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Boxwood

One of the most elegant evergreen edging plants is boxwood. Choose dwarf varieties such as 'Morris Midget' and 'Wee Willie' to create a tidy hedge along the borders of your garden beds. Shear your boxwood annually to maintain its shape and size. Boxwood varieties vary in hardiness but generally will grow in Zones 4-8.

Daylily

Graceful mounds of green foliage make daylily a solid landscaping edging plant for spring through fall. The plant sends up colorful flower spikes in midsummer; keep plants tidy by trimming away flower stalks after blooms fade. Choose from varieties in shades of yellow, orange, red, and pink. Most are hardy in Zones 3-10.

Lady's Mantle

This beautiful perennial produces tidy mounds of scallop-shape green leaves. The fine hairs on the foliage catch water and dewdrops, often adding a little extra sparkle. Lady's mantle blooms in early summer with clusters of tiny, chartreuse flowers. This low-growing plant makes for an elegant edging plant in Zones 4-7.

Lavender

Thriving in bright sun, heat, and drought, lavender makes a hardy and fragrant edging plant. This herb is hardy in Zones 5-10 and evergreen in warmer areas. Harvest the purple, blue, or white flowers for bouquets or drying.

Moss Rose

Dry conditions and hot sun don't faze long-blooming moss rose. An annual with jewel-tone flowers, this beauty expands rapidly to create a colorful mat of flowers and foliage. Growing just 6 inches tall, it's perfect for edging beds of low-growing plants.

Sedum

Clumping, upright sedum varieties such as 'Matrona' add fall flair to the landscape and create a neat edge for taller plants behind them. This perennial holds up well to heat and drought. Most sedum varieties are hardy in Zones 3-10, and the flowers attract pollinators.

Thrift

This pretty perennial produces tidy mounds of grassy foliage. Rounded clusters of bright pink or white flowers bloom from late spring to early summer. Thrift loves full sun and very well-drained soil in Zones 3-9.

Thyme

Fragrant and flavorful, thyme creeps to form a mound of foliage decorated with pink or white flowers in summer. Low-growing thyme is an ideal edging plant in front of low-growing perennials or in an herb garden in Zones 4-9.

Zinnia

An annual that's easy to start from seed, zinnias are available in many colors and sizes. Shorter, dwarf varieties or seed mixes such as 'Thumbelina' or 'Short Stuff' make colorful edging plants.

Edging Plants for Shade

Astilbe

Feathery flower plumes and fernlike foliage make astilbe a stunning addition to any shade garden in Zones 3-8. This drought-tolerant perennial's tidy shape makes it a good choice for landscape edging. Flower colors include white, pink, and red.

Epimedium

A favorite edging plant for shady landscape beds, epimedium (barrenwort) is a perky little perennial that blooms in spring with spidery flowers in shades of pink, purple, orange, yellow, and white. Many varieties have attractive foliage that turns bronzy in autumn. This tough plant also is drought-tolerant and hardy in Zones 5-9.

Begonia

An annual with lots of flower power, begonias grow best in well-drained, rich soil and warm weather. Many varieties stand less than 12 inches tall, making them well-suited as an edging plant.

Coleus

This annual's colorful foliage will wake up a sleepy shade garden. Many coleus cultivars and color combinations are available. (Some also will grow in the sun.) Pinch these fast-growing plants back to maintain the best height for edging your garden bed.

Ferns

Thriving in moist soil and part shade to deep shade in Zones 3-9, many ferns make easy-care edging plants. Choose low-growing types for the front of a garden bed. Be aware that some ferns spread quickly—if they begin encroaching on nearby plants, you can divide them.

Hellebore

Leathery evergreen foliage and late-winter or early-spring flowers are the hallmarks of hellebores. Plenty of varieties offer beautiful blooms in white, cream, pink, rose, bicolors, and even nearly black. Hint: Plant several of the same variety for consistent edging plants. Hellebore is hardy in Zones 4-9.

Coralbells

Gorgeous foliage in shades of green, yellow, and burgundy, topped by delicate flower spikes in summer, make coralbells a high-impact edging plant. This tough perennial grows in dry conditions and a variety of soils in Zones 4-9.

Hosta

Low-growing hostas such as 'Blue Mouse Ears' and 'Chartreuse Wiggles' make excellent edging plants for a shady garden bed. Hardy in Zones 3-9, hostas feature leaves ranging in color from chartreuse to bluish. Varieties with variegated leaves will add extra brightness to the garden, while solid-hued foliage will create a sense of calm.

Japanese Forestgrass

One of the few grasses that thrives in shade, Japanese forestgrass forms compact mounds of gracefully arching foliage. Also called Hakone grass, this perennial makes a tough, drought-tolerant plant for landscaping edging in Zones 5-9.

Liriope

A classic edging plant in warmer regions, liriope (lilyturf) is a tough but showy perennial. Wands of small, purple flowers punctuate the grasslike, evergreen foliage during the summer in Zones 4-10. Look for variegated varieties for an extra splash of color.