Hilltop Nurseries, 
Clacton Road, Weeley, 
Essex, CO16 9DN
01255 830325

February 25, 2022

How to edge a lawn

Recently laid a new lawn, or your old one is looking tired? Time to edge it like a pro!

Interior designers and architects know that well-defined lines are incredibly important for creating a finished look, professional look to an area. Gardens are no exception! Having a lawn with razor-sharp edges and borders, whether that’s around centre pieces, like a fountain, or adjacent to beds (below), and even in and around paving, can refresh any garden. 

The great news is that you can edge (or re-edge) your lawn easily, following four simple steps. It truly does not have to take a lot of time, and the pay off is well worth it.

STEP 1: Make an edge (or remake an edge!)

Easy as pie, the first step is to simply cut the edge. If you’re working on an old bed or edge, you can go straight into this step, but if you are creating a new edge or bed, you’ll have to mark the lines first – a garden hose will do the job nicely. 

There are two ways to cut an edge.

The first method is to use a half-moon edger or a spade to cut along the line you’ve drawn (or the existing line). Unfortunately neither of these traditional tools are great at cutting curved edges, so you’ll have to work in small cuts to create them, and be mindful of the curve as you’re moving along. 

The second method is to use an edging tool with a circular blade and wheels. With these, you simply hold the end of the tool and walk along behind it – as it rolls it cuts a continuous line into the soil. Wheels on these tools make it easier to create curves, since the wheels enable rolling. They can also make it much quicker to cut lines, which is especially good if you find gardening tiring or you have a huge lawn. Tools like the STIHL FCS-KM STRAIGHT SHAFT EDGE TRIMMER KOMBI TOOL ATTACHMENT work, although there are cheaper options available. 

STEP 2:  Get rid of excess turf

As soon as the edge has been cut, refine it with a spade so that the cut to 4 to 6 inches. We want to be creating an edge with a 90-degree angle. When creating a brand new edge or bed, be sure to cut the turf on the inside of the bed with the spade as well. Remove any loosened turf by hand. 

STEP 3:  Hone the edge

To get super well-defined edges, place hand shears vertically along the edge wall and cut away any remaining grass blades from the edge. Don’t hold the shears horizontally as you could accidentally destroy the beautiful right angle of the edge that you worked so hard to create! during the growing season, be sure to hone the edge using this exact method two or three times. This will keep it looking in top shape.

If creating a bed, you will want to lay 2 to 3 inches of mulch on the bed. This will help to  suppresses weeds and add a rich, dark colour to the edge. You can get creative here, and create a beautiful, gentle slope with the mulch, taking it from the bottom of the edge to the top of the bed.

If you are edging around paving slabs, you don’t need to do anything further expect to upkeep the edging. 

And if you are edging around anything else – like decorative areas, fountains, etc, you can also finish off the edge with a low wooden fence, slate, bricks – get creative!

If you’re thinking of relaying your lawn, please contact Paynes Turf to have your turf shipped to you. We can also recommend local landscapers if you don’t want to lay it yourself.

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