Raising the stakes: sunken vs. raised beds in garden design

25 September 2024

When it comes to planning your dream garden and landscaping, an important decision you'll need to make is choosing between sunken beds and raised beds. Both methods have unique benefits that cater to different gardening styles, climate conditions, and personal preferences. But how do you decide which method is right for your outdoor space?

Sunken beds: rooted in tradition

Sunken beds, as the name suggests, are garden beds created by digging into the ground, integrating the native soil. Sunken beds provide natural temperature regulation as the earth insulates plant roots from extreme heat and cold while the lowered profile provides protection from strong winds. This method is also ideal for areas prone to drought because it helps retain moisture by directing water into the soil instead of allowing it to run off. However, while this gardening method is particularly effective in dry climates or regions where water conservation is an issue, one challenge with sunken beds is the potential for soil erosion or waterlogging in rainy climates.

To maintain the clean, defined lines of a sunken bed, adding steel landscape edging or Corten steel edging protects the integrity of the sunken bed and prevents soil from spilling onto your pathways but also adds a modern, durable aesthetic to your garden. For a sleek, long-lasting solution, EverEdge offers premium garden edging products in NZ, including metal landscape edging and steel tree ring edging, which keeps the sunken garden beds neatly contained, making maintenance easier and more efficient.

A lush green lawn with purple flowers in the foreground and a metal edging in the background.

Raised beds: taking your garden to new heights

Raised beds involve creating a contained garden bed that sits above the natural ground level, often framed with materials like wood, stone, or metal garden edging. Raised beds are incredibly popular due to their ease of access, especially for those with mobility issues or compact small garden spaces.

Raised beds are great for regions with poor soil quality, as you have full control over the soil mix and drainage. They also warm up faster in the spring, giving gardeners a head start on planting. However, it must be noted that when the weather gets hotter climates, raised beds can dry out quickly, and require more frequent watering.

EverEdge’s landscape edging is the ideal choice for framing raised beds. Whether you choose Corten steel edging for its natural, earthy charm and rust-like patina, or the brown or black metal landscape edging for aesthetic uniformity, the steel edging is stunning yet incredibly strong and resilient with next to no maintenance required. Additionally, using metal landscape edging in raised beds prevents soil compaction and weed spread which is another welcome benefit for gardeners.

Choosing the perfect bed for your garden

As with all things garden related, every decision should be guided by your local climate, soil type, topography of the garden, and your personal garden goals. Whichever method you prefer, EverEdge’s range of steel garden edging products options optimise soil health and help gardens thrive, providing function and form. If you are starting your beds from scratch or upgrading your current landscape edging and have questions about how to use steel edging in your project, contact EverEdge NZ today, click 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.