Neither Concrete Nor Brick — The Landscape Edging Idea That Adds An Elegant Touch

To maintain a crisp edge along your garden features and keep grass at bay, you need an appropriate and attractive edging solution. The most common landscape edging materials professionals use, including metal, concrete, wood, and plastic, will get the job done, just not always elegantly. Natural stone adds the class that basic materials lack, but if you want to really take your property's curb appeal to new heights, consider bluestone. 

Bluestone is not the cheapest material out there — in fact, it's one of the more expensive, and that's partly because of its limited availability. Pennsylvania, New York, and the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia are the only places in the U.S. where it's mined, and because it's heavy and expensive to transport, suppliers might be hard to find in some areas. For the extra bucks and the time spent shopping for it, however, you get a truly timeless material that offers a unique aesthetic you won't find from typical concrete or brick pavers.

Bluestone is a particularly good-looking and durable edging material that produces clean lines for a contemporary and inviting landscape. Although the composition of Pennsylvania bluestone (a type of sandstone) differs from that of Shenandoah bluestone (a limestone), they both feature a deep blue coloration with occasional streaks of brown, olive green, and gray. The earth tones blend well with garden colors, while the overall bluish hue sets the edging apart from the rest of the landscape and turns it into a stylish, sophisticated accent on its own. 

Bluestone pavers are typically square or rectangular, and they come in two color palettes. Those in a full-range palette tend toward green, brown, and tan, while a true-blue palette includes stones that are primarily blue. A whole range of surface textures can be produced by sandblasting the stones, flaming them, or otherwise distressing them. Barring any such modifications, the two main textures are rough natural cleft, which is produced by splitting the stones to make pavers with a chipped surface, and smooth, produced by sawing and polishing them. Pavers come in several sizes, ranging anywhere from 6-by-6 to 24-by-36 sizes, allowing you make your border as bold as you like.

Being a type of sedimentary rock, bluestone is flaky, which means that, like slate, it forms in layers that can peel away. It's also a fairly porous material that will absorb water and develop stains or promote algae growth. To prevent damage and preserve the attractive color, suppliers often seal bluestone pavers before selling them. If you purchase them unsealed, you need to seal your pavers yourself with a penetrating sealer every few years to help them maintain their appearance.