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Re: edges

Marilyn,

Have a few, but all require a certain amount of digging :-)

You can use pieces of flagstone on edge, dug into the soil, to make a
continuous border with however much you want exposed.  For instance, use
12" wide pieces  x inches long and expose 6" or use 6" wide pieces  x
inches long and expose 2" or 3".

You can use treated 1" x whatever width lumber held in place with treated
2" x 2" stakes driven into the soil at least 12" and nailed to the border
side of the boards.  If you want to go around a curve, you just take a saw
and kerf the back side of the board so it will bend and not break.  Width
of lumber would be determined by how much border you wanted exposed.  You
would not have to dig this in as deeply as the flagstone because the stakes
would support it, but you would need to bury at least an inch or two so
that water and soil didn't run out underneath.

You can use brick dug in with the narrow side down or on the end as a
continuous border, again, buried at least halfway so they will stay in
place.  I've seen this done setting them on end at an angle, but have to
admit I'm not overly fond of this sawtooth look.

You can use landscape timbers - the kind generally sold at Home Despot or
other DIY stores -- treated and about 3-1/2" square and up to 8' long, held
in place with stakes same as the boards.

You can use rubble stone one stone high, fitted together as neatly as
possible and buried a couple of inches in the soil or at least to the depth
of the flagstone on your walk so the flagstone helps hold them in place. 
Only drawback here is that you will end up with some 'v' joints where soil
and mulch can wash in a heavy rain.   Or you can get at least partially
dressed stone in more or less square cornered blocks that would make a
lovely edge, but cost more than rubble stone.

You can use 4" solid CMU (concrete block) if you can stand the look or get
(if you have the $$) split faced block which comes in various colors. 
These would need to be dug in like bricks.  If you're rolling in $$, you
can use granite sets - lovely and very expensive!

If you like a rustic look, you can use small logs or tree trunks, with or
without bark, just slightly dug into the soil.

Some of the DIY stores around here sell sections of round wood, dressed and
about 2" or 3" in diameter, on end, wired together as edging and also
sections of flat board, generally with rounded end, connected together
vertically.  Total section height is about 12".  Both are meant to be used
as edging and need to be dug in at least half their length so they remain
upright.

You can cut sections of bamboo to a uniform length and wire them together
side by side to create and edging stuck into the ground vertically and
supported by burying half their length and/or with supplemental stakes
behind.

You really only need something that is tall enough to contain the soil and
mulch, it seems to me, probably something that extends above the flagstone
walk 2" or 3".


Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
Editor:  Gardening in Shade
http://www.suite101.com

----------
> From: marimuse <marimuse@earthlink.net>
> To: perennials@mallorn.com
> Subject: Re: edges
> Date: Saturday, July 19, 1997 10:01 PM
> 
> Hi, all, I have an even worse problem with edging....I have several beds 
> divided by a flagstone path.  There is no edging, and every time I 
> water, the soil runs down onto the path, and then it looks quite messy.  
> Any suggestions for this?  I was new to gardening when we had these beds 
> and the path made, and the landscaper who did the hardscape never 
> mentioned anything about this potential problem.  Any ideas what can be 
> done at this point?  Thanks.
> 
>         Marilyn in  Massachusetts
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