I’ve been putting Straightcurve steel edging to put to the test in my vegetable garden.
My vegetable garden used to be tended allotment-style, just one long expanse of soil with a path down the middle. It proved too big to manage sensibly and impossible to keep weed-free so some years ago it was redesigned by a designer friend into a series of shaped raised beds.
These beds were edged with wood and looked wonderful until time and weather took their toll and the wood began to disintegrate.
I’d been looking around for an alternative that would prove more resilient and came across Straightcurve, a system of steel edging that is designed to be easy for the amateur gardener to install without the need to employ a landscaper or builder. (I was given some Straightcurve free of charge in return for a fair review.)
It looked to be just the thing for my rather sad looking vegetable garden and the firm gave me enough edging to test it out on two of the beds.
The edging comes in a mix of pieces for straight sides (Rigid or Zero-Flex) and those that have ‘notches’ to enable them to edge a curve (Flex).
The pieces are designed to be slotted together, making a strong join without the need to drill or weld.
Because we wanted a continuous piece around corners, we created a right-angle – easily done with a piece of wood and careful measuring.
The result was a secure ‘corner’ that isn’t going anywhere in a hurry and looks very neat.
All the Straightcurve pieces are held in place with ‘pins’ that slot in under the top edge – no need for concrete or anything complicated.
The product is designed to weather and get a rusty patina. This started to happen very quickly – probably due to all the rain we’ve had recently. The Straightcurve range also comes in a range of heights so that it’s suitable for raised beds, edging steps or making planters.
Because we were edging up to paving slabs that have an uneven edge, there is a little gap between the paving and the Straightcurve edging. This is going to be infilled with the grout that was used in the paving. If you were edging a lawn or against an even edge, this wouldn’t be a problem.
So was it easy to fit? Yes, although you do need a bit of DIY skill and a few tools – a spirit level, metal cutter and mallet. Our beds were more difficult that the average due to the complex shape and the fact it all had to join up in a continuous edge. Using the product to edge a lawn or a simple rectangle would be far simpler.
The beds have been completely transformed just in time for this year’s crops. Now, I just need to do the other beds, which are looking even worse in comparison.
You can find out more information about Straightcurve on their website.
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Interesting. I have been looking at alternatives to my wooden raised beds which have also begun to rot and also an edge to my lawn. Everedge was the only one I have looked at so I shall compare that with Straightcurve.
We found it really easy to use.