How To Create Perfect Edges For Your Garden Beds And Borders

As an interior designer, I’ve always known the importance of well-defined lines. Inside the house or out, a clean, smooth line provides a finished look and a sense of clarity to an area. In my garden, a razor-sharp edge serves as a stage that sets off the careful planning and maintenance I do. Such meticulous attention to detail doesn’t require a lot of work. I use four simple steps to create and freshen up my edges in spring, giving my beds the crisp lines that reflect the effort I put into my garden.

Step 1: Create (or re-create) an edge

The first step is to cut the edge. If you are creating a new bed, you’ll need to use a garden hose to mark your desired lines. If you are freshening up an existing bed, you can jump right in.

Method 1: The traditional way to do this is to use either a spade or a half-moon edger to move along the line you’ve set out. Neither tool does a great job of cutting curves, and it can be difficult to evaluate the course you’re taking as you move along.

Method 2: I use Black & Decker’s Edge Hog, a tool with a circular blade on wheels. I simply walk behind the tool as it rolls easily along, cutting a continuous 1½-inch-deep line into the soil. The wheels give the tool the mobility to make nice curves, and you can clearly see as you cut, making it easy to evaluate and revise the line of your bed. The edger sells for under $100, and it simplifies the daunting task of caring for my four-acre garden, with its 5,000 linear feet of edging.

Step 2: Remove the turf

Once you’ve established your edge, refine it with a spade, deepening the cut to 4 to 6 inches. If you are cutting a new bed, you also need to cut the turf on the inside of the bed with the spade. The loosened turf can then be removed easily by hand. The goal is to create an edge at a 90-degree angle.

Step 3: Hone the edge

I like my edges to be razor sharp, so I place hand shears vertically along the trench wall and cut any remaining grass blades from the edge. Care should be taken not to hold the shears horizontally to avoid destroying the right angle of the edge. I repeat this step two or three times during the growing season to keep my edges looking groomed.

Step 4: Mulch the bed

The final step is to put down 2 to 3 inches of mulch on the bed. The mulch not only suppresses weeds but also adds a rich, dark color to the edge. I mulch right up to the edge of the turf to create a gentle slope from the bottom of the edge to the top of the bed.

—Ray Baker is an interior designer and architect who gardens in Bethle­hem, Connecticut.

Photos: Virginia Small

More helpful information

Video: Select the Right Shovel

Video: How to Use a Shovel Safely

Video: Edging a Garden Bed

Making the Most of Mulch

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden, Revised and Updated Second Edition: A Natural Approach to Pest Control

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

This revised and updated edition of Jessica Walliser’s award-winning Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden offers a valuable and science-backed plan for bringing balance back to the garden. With this indispensable gardening reference—now updated with new research, insights, and voices—learn how to create a healthy, balanced, and diverse garden capable of supporting a hard-working crew of beneficial pest-eating insects and eliminate the need for synthetic chemical pesticides. Buy at Amazon

 EGO Power+ ST1511T 56-volt battery string trimmer 

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

POWERLOAD technology; load your line, push a button and go Get up to 45 minutes of run time on a single charge with the included 56V 2.5Ah ARC Lithium Battery Telescopic Aluminum Shaft quickly fits your height for ultimate comfort High-Efficiency Brushless Motor 15 in. Cutting Swath Professional-grade, dual line spiral-twist 0.095 in. line Variable speed with 2-Speed Settings Buy at Amazon

Berry & Bird Rabbiting Spade, Trenching Shovel

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Ideal Tool for All Gardeners Use: Our heavy duty trenching shovel is designed by a professional gardening tool designer. Lifetime Durability: This heavy duty drain spade is made of high-quality stainless steel, it is very strong and durable, even if it is used for high-strength work, it will not bend. Ergonomic Wood Handle: The handle of this planting spade is made of ash hardwood harvested from FSC-certified forests and has an ergonomically streamlined design, making it very suitable for everyone's hands. Multi-Use: This digging shovel is generally used for digging trenches, digging holes, transplanting, edging, moving compost, cutting thick turf and furrowing. The sharp blade allows you to cut, scoop, dig, lift and dice in hard soil. Buy at Amazon