How Do I Get That Nice Straight Edge on My Turf Line at the Flower Bed?

Evaluate your yard's landscaping. Decide the number, length and shape of the flower beds you would like to form. Use flour to mark an initial line along the edge of your beds. This will allow you a rough view of where the lines will run.

Move the lines where needed to fit with features of the lawn. For example, if a bed sits alongside an established walkway but does not run exactly parallel to the walkway, you may want to adjust the line to make it parallel and more pleasing to the eye.

Decide on the width of your flower beds. Cornell University suggests a 2- to 3-foot-wide border for smaller yards, but the actual size of your beds depends on the plants you plan to grow there and how much space they need for light, air circulation and maintenance.

Use a tape measure to set stakes at the width you selected for the flower beds. Place stakes every 4 feet along the planned length. Run string between the stakes to mark a straight edge along your flower beds. Place the string as near the ground as possible to make it easier to follow the line as you cut away the turf.

Use a square spade to dig along your string lines. Start at a corner, and work along each line, making overlapping cuts in the turf. Dig down approximately 4 inches or, if you'll be using edging, to a depth that fits the type of edging you plan to use. As you make the cuts in the turf, peel away and remove the turf.

Install edging along the newly cut lines to preserve and maintain the clean appearance of your borders. Edging is made from a variety of materials, including plastic, bamboo, molded concrete, brick and stone. Several types of plastic edging are available, ranging from styles that blend into the background to edging made in the shape and color of stone. Rolls of plastic edging are easier to install and less expensive than stone edging.