Project details
Skill
1 out of 5EasyExcavating the air-barrier trench can be tiring
Cost
$200 for 50 feet of edging; $50 to 65 for glyphosate herbicide
Estimated Time
4 to 6 hours for 50-foot-long garden bed
Tools & Materials
Half-moon edger
Square shovel
Wheelbarrow
Hammer
Chemical-resistant gloves
Safety glasses
In this video, This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook shows how to establish borders around grassy areas using steel edging.
Steps:
1. Use half-moon edger to cut straight line along edge of garden bed.
2. Pry up grass along edge of bed and toss into wheelbarrow.
3. Use square shovel to dig a trench, creating an air barrier between the lawn and garden bed.
4. Set steel edging into the trench and secure with steel stakes. Pound stakes flush with top of edging with hammer.
5. Overlap the ends of the edging and secure with two stakes.
6. Fluff up grass in the garden bed by hand, then use a 4-inch-wide foam brush to apply glyphosate herbicide to the upper ends of the grass.