5 Flower Bed Edging Ideas: How to Edge a Garden Bed

Flower bed edging is a landscaping technique in which you create a garden border around your flower blooms. You can use the technique to create an edging that runs along the outer portion of your garden or lawn, forming a barrier that circles your flowers and plants. Constructing flower bed edging is straightforward—simply gather the necessary tools, choose your edging material, and outline the desired area.

Along with the aesthetic appeal, adding edging to your garden can benefit your plants, as it prevents unwanted weeds and grass from invading the area and inhibiting their growth. You can use various materials to create the type of flower bed edging you want, from stones and steel to plastic and aluminum. To enhance curb appeal, choose an edging that matches the style of your home and garden. For instance, landscapers often use rock edgings for gardens and residences near the beach and brick edgings for grass lawns.

Whether you’re creating a metal garden edge or natural stone edge, choosing the right tools for your edging job is important. Here is a list of materials and tools that you can choose from to create a garden edge:

• Manual tools: You’ll need a tool to create the edging for your garden or the lawn in your front yard. Manual edging tools include a stick, rotary edger, and garden spade. A stick, also known as a half-moon edger, has a sharp blade that loosens the dirt and creates an edge along with plants. A rotary edger is a wheel with serrated blades that cut through grass and dirt. Use a garden spade to clean your edges and remove any excess turf.
• Electric tools: You can use electric lawn edging tools instead of manual tools to minimize labor. Electric tools look similar to a lawnmower, and these edgers often come with a battery pack. Simply guide the electric lawn edger along your garden beds to create a uniform edging.
• Edging material: Whether you choose a manual or electric tool, you’ll need edging materials to construct your garden border. While plastic edging is cost-effective and simple to install, it lacks the aesthetic appeal of pavers and rocks; however, installing the latter is more time-consuming as you’ll have to place each paver or rock individually. For a no-dig option, consider using pallet wood or metal, such as aluminum or steel edging.

Here are some tips to consider before edging your garden:

1. 1. Choose the best time of day to edge your garden. The best time to create a flower bed edging is the day after rainfall, as the ground is soft and malleable. When the ground is hard and dry, edging is strenuous and more difficult.
2. 2. Create your edging before full bloom. Aim to set up the edging before your garden is in full bloom to avoid damaging your flowers. The beginning or end of the bloom season, typically early spring or late fall, are the optimal times to edge your garden.
3. 3. Check the depth of the trench. If you’re working with brick pavers or stones, ensure the trench you dig is wide enough to hold the bricks. Most edging tools create a narrow trench, so you may have to dig across the edge line multiple times to create a wide enough space.

Different lawn edging ideas structure your landscape design and protect your flower blooms. Choose a landscape edging that best fits your lawn care. Here are some common garden edging ideas:

1. 1. Trench edging: A trench edging creates a natural look along your garden beds and is cost-effective and straightforward to create. Create a trench along your flower beds using a stick or rotary edger, then add mulch to your garden. The trench edging makes a natural and subtle break between your grass lawn and flower blooms.
2. 2. Edging stone: Creating an elevated stone wall is a great way to add depth to your garden and yard. If part of your lawn is on a slope, you can construct a raised stone border to secure flower beds growing on the top portion of the slope. Raised garden beds and edgings also reduce the need for weeding, as the planting beds are away from grass weeds. If you don’t have raised garden beds, you can create a stone edging by laying river rocks or bricks on the ground surrounding your plants.
3. 3. Tree ring: Use edging to enhance your landscaping designs around trees by creating a tree ring. Circle the tree with your choice of edging, adding mulch and small garden flowers to the inner circle. The edging barrier will protect the roots and make the tree visually stand out against the rest of your outdoor space.
4. 4. Decorative fence: Garden fences come in different styles and materials, such as wrought iron and wood, and serve as a great edging option for flower gardens. These fences often have intricate designs that can add unique patterns and style to your garden. They’re easy to install as you place the fence pieces along your planting beds.
   
5. 5. Bench edging: For a border edging that is practical and unique, consider building a bench around your garden beds using landscape timber. This garden bed edging works best with raised beds; however, when finished, it makes a great bed border and outdoor seating area amongst your vibrant garden flowers.

Once you’ve chosen your tools, you can start edging your lawn using this step-by-step tutorial:

• Select your tools. If you’re installing metal edging, you won’t need any manual or electrical tools to dig into the ground because you can insert it directly into the soil. For other types of garden borders, you’ll need either a manual or electric tool to create your edging. Manual edging tools are ideal for straight lines, while electric tools are optimal for creating curved garden edging.
• Mark the edge. Outline your desired edging with a garden hose or long rope to help create an even edging around your garden bed. You can also lay out a string and mark the line with spray paint.
• Create the edge. Follow the line you created and dig a one-and-a-half-inch hole into the ground using your edging tool. Once you’ve created an initial edging, dig another three inches deep.
• Remove the turf. After creating your edging, remove the remaining grass with a garden spade. If you don’t have a garden spade, use your hands to pull out the leftover turf.
• Add the border. If you’re using pavers or stones, place them along the edge of the flower beds one by one. To install plastic edging, place the edging into the soil, packing the dirt around the plastic. Add stakes to hold the edging in place every three feet and secure them with a gardening mallet or hammer.
• Mulch the flower beds. To create a finished look, add mulch to your flower beds. Mulch also provides nutrients to the soil, supporting the growth of your garden plants.

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