How to install log roll edging

Video by Wickes. This walk-through is based on the video "How to Install Log Roll Edging | Wickes" from the Wickes YouTube channel, which covers the key steps for getting a professional-looking edge around borders and paths. It is a short, clear video and well worth a watch before you start unrolling anything.

1. Plan the edging line and buy enough material

Before you buy anything, walk the border with a length of hosepipe or string and lay it along the line you want the edging to follow. This gives you an accurate measurement and lets you see how the curve or straight will look before you commit. Log roll typically comes in rolls of 1 m or 1.2 m, so once you have a total length, round up by 10% to allow for corners and cuts.

Log roll comes in different heights — usually 15 cm, 20 cm, or 30 cm. The taller options are better for containing bark or wood chippings on a raised bed edge; the shorter ones suit a simple lawn border nicely. To be fair, most people go for the mid-size and it works fine for general use.

2. Mark out the line clearly

Once you are happy with the route, mark it out properly. Run a string line for straight sections and use canes or pegs pushed into the ground at intervals for curves. The string gives you something to align the edging against as you go and stops it drifting out of line midway through a run.

Check that the line sits where you actually want the edge of the border to be, not just roughly in the right area. It sounds obvious, but it is easy to end up 10 cm off if you have just been eyeballing it. A bit of time marking out properly saves a lot of time repositioning later.

3. Prepare the ground along the line

Use a half-moon edging tool or a spade to cut a clean, shallow trench along the marked line. You are not digging deep — you just need enough of a slot that the pegs at the bottom of the log roll can be pushed into firm ground. Typically that is around 5 to 8 cm.

Clear away any grass, roots, or stones from the trench as you go. In East Kent gardens the soil can be quite clay-heavy in places, which is actually helpful here — the pegs grip better in firm clay than in loose sandy soil. If the ground is particularly hard after a dry spell, a short soak with a watering can the night before makes the job considerably easier.

4. Unroll and position the log roll

Start at one end of the run and unroll the log roll along your trench, pegs facing down into the ground. Do not try to hammer it in as you go at this stage — lay the whole section first so you can see how it sits and adjust the line if needed.

For curves, the logs flex reasonably well, but tighter bends may need a few cuts to the wire between logs to allow more movement. Work gradually around the curve rather than forcing it, or you will get kinks. That said, most standard garden border curves are gentle enough that the roll follows them without any cutting at all.

5. Peg and hammer the edging into place

Once you are happy with the position, use a rubber mallet or a block of wood with a regular hammer to drive the pegs into the ground. Work along the run steadily, pegging every 30 cm or so. Keep checking the top of the edging with a spirit level or simply by eye to make sure it is sitting at a consistent height — any section that dips will collect water and look untidy.

Where two rolls meet, overlap the ends by one log and peg through both to secure the join. This stops the connection pulling apart over winter when the ground moves. Mind you, do not hammer the pegs in at an angle — they need to go in straight so they do not push the roll out of line as they sink.

6. Backfill and finish the edge

Once the edging is pegged in along the full run, push soil back against both sides of the base to lock it in place and close up the trench. Firm it down with your boot. On the lawn side, tamp the turf back neatly so there is no gap between the grass and the edging.

If you are using the edging to retain bark chippings or gravel, add that now and rake it level. Stand back and have a look — it is much easier to adjust the odd high or low section before everything beds in. A well-installed log roll edge can last four or five years with no maintenance at all, and even longer if you treat it with a fence or timber preservative once a year.

When to call a handyman

Call Richard if you have a large garden that needs a full border refit in one go, if the ground is too hard or root-bound to work easily, or if you want the job done alongside other garden tidying work. Sometimes it is just easier to have someone come and get it all done in an afternoon rather than spending a weekend on it piecemeal. Richard covers gardening and garden maintenance across Sandwich and nearby East Kent villages — get in touch for a chat about what needs doing.