Edging Around Garden Beds
Nothing finishes off your landscaping and defines your garden spaces like good edging. From stone and wood to plastic or a simple natural-cut edge, there is edging for every budget.
Edging does two main things: It separates areas in your yard (preventing grass or plants from going beyond where you want them to stay) and adds an attractive, finished look to your landscape.
Let's look at some edging options:
Plastic or metal edging
These may not be the most attractive edging choices, but they are inexpensive, last a long time and if installed correctly, get the job done. They are also easy to find at any home or garden center. You can generally purchase this type of edging in rolls or short strips. Install them according to package directions specific to the product.
In general, installation begins with digging straight down with a square pointed spade to cut the grass and other plant roots at the edge of the bed. Dig out a narrow trench, removing soil on the garden side of the trench. Dig deep enough to accommodate the height of the edging you are installing. Place the edging firmly in the trench and backfill, tamping down the soil so it is tight along the back of the edging. Remember, this edging is really made to be functional and doesn't really have to be seen. So finish with the top of the edging so that it is level with or fractionally higher than the soil surface.
Wood edging
Choose a type of wood that resists rot, such as cedar. You can edge a large garden area with cedar fence posts, for instance. Just dig down an inch or two along the bed's border to form a shallow trough in which the posts will rest with good soil-to-ground contact. Install them at the same height. To prevent plants with aggressive root systems from spreading, install a metal or plastic edging product beneath the soil surface first as discussed above.
You can also purchase landscape timbers for this purpose, but avoid treated railroad ties, which may leach chemicals into the surrounding soil.
Stone edging
Stone edging offers many possibilities, from interlocking bricks to the casual look of colorful fieldstones and everything in between. The key to creating a stone border is to choose one that compliments your house. Visit your area stone quarry or landscape stone store and you will see that there are many varieties to choose from. Once you decide on a stone or brick you like, measure it and go home to calculate how many units you will need for your project.
When placing a brick or stone border in the ground, start by digging a trench that is the width of the stone or brick and deep enough to layer in two inches of sand with the brick set on top. How much of the stone you want appearing above the soil surface will depend on two things: 1) the type of stone you are using (you will set a field stone higher than a brick) and 2) the look you want to achieve.
Natural edging
Finally, you may want to keep things very simple - using no visible edging at all. To do this, you will need a spade with a narrow square point that you will use to cut through the turf and down about three to four inches. Dig down straight - create as straight an edge as possible when you cut through the lawn. Dig out the soil on the bedside of your cut to a width about three inches. You have essentially created an inexpensive barrier between your lawn and garden bed. It will have to be refreshed once or twice a season.
