Gardeners used to sink tiles around flower beds: 50 years later, gardeners know why

On a spring morning, in a slightly aged garden, you may notice an odd line of roof tiles set upright around peonies, irises or an old rose bush. Barely rising above the soil, they are flecked with moss and appear to have been placed there out of pure habit. Yet our grandparents did not use them as decoration. They understood a straightforward practice, passed on without manuals or videos: creating a practical boundary between the flower bed, the lawn and plants that spread too freely. Fifty years later, as plastic edging cracks at the first frost and rolls of geotextile pile up in garden sheds, this approach is quietly returning to gardens. Its common sense remains undiminished.

These tiles were never just decorative

We all know the moment when grass starts encroaching, centimetre by centimetre, eventually smothering carefully planted perennials. Gardeners of earlier generations would sink flat roof tiles, often salvaged after roof repairs, all around the beds. This small buried barrier slowed creeping roots, held the soil in place and created a crisp edge without making the garden look overly formal. From a child’s height, it was almost invisible. From a gardener’s perspective, it made all the difference.

In some country homes, the tiles were set 15 to 20 centimetres deep, leaving only a few centimetres exposed. A gardener from Dordogne still recalled how her father split old curved pantiles in two to edge the strawberry patch: the lawn advanced more slowly, while the fruit stayed cleaner after rain. It was not a sophisticated method. It was an immediate answer to a very ordinary problem: saving time without buying supplies.

The reasoning is sound. A buried tile creates a physical barrier against the shallow roots of lawn grass, couch grass or certain particularly vigorous ground-cover plants. On gently sloping ground, it also slows run-off, as fine soil is less easily washed out of the bed. Terracotta is not impermeable, avoiding the “sealed container” effect that can sometimes result from metal or plastic edging. A garden breathes more easily when you do not try to lock down every part of it.

A practical rustic tile border for everyday gardening

To recreate this method, simply dig a narrow trench around the edge of the bed, ideally 15 to 25 centimetres deep. Position the tiles almost vertically, tipping them slightly outwards if you want the mower to pass more easily. Then firm the soil around them, with no cement or complicated fixings required. An old flat tile is ideal, though a cut curved pantile can work too. The most important thing is to form an unbroken line, without large gaps between pieces.

A common mistake is leaving the tiles too high, turning them into a miniature fence. They then obstruct the mower, catch your foot and make the bed look rather rigid. It is better to leave only two or three centimetres showing, enough to mark the divide. Let us be honest: nobody really does this every day. The appeal of this solution is precisely that it calls for one solid afternoon of work, then virtually nothing for several seasons.

Old tiles offer another subtle benefit: their uneven surface holds mulch, fallen leaves and soil slightly better than smooth edging. They can also provide a small refuge for insects, especially when you avoid excessively tidying every corner. A garden does not need to look immaculate to be beautiful. Successful edging remains useful while blending into the background.

“My grandfather used to say that a tile in the soil was worth more than a long speech about weeds.”

• Choose untreated tiles, with no recent paint or unknown product on them.
• Sink them deeply enough to slow down lawn roots.
• Avoid sharp edges near an area used for walking.
• Reuse broken pieces instead of throwing them away.

The return of common sense in flower beds

This old practice appeals today because it meets a very modern desire: using what is already to hand without turning the garden into a permanent building site. A pile of tiles forgotten behind the garage can serve a purpose again instead of being taken to the tip. There is something reassuring about that idea. Rather than chasing catalogue perfection, you work with the materials, the seasons and the home’s small constraints.

A buried tile will not solve everything. Against running bamboo, bindweed or an invasion established for years, it will not be enough on its own. Around a perennial bed, a rose bush or a square of flowers, however, it reduces repeated chores and makes the outlines easier to see. It is a modest solution, but a surprisingly long-lasting one. It becomes easier to understand why it has endured for decades, far from trends and packaging promises.

There is also an element of memory in these lines of terracotta. They evoke a time when materials were kept “just in case”, when a cracked tile was not yet rubbish but simply an object that could be useful in another way. Trying this tip may mean looking at your garden afresh: what can be repaired, slowed down or defined without buying more? The liveliest flower beds are often those where a little moss is allowed to settle between two tiles.

Key point	Detail	Added value for the reader
Root barrier	Buried tiles slow the advance of lawn grass and shallow roots.	Less weeding around the edges of flower beds.
Reclaimed material	Old flat or broken tiles can be reused.	An economical, durable edging option that creates less waste.
Simple installation	A 15 to 25 cm trench is enough, with little of the tile left visible.	A discreet result that works with mowers and planting.

Also read: Gardeners used to sink tiles around flower beds: 50 years later, gardeners know why