Landscape Edging

You will need to buy a good, quality edging.  Some brands that come coiled up in a box are very difficult to straighten out and will make your completed project look unprofessional.  Generally, your best quality edging comes in 20 foot strips that are not coiled.  They come with an 8” long splice and four metal anchors.  One side of the edging will have a V-shaped groove at the base. This should face towards your planting or foundation as it is the inside of the edging.

When starting out, using a spade shovel, dig a narrow trench, about 4-5” deep.  On straight areas, use a straight edge such as a 2x4 board.  (You can use the edging stakes to hold the board in place as you dig to prevent it from shifting.)  When making curves, it is best to have them soft and gentle, not only will they look better, but they will be much easier to mow around.  A hose works well for outlining curves.

When you get to the corner of your home, you may want your edging to come out wider than the rest.  Be sure to stand back from the corner and look to see that your curve looks proportional on both sides before you completely install the edging.

With your shade shovel, slope the ground inside of your planting area towards the edging trench to make a nice gradual slope.  Your edging should stick up just above ground level on grassy areas, but should be flush with sidewalks and driveways to prevent damage when you shovel or plow snow.

Metal stakes should be spaced evenly along the edging strip and driven down through the edging at an angle.  Use a stake on each side of a spliced area when joining two strips together.  When inserting the splice piece make sure that each strip is sharing the splice equally to prevent separation.

When filling in, the dirt can be raked back up to the edging, but leave space open for whatever type of mulch you are going to use.  This will allow the stone, bark, etc. to “sit down” more easily under the lip of the edging.

When putting down your weed barrier, whether it is black poly or a woven weed mat, cut it a little longer and fold it under along the edges allowing sufficient overlap to prevent weeds from creeping in along the edges.  If you are using poly, be sure to cut at least an 18” circle open around the shrubs to allow for watering.  This is not necessary for the weed mat as the moisture will penetrate through the material.  You can now install your mulch over top of your weed barrier.