Growing conditions significantly impact the choice of edging plants.
Hostas come with variegated leaves and in different shades, like blue-ish-tingedhalcyon hosta.
Showcase these shade lovers under tree-covered areas.
David Beaulieu
They prefer growing near a water source like a woodland lake, pond, or stream.
Consider using ferns if you have a shady, wooded pathway near a water feature.
They reliably withstand summer heat when given ample water and partial shade.
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Flowers span the gamut, including white, red, pink, orange, purple, and yellow.
Consider using this plant as edging along a tree-covered path.
Virginia Bluebells
Virginia bluebellsare ephemeral plants with blue, tiny, trumpet-looking flowers.
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They grow best under the shade of a tree, getting about two feet tall and wide.
The plant has rounded, smooth leaves, tinged gray-green to blue-green.
They bloom in spring and summer.
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Plant many varieties for a range of colors from yellow to red.
It requires full sun to form a nice, purple-hued and fragrant hedge for garden edging.
As a groundcover, they don’t spread fast outside bounds, so they’re ideal for small gardens.
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It thrives in full sun and hot summers.
Marigold
Marigoldsareflowering annualsthat provide bold, in-your-face color from spring to the first frost.
They handle heat and sun like champs; the sunnier, the better, for more blooms.
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It’s also salt tolerant.
It bears insignificant floral spikes, but it’s best favored for foliage.
This plant prefers partial sun but can grow in shade or full sun.
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It’s forgiving regarding soil quality and can withstand soil with a salty mix.
It tolerates sandy, salty terrain and, despite its name, is not tolerant of frost.
It’s hardy down to USDA zone 6.
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Dianthus has a pleasant, clove-like fragrance that attracts butterflies and pollinators.
It has a mounding shape and long bloom time, although it fades during the high heat of summer.
This plant prefers slightly alkaline soil up to pH 8.0.
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Thyme
Thymeis an ornamental and culinary herb with small, pretty purple flowers.
It comes in many varieties, includingcreeping thyme, commonly a groundcover.
It’s fragrant and often used to line steps or between pavers on patios or terraces.
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When crushed, the flowers and leaves have a fresh herbal scent.
Plant this deer-resistant groundcover in full sun to partial shade.
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Boxwood
Boxwoodis a classic choice for hedges and privacy screens.
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It is often found outlining garden beds, lining walks and driveways, and marking property lines.
Both plants grow as a creeping mat, spreading across the border’s edge or trailing down walls.
Aubrieta is rarely bothered by insect pests and is considered deer-resistant.
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These plants require shade protection, at least from the harsh afternoon sun.
They prefer a slightly acidic pH and moist soil amended with leaf or pine bark compost.
It’s often mistaken for mondo grass.
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It works beautifully as an edging plant, preferring acidic soil from pH 6.0 to 7.0.
These eye-catching plants make for a beautiful standout border.
Flower options also range from pink, blue, purple, and white.
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Things to consider include:
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The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
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The Spruce / Jayme Burrows
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
The Spruce / Letícia Almeida
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Pink begonias and blue petuniasBasieB / Getty Images
Boxwood, Begonia, Alyssum and Dusty MillerMedioimages/Photodisc / Getty Images
