Flowerbed Edging Techniques

Drop-Down Edging

• If you want to keep your garden free of extra adornments, drop-down edging is the best choice. A drop-down edge is created by using a shovel to dig down about 4 inches around your flowerbed. Then go back and dig your shovel on the inside of the bed at an angle towards your first cut. Fill the resulting trench with gravel, mulch or other filler, or leave it empty.

Stone Edging

• Stone edging can be purchased at most nurseries or landscape supply stores. Natural stone edging will maintain its appearance for many years, though it can be expensive and hard to move. Flagstone, cobblestone, and natural rock all create striking landscape designs. Plastic stone edging tends to be cheaper, while creating the same visual effect as natural stone. You can choose to keep your stone edging low to the ground or build it up to create a wall-like border.

Concrete Edging

• Concrete edging is available is a variety of designs and shapes. Some is scalloped, patterned or molded to fit along curves. Concrete edging should be set into a trench to prevent grass from growing into the flower bed. Dig a trench large enough to fit your concrete edging as you would for the drop-down edge and place your edging inside it. Be careful when mowing or edging near the concrete because it can damage your lawn equipment.

Decorative Edging

• To add some flair to your landscape design, consider edging your flowerbeds with one of the many decorative options available. Picket fencing, imitation brick and bamboo are among decorative edging options found at most gardening centers. If you are looking for something more unique, use colored glass bottles as an edging material by burying them neck down along your flowerbed edge. Be cautious when mowing or edging near the glass edging, and do not use bottles in areas where children play.