How to Grow Your Edge Plants Back

Plant your edge plants in spring, in fertile, well-drained soil that's suited to the plant type. Choose a mix of low-growing annuals, such as alyssum and sweet woodruff, and showy perennials such as heather and liriope. Green border edgings may include ground-hugging carpet strips of periwinkle, thyme or wintergreen.

Clip off any winterkill that remains on your edge plants each spring. Remove all dead wood and stems. This garden housekeeping practice encourages new growth.

Dig out small clumps of sweet woodruff and thyme whenever the plant threatens to overgrow the border. Regrow the clumps and establish a new home for them by settling their roots in a shallow planting hole with just enough dirt to cover them. Water after transplanting.

Collect the seeds of your flowering edge plants as the blooms fade and dark seeds emerge and dry. Store the seeds in a cool, dry location in plastic bags. In spring, sow the seeds under a thin, moist soil cover after the threat of frost has passed.

Mow all the flowers and foliage off your edge plants in late fall. Set your mower to its highest setting to avoid injuring the plant's crown. Leave the cuttings in place and cover with a six-inch bed of mulch or straw. This winter protection will encourage your edge plants to self-sow.