil in your garden, but by making this small investment, you remove the guess work from which plants will naturally thrive in your garden. For example, different soil types retain varying amounts of water so you may overwater; or you may add unnecessary fertilisers to a soil that is already rich in nutrients.

2. Choose plants and seeds for your local climate and topography

Plants originating from a similar local climate will thrive in your garden without additional interventions being needed -extra fertilisers, heat, water etc. For example, Auckland is tricky for growing some grass types because of the humidity, whereas Christchurch NZ gardens have near perfect grass seed growing conditions.

Select plants and seeds to suit the planting position. Pay attention to whether plants tolerate shade, are heat resistant if planting in a north facing aspect or drought resistant if planting on a slope you are unlikely to water.

3. Install steel landscape edging

Yes, you read that right. Steel is one of the most sustainable materials you can use for garden edging and is the ideal visual separation between garden zones, adding the finishing touches to an outdoor space. But it also performs eco functions too.

While garden edging maintains the strength and integrity of paved areas, pathways, and patios, it plays a significant role in the prevention of weeds. Landscape grasses, runners and weeds encroach in garden beds, edging creates a barrier - keeping weeds out and mulch in and making weed killer a thing of the past. Steel landscape edging improves drainage by reducing soil compaction and enhancing aeration - crucial for promoting root growth and restricting soil erosion.

EverEdge supplies garden edging products NZ wide. Installation is not only an environmentally conscious decision, but economically strategic too - it’s longevity and durability make it a wise choice. If you would like to discuss how our garden edging can benefit your garden, drop us a line by clicking here or call 021 925 389.

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Man installing edging along a lawn path in a garden.

The gardener’s guide to avoid garden edging mistakes

by Simon Mullinger • 25 August 2025

A well-designed garden isn’t just about the plants you choose; it’s the finishing touches that make all the difference. Garden edging frames your beds, pathways, and lawns, creating a clean, structured look while keeping soil, mulch, and grass exactly where they should be. But despite its time-saving capabilities, small mistakes during planning or installation can leave you with an untidy or high-maintenance garden – exactly what you didn’t sign up for. As a supplier of the best high-quality steel landscape edging products in New Zealand , EverEdge has heard it all – from shallow installs that allow grass to creep back in, to cracked or warped materials that ruin a carefully designed border. To help you get it right the first time, here are the top three garden edging mistakes and how you can avoid them. 1. Choosing the wrong edging material One of the most common mistakes is selecting edging that doesn’t stand the test of time. Plastic and timber edging might look appealing initially, but they deteriorate quickly over time, accelerated by harsh weather. Plastic warps under the sun, while timber is prone to rotting and shifting. Both often require replacement within just a few seasons. Even if you opt for the more expensive concrete garden edging it is vulnerable to ground movement and freeze-thaw cycles. By contrast, metal landscape edging, particularly steel garden edging, offers durability, flexibility, and a clean aesthetic. It can be shaped into sweeping curves or sharp angles without cracking, and it resists corrosion for decades. EverEdge products are designed for professional results and are trusted by landscapers across New Zealand for everything from garden bed edging and metal tree ring edging to driveway edging. Choosing a long-lasting material from the outset saves you time, money, and endless frustration down the line. 2. Installing at the wrong depth Even the best edging material won’t perform if it’s not installed correctly . A frequent error is laying edging too shallow. This allows mulch and soil to spill over and gives grass and weeds the perfect opportunity to creep back into your beds. Too deep, on the other hand, and the edging becomes buried, disappearing from sight and failing to give that crisp separation between lawn and border.