Perfect Edges for Your Beds and Borders

As an interior designer , I ’ve always get it on the importance of well - defined lines . Inside the house or out , a fresh , tranquil line provide a finished flavor and a sense of clarity to an area . In my garden , a razor - astute border serves as a stage that sets off the heedful preparation and maintenance I do . Such meticulous attention to point does n’t expect a pile of body of work . I apply four simple steps to create and freshen up my edges in spring , give my beds the sharp lines that think over the effort I put into my garden .

Step 1: Create (or re-create) an edge

The first stair is to abridge the border . If you are make a new bed , you ’ll take to use a garden hose to mark your desired wrinkle . If you are freshening up an existing bed , you’re able to jump right in .

Method 1 : The traditional way to do this is to use either a nigra or a half - moon edger to move along the short letter you ’ve arrange out . Neither tool does a great task of cutting curves , and it can be difficult to evaluate the class you ’re taking as you move along .

Method 2 : I practice Black & Decker ’s Edge Hog , a tool with a round blade on wheel . I merely walk behind the prick as it rolls easy along , cutting a uninterrupted 1½-inch - deep line into the grime . The cycle give the tool the mobility to make nice curves , and you could intelligibly see as you cut , lay down it easy to evaluate and retool the descent of your seam . The edger trade for under $ 100 , and it simplify the daunting task of caring for my four - acre garden , with its 5,000 linear animal foot of edge .

Step 2: Remove the turf

Once you ’ve established your edge , complicate it with a spade , deepen the cut to 4 to 6 inch . If you are cutting a new bed , you also need to cut the sward on the inside of the layer with the coon . The loosened greensward can then be remove easily by hand . The goal is to produce an bound at a 90 - degree angle .

Step 3: Hone the edge

I care my edge to be razor sharp , so I place hand shears vertically along the trench wall and curve any stay green goddess steel from the edge . Care should be necessitate not to take hold the shears horizontally to avoid destroying the right angle of the edge . I repeat this footprint two or three times during the growing season to keep my edges looking dress .

Step 4: Mulch the bed

Illustration : Melissa Buntin .

The final stride is to put down 2 to 3 inches of mulch on the bed . The mulch not only bottle up weeds but also adds a rich , dark color to the edge . I mulch right up to the edge of the sod to make a gentle slope from the bottom of the sharpness to the top of the bed .

— Ray Baker is an interior designer and designer who gardens in Bethlehem , Connecticut .

photograph : Virginia Small

More helpful information

Video : Select the Right Shovel

Video : How to Use a Shovel Safely

Video : Edging a Garden Bed

Making the Most of Mulch

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