👋🏼Hi there.
Shannon had replaced the plastic edging around her front flower bed twice in five years (spending close to $150 each time) before she finally decided enough was enough.
She got pressure-treated 2x4s from a neighbor, leftovers from a project. She already had a can of Minwax Dark Walnut oil stain on hand. Now all she needed was a way to put it all together as landscape edging. One Google search later she found 2xEDGE Staples.
After installing 46 feet of stained 2x4 flower bed edging, Shannon's front yard looks like a pricey professional landscaping job.
She had a helper. But I'll let her tell you about that.
You used to have plastic edging around your flower bed. How did you arrive at replacing it with 2x4 lumber and 2xEDGE Staples? Did you consider other flower bed edging options?
I've had plastic edging around my flower bed ever since we moved into this house five years ago. In that time, I've replaced it twice, spending nearly $150 each time at about $50 per box. It always looks great when it's first installed, but because it's made of plastic, it eventually becomes brittle and starts to crack. It's also fairly short, so while it provides a clean look, it doesn't do much to keep the mulch where it belongs.
When the edging started cracking again this year - something that was definitely accelerated by delivery drivers repeatedly stepping on the corner near my porch - I decided I wasn't going to replace it a third time. As a single mom, spending another $150 on flower bed edging just doesn't make sense. My plan was to leave the bed without any edging at all, but after removing the old pieces, the whole area looked really unfinished and frumpy.
Around that time, my neighbor offered me several leftover 2x4s that had been sitting in his garage. I had mentioned wanting to build a bike rack, and since I only needed one board for that project, I ended up with several extras. I remembered him telling me they were pressure-treated and suitable for outdoor use, and that's when I got the idea to use them as flower bed edging.
I cut the boards to size and dry-fitted them around the bed. The result looked surprisingly good, but I quickly ran into a problem: I had no clean way to connect the boards end-to-end without using metal plates and screws, which I wanted to avoid. Convinced I had come up with a unique idea, I headed to Google to figure out my options. The very first search result was for 2xEDGE Staples. As soon as I saw them, I literally said out loud, "That's genius!"
I love that you used stained lumber. It ties everything together with your shutters and planters. What made you decide to use stain? Walk us through the staining process. What type of stain did you use and any tips for someone who wants to stain a 2x4 for outdoor use?
When I got the 2x4s, several of them had red clay stains from my neighbor's previous project. To give them a more uniform look, I decided to use some leftover stain I had from another project to darken them a bit. I'm definitely not a woodworking expert, so my staining process was pretty simple: I grabbed my half-empty can of Minwax Wood Finish Penetrating Stain in Dark Walnut and started brushing it on with a foam brush.
I didn't do any real prep work other than wiping off the dirt and debris that had accumulated while the boards were sitting on the ground. To be honest, I have no idea if the lack of prep hurt the final result or not. The boards probably would have looked even better if I had sanded them and applied a protective topcoat, but I'm happy with how they turned out after two coats of stain. I did let the first coat dry before applying the second, but because it's a penetrating stain, it dried quickly and soaked into the wood really well.
I don't have many staining tips to offer, but I can confidently recommend wearing gloves. Stain is messy, and this one in particular seemed to get everywhere. The dark walnut color was also very forgiving and easy to apply. If you're using a lighter stain, you may need to spend a little more time preparing the wood and applying it carefully to avoid highlighting imperfections.
One thing I learned from my neighbor is that oil-based stain tends to perform better on outdoor projects than water-based stain. There are certainly water-based products designed for exterior use, but according to him, oil-based stains penetrate deeper into the wood and provide longer-lasting protection from the elements. Whether that's completely true or not, it sounded reasonable to me, and since I already had the stain on hand, it was an easy choice for this project.
Was there anything about installing 2xEDGE Staples that surprised you? Installing flower bed edging next to a sidewalk can be tricky. Did you run into any challenges, or did it go smoothly?
Installing these staples was absolutely wild. I'm honestly amazed by how easy they were to use and how much they improved the overall look of the front of my house. The finished edging looks clean, professional, and far more polished than I expected.
Following instructions, I used a screwdriver to probe the soil along the edge of the sidewalk before installing the staples. This step was suggested to make sure no excess concrete had spilled over beneath the surface during the sidewalk installation. Thankfully, I didn't hit any concrete, so I was good to go.
As luck would have it, South Carolina had been drenched with rain for five straight days before I started this project. The ground was so soft that I didn't even need a mallet to install most of the staples. I was able to press them into the soil with the palm of my hand, which made the entire process incredibly quick and easy.
There is one thing I should mention, though. As my daddy likes to say, I'm "very particular." I wanted every board to sit at exactly the same height, so I spent a little extra time leveling the soil along the edge of the sidewalk with some topsoil before installing the staples. This may not be as important if you're creating edging around a tree or garden bed, but because my boards ran alongside a straight concrete sidewalk, even small height differences were noticeable. When a board sat too high or too low, one side of the staple would stick up instead of resting flush against the wood, and that drove me crazy.
Other than that small detail, installation was incredibly simple. Once everything was leveled and lined up, I had all of the staples installed in about ten minutes. The result was exactly what I had hoped for - and I think it looks gorgeous!
You had a helper on this project! Tell me about working with your son. What did he do, and how does he feel about the new flower bed? Does he get a say in what gets planted?
I had a little helper on this project because my son loves picking flowers for me - although, if I'm being completely honest, many of those flowers tend to come from other people's yards. In fact, his enthusiastic "flower collecting" was the original inspiration for this project. I decided that if we created our own flower bed, he could pick flowers from our yard instead.
To get started, we planted four geraniums and plan to add more flowers over time as our budget allows. Originally, I considered removing the existing bushes, but once everything came together, I changed my mind. The bright green foliage looks beautiful against the dark mulch and stained wood edging, creating a nice contrast that really makes the flower bed stand out.
One of my favorite parts of this project was getting to work on it with my son. He always wants to help with whatever I'm doing, and it made the experience even more enjoyable. While I was focused on measuring, staining, and lining everything up just right, his favorite part was much simpler - helping push a few of the staples into the ground. Seeing how excited he was to be part of the project made all the extra effort worthwhile.
On a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being "great!", how many stars would you give 2xEDGE Staples?
★★★★★
If I could give these staples 10 stars, I absolutely would. This is one of the smartest and most practical DIY products I've come across in years. The concept is so simple that it makes you wonder why nobody thought of it sooner.
Most homeowners have a few leftover 2x4s sitting in a garage, shed, or corner of the yard taking up space. And most of us probably have at least one area around our home that could use a little improvement. These staples turn those extra boards into a clean, attractive edging solution with almost no effort.
This was easily one of the simplest outdoor projects I've ever completed, but it also delivered one of the biggest visual transformations. The finished flower bed looks polished, intentional, and far more expensive than it actually was. Best of all, I was able to repurpose materials I already had instead of spending another $150 on plastic edging that would eventually crack and need replacing.
Now that I've seen how easy the installation process is and how great the results look, I'm completely sold. In fact, I already have two more areas around my yard that I'm planning to edge the exact same way. It's rare to find a project that is affordable, simple, and genuinely effective, but this one checks every box.
What would you say to folks considering 2xEDGE and wood flower bed edging as a plastic edging alternative?
This is an excellent solution for flower bed edging because it strikes the perfect balance between simplicity and appearance. The finished result looks clean, polished, and intentional, yet the installation process is incredibly straightforward. You don't need specialized tools, advanced DIY skills, or a lot of time to achieve a professional-looking outcome.
The staples themselves are exceptionally well-made. They are sturdy, durable, and designed to fit perfectly over the edge of a standard 2x4, creating a secure connection while maintaining a neat, finished appearance. I was impressed not only by how easy they were to install, but also by how effectively they transformed the look of my flower bed.
For anyone looking for an affordable, attractive, and long-lasting alternative to traditional plastic edging, this is a solution I would highly recommend.
How Shannon did it, in her words
- I pulled up all the weeds from the flower bed area and moved the old mulch back.
- My son cleaned the flower pots.
- I leveled the edge of the ground with topsoil to even out the surface for the boards.
- I did a dry-fit on the boards to make sure everything was lined up correctly.
- I set all the staples on the edges of the seams to make sure I liked the placement.
- My son and I hammered them in with a rubber mallet.
- We planted some geraniums in the pots and added some new mulch.
- I stood back and admired just how gorgeous, easy, and practical these staples are! Seriously – I love it to pieces
Thank you, Shannon and kiddo, for giving 2xEDGE Staples a try.
There's something especially satisfying about a project that solves a real problem, looks great, and doubles as quality time with your child who just wants to help. I agree: the stained 2x4 flower bed edging looks gorgeous.
If Shannon's project has you thinking about replacing your own plastic edging with pressure-treated 2x4 lumber, the good news is you don't need much to get started - a few boards, a can of stain (optional), and a handful of 2xEDGE Staples. Use our edging calculator to figure out exactly how many staples you need.
What to Read Next If You're Considering Wood Garden Edging
Stained Wood Garden Edging: A 2x4 Installation Start to Finish
Is Wood Garden Edging Worth It? (When It Is - and When It Isn't)
Choosing the Right Wood for Garden Edging: What Actually Lasts
2x Lumber Garden Edging: What Holds It in Place (and What Doesn't)
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