Edges of Flower Beds

[SallyAnn]

I love gardening and I dislike using chemicals. Therefore while my neighbors are all spraying their weeds and the grass along the edges of their driveways, around their trees and their flowerbeds I am pulling the grass and weeds out by hand. I am 60 years old and my hands are getting arthritis and now I have to take Advil every night because they hurt so bad. I have tried the black plastic edging around flowerbeds but the grass always grows back. I have dug out tons of grass clumps all over my yard around the numerous beds I have. Am I missing something obvious? I want to enjoy my garden, not kill myself trying to maintain it.

[IntrepidMeredith]

You could try a technique that I've heard called trench edging, spade cut edging, or English edging. Outline the edge of your garden bed, then use either a flat, straight-edged spade or a D-shaped spade (also called a half-moon spade) to dig out the trench. Make sure your spade edge is sharp! To dig the trench, stand on the lawn side of your line and place the spade on the line slanting either straight down or at up to a 45-degree angle into the bed. Cut down about 4" (10 cm). Go about 4" (10 cm) into the bed and make another cut at a 45-degree angle to join the bottom of your first cut. Lift out the soil and sod. Compost the sod, and move the soil inside the garden bed. I've heard different people advise to add mulch only up to the trench, leaving the trench empty, while others recommend filling, or almost filling the trench with mulch. While you'll need to re-dig the trench once or twice a year, it will be much easier to pull out any grass advancing into this area. Keeping the trench area as dry as possible will also reduce weed growth, something that is more easily accomplished if you use drip irrigation in the garden bed.
I can sympathize with the achy body parts, although for me it's my back, rather than my hands. Hope this helps!

[SWMOgardens]

I use my weedwhacker along my edges. And a lot of my beds I have flat rocks as edging for beauty and to keep the grass out.

[Guest]

We can apply Fake Stone and Brick Edging: This type of edging has greatly improved in recent years. From a distance you cannot tell that it is not real stone or brick. This edging is a fraction of the cost of real stone. It assembles easy and most of them require no digging or pounding.

[Guest]

Quote:

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We can apply Fake Stone and Brick Edging: This type of edging has greatly improved in recent years. From a distance you cannot tell that it is not real stone or brick. This edging is a fraction of the cost of real stone. It assembles easy and most of them require no digging or pounding.

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So better try it too for my self.

[Mary_Martha]

I use this method but do not fill with mulch. I hoe the trench once a week instead - before the little weeds become big ones.

[Mary_Martha]

What does anyone do with edges of a daylily garden? The bottom leaves turn yellow and I would like some kind of easy edging perennial. Any suggestions?

[Star]

I use the English edging,on all my gardens.I clean edge the edges once in the spring,over time the grass roots will form a barrier,so that the grass will not spread into the bed,I edge only 2 new beds so far and I have 13 beds plus my garden.As for the mulch I do not put it in the trench.This must stay open, so the grass roots will not reach for the moisture.