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alan__gw

curved instead of straight

alan_
18 years ago

I want to change my beds from being straight to curved. Any ideas on inexpensive edging that bends inorder to keep the grass separated from the garden and still easy to cut the grass?

Thanks!

Comments (9)

  • username_5
    18 years ago

    Use the black plastic stuff you see in rolls. You dig it in so it blocks roots from getting through, but it only sticks about 1" above ground so it is fairly invisible once the grass gets growing.

    If you wish to dress it up you can use pavers (bricks) in front of or behind it simply laid onto the ground or dug in a bit, your choice.

    Get a good shovel with a flat blade to open the ground to insert the edging, it saves lots of time and the back.

  • lindac
    18 years ago

    I hate that black plastic stuff.....grass will crawl over it or duck beneath. And I think it's ugly....and a pain with the mower.
    I would just spade edge or use brick. The advantage of spade edging is you can always push the bed out just a tiny bit!
    Linda C

  • rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
    18 years ago

    There is a benderboard product manufactured by Fibertech. I've not seen it in person, but the demos look good. I like the natural appearance of wooden benderboard, but it just doesn't last very long. I, too, hate the look the black plastic, and the steel edging is expensive.

  • meldy_nva
    18 years ago

    I don't think anyone has said it, but the metal edgings have a tendency to rust and/or split (or tear) after a while, leaving you with a dangerous (and sometimes sharp-cornered) edge that is all too easy to step on, not to mention kids falling on it. It is possible to buy very heavy-duty metal edging made for commercial use, but that is $$$, and it too will eventually rust or get broken down (just takes a couple years longer than the el-cheapo stuff).

    LeeValley and Gardener's Supply each carry a pound-in, heavy rubber edging. The 5" height does a good job of blocking creeping grass roots while the top edge can be hammered until it's below the mower blades. I don't care for the looks if it's left above grass height, but it is fast to install, moveable (if you happen to change your mind in the future), and not too awfully expensive. For looks, I prefer brick or stone around raised beds. I've used the black plastic edging inside raised beds (to block encroaching grass) but I'd recommend the 5", the 3" just doesn't go down far enough.

    A spaded or 'trench' edge *can* look good, but it requires effort to establish and steady upkeep to keep it looking crisp and neat. Trench edges might be easier to keep neat in a cooler zone, but in my area, that bare dirt is like a megaphone calling for every passing weed seed to come settle down there.

  • elgrillo
    18 years ago

    I found two kinds of plastic flexible edging at Lowe's last year that were 8" tall that look metal edging, but safer. I bought the cheapest kind as a temporary measure, but it does not keep its shape well. Bermuda runs right over it like it would any edging. The more expensive of the two had fiberglass in it for stiffness and might keep its shape better. If you have to fight bermuda with a thin edging, good luck. With bluegrass and fescue, a lot of people use no edging at all and keeping it trimmed is easy.

  • tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
    18 years ago

    My gardens already all have curved edges (except some raised beds) and an informal look. I currently have the black PVC edging that is inserted vertically into a slit in the soil. It serves the purpose, but I'm not very happy with the appearance.

    Here's what I intend to do:
    I have access to long strips of flexible polycarbonate (a clear plastic that looks like Plexiglas, but is virtually unbreakable). I will build forms, just like the ones you see made for curved sidewalks, by driving stakes into the ground & attaching the strips of plastic to the stakes. The side of the form that is away from the garden will be formed in smooth curves to make it easy to mow close. The side toward the garden will be roughly parallel to the outside of the form, but the width will vary somewhat for added interest. The material I will use to fill the forms will be hypertufa, an inexpensive cement-like mix of Portland cement, peat moss, perlite, and sand that when cured, looks like stone. Most of you are familiar with hypertufa, I'm sure.

    I'll pour the hypertufa right on top of the grass. As I fill the forms, I will leave some holes and depressions where I can place some interesting drought tolerant plants, like a variety of sedums and sempervivums e.g. I'll pour/mold the hypertufa in segments so minimize cracking from expansion/contraction, and will also vary the length of segments & might also use a little concrete dye to give the illusion that the "stones" are of slightly different composition. I don't plan on "tooling" the top surface of the hypertufa. It looks very natural in the form it takes when it's just puddled into shape.

    I think I might get 50 ft or more of garden edging from a couple of cubic feet of peat, 3 bags of cement, a cu ft of perlite, and a little sand. Cost? - under $25.

    Al

  • meldy_nva
    18 years ago

    I think I like the sound of that polycarbonate. I made a similar edging along a wooded area, but I dug a 5"-deep/varied width trench and didn't use anything to build up the sides (a mistake). I filled the trench to ground-level with cobbing - similar to hypertufa but using a lot of sawdust/chips instead of the non-renewable peat, and placed large flat stones on top. Not as pretty as a planned mosaic, but surprisingly nice-looking. I can mow easily and the cob is holding up very nicely, but the years of adding mulch to the interior means that the bed is getting higher - and now soil/mulch washes over the edging with each hard rain. Next time, *sides*!

  • AlcesB
    18 years ago

    Al, great idea, why haven't anyone thought of this before? The polycarbonate strips, how would one go about finding those? BL

  • tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
    18 years ago

    Gee, Britt. If you happen to know someone who owns a glass company, I'm sure they would save a few narrow strips for someone as nice as you, if you want to try it. I work Sat, if you want to pick them up.

    Britt is my dear friend & I think she's teasing a little. ;o)

    Al