Lawn edging around raised beds

Joined
Jun 29, 2022
Messages
684
Reaction score
202
Location
Ayrshire
Hardiness Zone
9b
Country
United Kingdom
I have a few raised beds of flowers on my front lawn. They are made out of 2 x 4 inch wood. It looks amazing when the lawn is neatly trimmed but strimming around those beds is driving me insane! The cord on the strimmer snaps every two minutes requiring me to rewind the spool. I thought it might be my strimmer at fault but I'm now on my third and still the same problem.

So, any ideas for a neat way to finish those edges? I don't mind going around the edges with long handled edging tools. But clipping the grass right up to the edge of the beds just doesn't work.

I have thought about killing about 2 inches of grass around the wooden edges of the bed. But what's the neatest way to achieve this? I'm not keen on using weedkiller.
 
Joined
Mar 22, 2017
Messages
3,993
Reaction score
3,070
Location
Kent
Country
United Kingdom
That job's not hard. You only need a straight edge and an edging tool and you can cut a strip around each bed
1680368008053.png
If you plant low growing sedums or similar around the beds, they will look good as well as saving some work.
 
Joined
Jan 31, 2018
Messages
3,336
Reaction score
3,721
Location
The Tropic of Trafford
Hardiness Zone
Keir Hardy
Country
United Kingdom
I wouldn't want to increase the work load.
Strimmer cords come in different thicknesses, try the next size up. I did that because one side of my lawn butts up to a crazy York stone path, so it's hard on strimmer cords.
 
Joined
Jun 29, 2022
Messages
684
Reaction score
202
Location
Ayrshire
Hardiness Zone
9b
Country
United Kingdom
That job's not hard. You only need a straight edge and an edging tool and you can cut a strip around each bed View attachment 95155 If you plant low growing sedums or similar around the beds, they will look good as well as saving some work.
Do you mean planting sedum in the 'ditch'? Could you then just mow over it to avoid trimming the edges?

Or do you mean plant the sedum in the beds?
 
Joined
Jun 29, 2022
Messages
684
Reaction score
202
Location
Ayrshire
Hardiness Zone
9b
Country
United Kingdom
I wouldn't want to increase the work load.
Strimmer cords come in different thicknesses, try the next size up. I did that because one side of my lawn butts up to a crazy York stone path, so it's hard on strimmer cords.
We tried that and it helps, but still it breaks at least two or three times and each time it breaks the thicker cord uncoils like a spring!! The air is blue any time hubby or I are strimming!!
 
Joined
Jan 31, 2018
Messages
3,336
Reaction score
3,721
Location
The Tropic of Trafford
Hardiness Zone
Keir Hardy
Country
United Kingdom
Well, you could adapt what I've done.

I set block paving bricks in a fine concrete mix along one side of my lawn, about fifteen years ago (these are they, last year). They are level with the lawn. I just run my Flymo over them, so no edging.

P1000175.JPG


You could lay bricks level with the lawn along the bottom of your planters and do the same.
 
Joined
Mar 22, 2017
Messages
3,993
Reaction score
3,070
Location
Kent
Country
United Kingdom
1680368937959.png
This sedum is one of my favourites. It is small, low growing, and makes a seamless carpet without ever looking untidy.
If you take the turf off in a strip around the bed, shake off the soil, and there will just be a little shallow piece of ground to plant in. As it's just a fraction lower than the mower, you can cut with the mower right over the edge of the grass.
I see some people will use ground cover membrane and put stones over the top, but I would always prefer to use plants. Your sedums when not in flower will just look green - like the rest of the lawn.
 
Joined
Jun 29, 2022
Messages
684
Reaction score
202
Location
Ayrshire
Hardiness Zone
9b
Country
United Kingdom
Thanks both! This is the ideal - being able to run the lawn mower over the top.

We have similar problems on a larger scale at the back. Although it doesn't need to be quite so neat at the back.

We have some areas of wildflower meadow and some garden beds at the bottom of the garden - big sweeping curves. What we've done there is plant white clover and other low level wildflowers around the borders. We mow the borders every 4 or so grass cuts - the rest of the time we let the clover etc grow to make a fluffy border. It works really well.

The other problem area is where we fenced off veg garden to keep our 4 Beagles out. If the grass grows under the wire fencing it's a nightmare to pull it all out. But how to keep that area clear? We have a lot of creeping buttercup in the law (which I love) but we don't want that getting into the veg garden. I'm thinking now we'll cut a ditch around that area, then either fill in with some cobble type stones or low lying flowers. I'm very happy to have clover spreading into flower and veg beds so maybe just clover in the ditch. That will be happy to have the lawn mower giving it a haircut every so often.
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
26,588
Messages
256,641
Members
13,261
Latest member
geeksleather

Latest Threads

Top