Install Decorative Edging

Easy half-day project: keep the grass out of a planting bed and make mowing around it a breeze.

Excerpted from How to Grow Practically Everything
Filed under: Edging, How To

Edging is both practical and aesthetic. At its most useful it marks out the boundary of a lawn, while also allowing you to simply run the mower over it. With a wide variety of materials to choose from, edging can be a decorative feature in its own right, chosen to complement the plants it contains.

When to Start: Any time
At Its Best: All year round
Time to Ccomplete: 5 hours

Materials Needed:

bricks
string and pegs
sharp shovel
wet mortar mix
dry mortar mix

mallet
spirit level
trowel
brush

Use String as a Guide

Use one brick to measure the correct distance from your raised bed (or border) and set up a line of string between two pegs from which to work. Cut through the turf along the line using the sharp edge of a shovel.

Use Brick and String As A Guide For Edging Borders

Remove a Strip of Turf

Dig out a strip of turf deep enough to accommodate the bricks plus a 1" layer of mortar. First slice the turf up into manageable sections, then slide the shovel underneath and lift them out onto a piece of tarpaulin.