How to Lay Landscape Edging

Use the weed whacker to cut down the growth surrounding the area that you are going to enclose. This will make your work easier. If there is a lot of grass, rake it away before beginning.

Lay out the edge of your bed. Use the trowel to dig a shallow, thin line that will delineate the area you are going to enclose. Once you have the line in place, measure it with the measuring tape so you know how much edging to buy.

Dig a 6-inch deep trough around the bed. Use the shovel. This trough must be a complete six inches deep because only the top half of the circle on the top of the edging will show once it is in the ground. Otherwise, you will not effectively prevent grass from encroaching on the area. If you need to, use the grass shears to clip through roots that are growing in the area.

Install the edging. The curling "v" at the bottom of the edging goes in the bottom of the trench facing the bed you are enclosing. Lay all of your edging into the trench at once. If you have more than 20 feet to cover, then use the connectors that come with each piece of edging to hold the ends of the edging together. Just push an end into each side of the connector and keep laying the edging.

Push the soil around and under the edging. It will raise the edging slightly, and this is okay as long as not more than half of that upper rounded part is visible. Use a trowel or your hands (with gloves on) for this part. When you are done, the edging will be entirely buried except for the very top, which will be visible but not susceptible to lawn mower blades or frost.

Stake in the edging. Place the short, pointed tip of a stake against the "v" in the bottom of the edging. This will not be difficult because the soil will not have been packed in yet. Pound the stake into the ground and through the edging at a gradual angle (about 25 degrees) to help prevent frost heave. These stakes should be installed at the beginning and end of each section of edging and with two more stakes in the middle every seven feet or so.

Stomp down the dirt. The stakes will be nearly horizontal to the ground, so you do not have to worry about stepping on them. Stomp the dirt firmly into the enclosed area so the edging holds the shape of the bed.