There are several choices of landscape edging for your home. You can choose from a natural spaded edge, a polyethylene edging, a metal edging, brick edging, or even a concrete poured curbing.
There are pros and cons for all of them. Consider these factors to determine which one is right for you.
Consider cost, maintenance, the best edging suited for your design. Also, where it will be used in the yard, and what impact do you want it to play in your design.
Cost-wise, the least expensive to the most expensive is the order that they are listed above by types of edging.
A natural spaded edge is the least expensive and also the most maintenance. It is also the most natural and the least impactful. The only time it shouldn't be used is when you are using a stone mulch in your beds. The upkeep consists of keeping the grass from growing back into the beds. You can control this by a fine stream of roundup between the bark and the grass as needed, or every few years freshening the edge with a flat-ended spade or using a mechanical edger. The advantage of this is you can widen the beds easier with a natural edge. This works well especially for specimen evergreens in the lawn as they grow wider every year and often need to have the bed around them widened.
Polyethylene edging is the choice when you are planning to use a stone mulch in your beds, but can be used for bark mulch beds as well. It provides the barrier that the stone requires to keep it in the beds and not the lawn. It also will last for years when a good quality edging is used and it is installed correctly. After several years it might raise out of the ground because of frost heaving or improper installation causing it to have to be reset in the ground.
Metal edging is more costly than the previous edging and can be more difficult to install. It will also rise up out of the ground due to the frost. It can usually be pounded back in place if this happens by using a sledgehammer when the ground is still soft in spring. The material will last indefinitely.
Brick edging is also more costly but can be a great look and an easy-care material. It gives a wider surface than the previous edgings and mowers can ride along the top with ease. There isn't as much concern with the heaving of properly installed and will last indefinitely.
Concrete curb edging is the most expensive and creates a raised wide barrier for the beds. It is also very dominant in the yard. Because it is raised you need to mow to the edge and string trim the grass left. It often looks more commercial and might not be the right look for your home.