How to Keep Grass Out of Flower Beds
Keeping grass out of your flower beds requires a little effort on your part. A hard plastic barrier, more commonly known as landscape edging, keeps out invading grasses and provides a quick way to separate your lawn and flowers. Installation requires little experience. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Measuring tape
- Marker spray paint
- Trenching shovel
- Circular saw or hack saw
- Hammer
- Steel garden rake
Instructions
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Measure the square footage of your garden and make a quick sketch on graphing paper. Draw to scale the shape you want your flower garden to be. A sketch makes planning and putting together a budget easier. Once you have your measurements and the shape of your garden, buy the materials.
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Choose hard plastic versus redwood or steel edging because the plastic will not deteriorate as fast.
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Mark off your flower bed with spray paint using the scale drawing as a guide. Hardware stores sell marker spray paint for this purpose.
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Use the edging as a depth guide and, following the guidelines, dig to a depth of about 6 inches. The trench should cover 2/3 of the material. A trenching shovel is better then a round nose because it makes a nice, narrow trench and moves less earth. After your trench is dug, check for uniformity of the trench. Remove any debris.
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Insert the edging into the ground. Join all the edging with the connectors. The edging is ready for staking. Make cuts of any excess material at this time. A good circular saw will speed up the cutting but is not necessary. A hack saw or any saw blade with small teeth will work.
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Hammer the stakes next to the edging material at a 25-degree angle. Some kits require you to hammer through the edging. Follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully. A good rule is to stake every 10 feet or use four stakes per strip. Once all the stakes are in, bury the trench.
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Use a steel garden rake to bury the trench. This tool will level out the dirt and give your project a finished and professional look. Make sure the depth of the landscape edging is correct, as it is much easier to correct any problems in depth now than it will be when dirt is in the trench.
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Tips & Warnings
The more detailed your sketch, the more accurate your figures will be determining how much material to buy. Good planning will always save money.
Paying extra for the thicker, hard plastic will ensure that your barrier lasts longer.
Using a circular saw is quicker, but it also makes your cuts look cleaner and professional.
Before starting your landscape edging project, make sure you know where your electrical, gas and irrigation lines are for your own safety. Use appropriate safety gear at all times.
