ᐅ Metal lawn edging strips

Hello everyone,

We have set up a large climbing frame and now want to spread wood chips/bark mulch in that area. We plan to use a metal lawn edging strip to separate it from the lawn.

We want to use the same type of edging along our hedge as well.

There is a relatively expensive option at 7€/m (about $) available in 20m (66 feet) lengths, made of aluminum and zinc. Then there is a cheaper option at 4€/m (about $) but only comes in 1.3m (4.3 feet) lengths. It looks nicer to have as few joints as possible, but do these joints actually stand out? After all, the edging is flush with the ground so the robotic mower can operate properly.

We need around 30m (98 feet) for the climbing frame and 35m (115 feet) for the hedge. A few extra meters might be needed for other small areas.

Does anyone have experience with this and can recommend something?

We had some made of steel that you can slot together—around €6 per meter (about $6.50 per yard).
Bought 30 meters (33 yards), installed about 6 meters (7 yards)... it looked so bad that I didn’t bother installing the rest. Now we just have a smooth transition between grass and bark mulch under the hedge—which looks much better.

Bark mulch under the climbing frame? Have you ever walked on it barefoot?

I don't think bark mulch is the best solution either... Either grass or sand. Possibly some rubber mats in certain areas, in case there's concern about the child getting hurt from a fall.

I’m a bit surprised by the strong advice against using bark mulch, as it is commonly found on public playgrounds. It is probably not very comfortable to walk on barefoot. However, gravel isn’t much better since it can get very hot in the summer. Also, we have a few cats in the neighborhood.

When you Google it, there are actually quite a few pictures; I have never seen it in real life. Maybe there is a particularly “gentle” type of mulch produced.

On playgrounds, you often see wood chips used as ground cover.

Best regards,
Sabine