How to Edge a Flowerbed
- 1). Spread powdered chalk or a hose around the flower bed to demarcate the perimeters and give you an idea of how much material you need. Spread the chalk as straight as possible for straight lines, or contour a garden hose to work around curved edges. Measure the length of the powdered chalk all around the bed and note it.
- 2). Dig a trench over the demarcated line around the flower bed as wide as the selected edging material, but 1/2- to 1-inch shorter in height, so the top of the edging protrudes from the trench and stands out in the surrounding soil. Lower a piece of edging into the trench and adjust the depth and width if necessary.
- 3). Tamp a length of 2-by-4 over the base to level it.
- 4). Lower the steel or plastic edging into the trench, starting at one corner, so the rounded tip is above the surrounding soil. Work your way around the flower bed, bending it around any curves. Make sure the attached spike pickets at the lower ends of the edging material are adjacent to the lawn. To cut excess off, make a vertical cut over the point with a hacksaw and bend it back and forth until it breaks in two.
- 5). Pound spikes into the V-shaped stake pockets at the base of the edging that penetrates the soil in order to hold the material firmly in place. These pockets should be spaced throughout the edging every 2 to 3 feet.
- 6). Step back and inspect the edging around the flower bed. Fill any gaps between the trench and edging with dirt. Moisten the soil with a garden hose so the dirt settles down and holds the edging in place.
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