Natural and Decorative ~ Fresh Design Blog

When it comes to garden pond edging ideas, there are various materials you can use to enhance the edge of your pond and make it attractive to look at, finished off nicely and appropriate for wildlife. Whether you’ve just installed a new pond in your garden, or want to improve the finish of an existing pond, here are our top tips for garden pond edging ideas.

Garden pond edging stones

Stones and rocks are an ideal material to use for garden pond edging. Pebbles look natural placed around the edge of the pond and are often an easily accessible and affordable garden building material to purchase. In addition, placing stones around the edge of your garden pond can help enhance the shape of your pond and hide any signs of the lining material or pond base, whilst ensuring it’s kept securely in place. 

Stones and rocks are available in a variety of shapes and colours, from greys and browns, to beige and whites, so you can choose the best colours to suit your environment. For a natural looking pond, mix the size of pebbles you use, including some large, medium and small. By using smaller pebbles around the edge, you can create a gentle slope, which could allow wildlife to get in and out of your pond. Any spaces between pebbles can be filled with plants to soften the look. 

To create height or perhaps add a small waterfall into your pond, flat stones can be stacked together vertically.

For a more contemporary design, you may want to use pebbles that are all the same size, rather than a mix and match approach. Whatever stones you choose, try and opt for smooth finishes, as stones with rough or sharp edges could tear your pond liner. 

Paving tile garden pond edges

Paving tiles are useful to use to edge your garden pond if you’re looking for a low maintenance option. They’re most commonly laid horizontally, but for a more unique look you can create a decorative pond edge using vertically positioned paving tiles. 

Brick edging for garden ponds

Like stone, brick works well for garden pond edging too. Bricks can be laid the entire way around a pond, or on one part of the edge to create a feature area. A brick pond edge can be useful if you’re looking to create a raised pond or incorporate raised seating areas around a garden pond. Plus, bricks are easily obtainable and affordable, and can be recycled from other garden projects. 

Wooden garden pond edging

Wooden logs are another option for edging a garden pond. They can be positioned horizontally or vertically around the edge of a pond to create a rustic style garden pond edge. They’re not always so easy to use if you have a curved or round pond, but you can be creative with how you position them. Wooden decking is also a popular choice around the edge of a pond, particularly where you’re creating a walkway. 

If you live near the coast, you could even try searching for pieces of driftwood to use to create a unique pond edge. 

Trailing plants for pond edging

Trailing plants can also work well as a garden pond edging idea. They add a splash of colour to the edge of a pond and shade for pond life, plus they help soften the edges of your pond. 

Trailing plants can either be planted directly around the edge of a pond, or planted in pots and arranged around the edge of a pond. Good trailing plant options include lobelia, creeping zinnia, marsh marigold, and creeping Jenny. 

Bog plants for edging a pond

Plants can be incorporated into any of the other edging methods suggested, or used in their own right for a more natural wildlife garden pond. Bog plants are ideally suited to use around a pond as they thrive in damp conditions – just take care to plant them so they’re on the edge of the pond, not in it. 

Plants such as irises will provide a glorious pop of colour when they’re in flower, but also offer leafy shade for small animals and pond life. Other good bog plants to consider include watercress, canna lilies, heuchera, hostas, ferns and alchemilla mollis. 

Concrete garden pond edging ideas

Concrete can effectively be used as garden pond edging and can create a neat and sleek finish for formal garden ponds or contemporary designs. It’s not the most cost-effective choice, as it can be quite pricey, and neither is it the most natural, but the result is a long-lasting, flat pond edging that can look striking against a green grass backdrop. Plant pots and other decorative items can easily be placed onto concrete pond edges.  

Grass edging for a pond

If your pond is situated in a part of your garden surrounded by lawn, you could just leave it with grass around the edge. This is a simple option if you don’t want to use other edging materials, but could prove slightly tricky when mowing your lawn! Grass surrounding a stone edge can provide a good contrasting colour and help a formal pond stand out. 

If you’re just having a grass edge around your pond, you can help distinguish the pond from the rest of your lawn by leaving the grass long in the area immediately surrounding the pond. It will look more natural and be wildlife friendly. 

Hopefully this has given you some ideas of how to edge your pond. Have fun, be creative and enjoy making a decorative pond or wildlife haven in your garden.

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