HOW TO EDGE A FLOWER BED WITH STONE?

Growing plants in garden beds can be fun but when unwanted plants invade, the problem starts. To evade such issues you need to build the edge or border of your bed.

If you do not build edges or borders then rogue blades of grass and unwanted weeds are popping up in your garden. The only solution is that you can block these uninvited plants with the help of garden bed edging.

When you create a border, it means you help your plants and discourage lawn grass and creeping weeds. This will help to stop them from encroaching on your garden. Some grass species such as rhizomes or stolon can be spread by producing tillers.

In the same way, some invasive broadleaf weeds like creeping charlie can be spread from one yard to another. It means these uninvited plants will spread aggressively and take over the whole area of your bed in no time.

There is no problem in installing edging anytime but the best time is when the plants are not in full bloom. If you do this then you will damage your plants.

For such projects, the best time is in early spring or later in fall. There are different ways of building edging. You can also build edging by using different materials such as wood, metal, plastic, and bricks.

EDGE WITH STONES

Here we are discussing installing edges with stones. Stone edging provides a simple solution to all your problems for outlining your patios, walkways, garden, and landscape. You can use stones alone or as a perfect complement to pavers.

This is a simple way of edging your bed but sometimes the simplest changes bring the biggest impact. This is a natural way of creating an edge for your garden bed but this type of edging is long-lasting and needed a little maintenance.

But this option works best if you use it for installing a new garden bed. And remember this border is ideal if you have a sloped landscape because it helps to create flat terrain where you can easily plant your garden.

Stone border can serve as a pretty barrier as it creates a break between grass and mulch and stops the grass from starting growing in your bed.

Before building your border you should buy landscaping cloth.

The purpose of these clothes is to prevent weeds from growing and at the same time, retains the moisture. Try to use good landscaping cloth in your garden bed.

The stones overlap the cloth and help to stop the grass to grow in bed and it is not possible to jump through. Now we explain all the steps to build a good border with stones.

The interesting thing is that this project doesn’t need any skills. It means if you are a beginner then you can do it effortlessly. Follow the advice to install a stone border. Hope these instructions will help you in creating an edge.

STEP 1: Define Your Flower Bed

Before making a stone border for your bed you should focus on the shape of your bed. If your shape is defined then it is easy for you to create a border.

Poorly shaped beds can’t easily be maintained; you can use hoses to define the line before digging it. The shape of the beds depends upon the form of the lawn you have. By creating a strong form for your lawn your beds will fall into place.

After that, you should measure the area where you want to install your border. After measuring the area, mark it as it will help you a lot in the process of installing.

If you want to add mulch to your bed do it after creating the edge. You should clean out the garden bed. For cleaning purposes you need a rake, when raking is done you will there is a nice gap between bed and lawn.

Before digging the ground you should make sure there is nothing inside the ground like underground wires or anything else. So make sure there is nothing beneath the ground where you are going to start digging.

STEP 2: Start Digging

After marking, the step of digging comes, you will have to dig a 2 – 3 inches deep trench. Your trench should be along the marked area. Keep in your mind the depth of the trench depends upon the size of the stones you choose for this purpose.

Now you need a shovel at this stage for digging, you need a Halfmoon special kind of shovel which is specially made for creating edges for beds. Try to use a high-quality tool for digging so your work becomes easier.

You can buy it from any good gardening store. By digging you will create space for your stone pavers that’s why digging is more important. If you want to make a good base you can fill the trench at the bottom with sand.

STEP 3: Start Edging With Stones

After digging the trench, start placing stones in the trench. There are different sizes and shapes of stones available for your garden bed. It is up to you which size you like most or which colour suits your garden.

As it is explained above your stone should overlap the landscape cloth. This will give you better results. Grass will not be able to cross the line of stone and your plants will be saved from invasion of uninvited grass and weeds.

STEP 4: Fill The Spaces

If you find any open spaces then you can fill them with dirt. This will help to hold the stones in place and your stones will not move easily. This border will add texture and character to your garden and defines a line between the grass and bed.

This is the most simplest and subtle border for your bed as it effectively separates your lawn from the garden. If you want to add a clean border and give a handsome visual appeal then use stone borders for your favourite plants.

Stone border is inexpensive and you can easily create it and give a beautiful edge to your garden. If your budget is low then you should prefer this material.

NOTE

All stone borders do not need a shovel. In this case, you should simply mark the areas of the bed and make sure your stones overlap the landscaping cloth. The reason for doing this is to make your border harder for grass to grow through.

MAINTAIN THE EDGE

The stone edge is a simple DIY project for beginners. It is cheap, easy to do and you will make it skillfully. The final step to maintain your garden bed throughout the growing season. The interesting thing is that stone edging involves little maintenance. The severe conditions of weather, rain and snow will affect your border. But you should do the following precautions for favorable results.

The first thing you should do is dig out the stones and set them away from the grass edge.
After filling the holes, the stones again where they were.
Terminate your garden bed lines at a right angle to paths, driveways, and other surfaces.
Avoid leaving any narrow strips of grass between the bed and hardscape.
When your stone edge set you can plant annuals and perennials in the garden bed.