On the Edge

     As spring approaches, all shades of green slowly seep into our dormant gray landscape. It's time to begin clearing out garden debris and planning garden area changes.  The edging of a garden impacts maintenance of the garden for years to come, so I give special attention to making sure the edging is effective, will require minimal labor annually, and is sustainable.  

      Over the years I have come to rely on two techniques that enable me to create gardens without purchasing pavers, plastic, or metal.  My preferred method is to simply allow the garden to take over an entire area: a shade garden beneath large maples in the center of a circular driveway; plantings encircled by large structural boulders or patio stones; or greenery between a building and walkway.  Whenever lawn or woods are not adjacent to the garden, there is no need to add edging material.

     If total enclosure is not possible, I generally use an "air wall" to stop the grasses and weeds from encroaching on the gardens.  Since roots cannot grow into air, this edging technique  protects the garden from unwanted intruders.   

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Digging down seven inches into the grass at 90 degrees with an edging spade, and gradually sloping the soil back toward the garden, leaves room to apply three inches of mulch and still maintain a four inch wall of air to block the lawn’s roots.  Re-edging annually to take out any roots or weeds that have worked their way into the garden area keeps the edge neat.  This yearly edging is easier than the original digging since it involves merely re-cutting in the same place, cleaning the “edge” of dirt and debris, and reapplying the mulch.