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Planting a new lawn is the perfect time to install edging along walkways and garden borders. Working with loosened soil when the lawn is seeded is far easier than tearing up invasive grass after roots have firmly set in.
Choices for lawn edging range from natural barriers and plants to preformed, commercially produced edging. For the most part, lawn edging is easily installed in the same manner regardless of the type of edging being used.
Installing Lawn Edging
Start by laying out a line where lawn edging will be installed. Drive stakes along the lawn edging line and tie string from stake to stake.
Cut away garden plants and turf if present, or dig a trench
along the edges of a new lawn installation that is two inches wide and four to six inches deep. This allows lawn edging (even edging that sits well above the surface) to lie low enough below grass roots to prevent infiltration to neighboring garden beds, walkways, or patios.
Fill the trench with two inches of sand (to provide a base for lawn edging). More sand can be used if the height of the trench needs to be raised to accommodate the edging.
Place lawn edging into the trench, refill with soil and tamp firmly to keep lawn edging in place.
Choosing Lawn Edging
Choose lawn edging according to the look you hope to achieve, but also consider subsequent lawn maintenance and longevity.
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Tall lawn edging and raised timbers require regular lawn care whenever the new lawn is mowed, but offer visual interest. Wooden lawn edging and timbers will last for several years, but will need to be replaced over time.
Low, hidden plastic lawn edging creates enough of a barrier
to prevent well maintained grass from spreading to undesired areas. It can be mowed over if installed low enough to sit below the blade of the lawnmower. Plastic lawn edging has a very long life.
Natural elements, such as bark mulch, gravel and stone can be effectively used as lawn edging and driven over during mowing. As they naturally do not support grass growth, they provide lawn edging with little maintenance, but may require occasional weeding. To use natural elements for lawn edging, simply fill the trench with the chosen material. Natural materials used for lawn edging may require topping off annually as fillers settle and decay.
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Many low growing plants and groundcovers can also be used to edge a new lawn. Plant periwinkle, ivy, thyme, or another spreading groundcover along the edge of beds bordering new lawns. Keep borders plants trim and out of the lawn by mowing them when the edge of the lawn is mowed. Lawn edging plants last for a lifetime when kept properly.
Lawn edging keeps yards neat and tidy by separating grass and garden beds, walks, or any area near a new lawn where grass is not meant to grow. By taking the time to install edging when a new lawn is planted, maintenance of beds and grass will be as easy as mowing the new lawn.
One simple way to get a jump start on any gardening project is to check out our Free Garden Samples page for offers like a Backyard Makeover or even a free lawn mower offer. You might discover gardening isn't that much work after all.
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