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Edging is the process of defining the borders between your lawn, flower beds, and other areas of your garden. Regular tidying will keep your edges beautifully neat.
On this page:
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1. Benefits for you
2. What you need
3. Types of edging
4. Guide to lawn edging
5. What next
Helpful information
Timing: Spring, summer, autumn
Where to do it: Outdoors
Garden space: Small garden, large garden
Benefits for you
- A physically active task – especially when combined with mowing the lawn.
- Enjoy the clear difference you can make to your garden, a sense of tidiness and keeping it at its best
- Time outdoors, enjoying seeing everything that is growing in your garden
What you need
Essential items
- Spade
- Edging shears
Optional items
- Gardening gloves
- Half-moon lawn edger
- Goggles or protective eye wear (if using grass strimmer)
- Rake or leaf blower
- Bucket or container to place grass clippings in
Tools to make it easier
- Kneeler seat with handles
- Single handed grass shears
- Grass collector for edging shears
- Grass strimmer
Types of edging
A bed of tulips and daffodils with a stone border
There are different ways you can create an edge between your lawn, beds, borders and pathways. What you choose is mainly a question of personal taste.
Natural lawn edging
The simplest form of edging is to let your lawn run all the way up to your flower beds and borders.
This makes your lawn easy to mow and easy to get right up to the edge with shears or a grass strimmer.
The downside is that grass can more easily creep across your flower beds. In time, this can look messy and need more work to maintain.
Solid lawn edging
Some people use solid material to create a clear boundary between their lawn and borders. This usually makes maintenance easier. With a solid edge, you won't have to define edges again. With a grass edge, you will have to do this occasionally.
Many types of material can be used to make a solid lawn edge. Some popular options are log rolls, steel - such as EverEdge - sleepers, bricks, large stones and concrete in varying shapes and forms.
You may be able to mow right up to your solid edging. Or, you may still need to use a grass strimmer for a neat finish.
Guide to lawn edging
A flower border with paving and grass edge
There are two parts to edging your lawn. First, defining the edge so it’s neat and clear. Then, keeping this edge tidy.
1. Defining your lawn edge
If your grass goes all the way up to your beds and borders, it is a good idea to define the edges from time to time. You could do this once a year in spring, ready for the new growing season.
Use a spade or half-moon edger to cut a sharp edge wherever your lawn meets your flower beds. If you use a half-moon edger, the finish will be more precise. To make your edge, drive the tool straight into the ground. Flick or rake cut grass and soil back into the bed, or put it into a bucket and compost.
When you edge, it’s helpful if the level of the flower bed ends up around 10cm below the level of the lawn. This makes it easy to distinguish your lawn area from beds and borders. It also makes tidying the grass easier.
Make it easier
It can be hard to define your edges if you are in a seated position. Most digging tools need weight placed on them to go into the ground. In this case, it may make it easier to choose solid lawn edging materials (see above)
Edging the lawn can be tiring, precise work that takes time. Take breaks – you don’t have to get it done in one go.
2. Tidying lawn edges
This is the process of trimming the grass at the edges so it’s the same length as the rest of your lawn.
If you are edging your lawn and mowing it the same day, trim the edges first. This way, you can use a rake or leaf blower to move the grass cuttings onto the lawn. The lawnmower will then pick these up as you go over them, saving you the task of bending to clear.
Gather together all the tools you need before starting work. This will save multiple trips to the shed.
If you are using edging shears to tidy your edges, trim a section at a time. It’s just like a little hair cut!
If you are using a grass strimmer, you can work from a standing position. Gently move the strimmer across all the edges.
If you have hard lawn edges, check whether you can mow all the way up to them without damaging the mower. If not, you may need to use a grass strimmer or long-handled lawn shears to tidy.
Make it easier
Tidying lawn edges is quite a physical activity. There are ways you can reduce strain along with tools to make it easier.
Avoiding strain
Edging shears can be heavy and too short, which can cause back and neck strain. If you want to use them, look for lighter and longer models.
Whether you are kneeling or standing, make sure you find a comfortable position to work in.
Tools to help
You can find a grass collector for edging shears. This clips on and catches the grass as you go, saving bending to pick up cuttings.
If you are using single handed grass shears, you typically need to kneel to use them. A kneeler seat with handles will protect your knees and help you get back up again.
Grass strimmers can save bending. Look for a lightweight model and ideally try holding in the shop before buying.
Saving energy
Take regular breaks - you don’t have to complete all edges in one go. Pause and admire your progress so far.
What next
Your lawn will benefit from some other maintenance activities each year, like feeding.
Read our guide to lawn care for advice on all the activities that add up to a healthy, green lawn.
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