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How to Edge a Flower Bed

Are you tired of your flower beds looking like a disaster?

I feel the same way. For some reason it just bothers the heck out of me to not have a well edged flower or mulch bed.

So I did a little research and learned how to get an awesome edge that separates the beds from our grass.

The cool part is this technique requires only a few tools and a little sweat equity on your part.

You’ll need a half-moon edger which you can buy for all of $20 at the local hardware store.

But before you use it I’ve got some key tips to share that’ll make the process go a lot smoother (and safer!!!). Let’s get to it 🙂

 

Supply List for Edging Flower Beds

The half-moon edger is a fantastic tool.

But if it’s not sharp you’re gonna have a tall order digging into the ground.

Before getting started I’ll show you how to sharpen it using a file. Trust me, this is super important.

Secondly, before you do anything you’ll have to double check that you’re not digging into any utility lines, drainage pipes, or invisible dog fences.

I don’t want any surprises and assume you feel the same way.

Okay, I can’t wait to get started. Here’s your supply list

Start with Safety

DIY mortals like you and me need a little inspiration to see we can get a professional looking yard.

And I’ll show you everything that helped me get great results.

However, the first step you need to take is to make sure you’re not digging into any utility lines.

Before you dig

Here in Pittsburgh we can call a special number and get all the utility companies to come to the house to mark their specific lines.

Call utility companies

This is free of charge and I highly recommend you do it to be safe.

Call the following utility companies

  • Cable TV
  • Telephone
  • Gas
  • Water
  • Sewer
  • Electric

Inspect your yard for any drainage pipes or invisible dog fences, too.

Inspect for drainage pipes

I know how expensive dog fences can be and would hate to see you chop into it with your edger.

Bottom line, be cautious and safe.

Now on to the exciting stuff.

How to Edge a Flower Bed

I’m not knocking Bob. After all, he has a sweet beard and knows more about home improvement than God.

But you don’t have to do landscaping 24/7 to get great flower bed edges.

Buy the half-moon edger for $20. I got mine at Lowe’s but your local hardware store will have one.

Half-moon edger

Before digging into the ground you’ll want to sharpen the edger with a file.

Tilt the file at 45 degrees and run it along the edger’s blade toward the handle.

This will give you a nice sharp surface to penetrate the soil.

File the edger's blade

My edger was brand new and the blade looked duller than George Constanza’s bald head.

Filing it made a huge difference.

Outline your flower or mulch bed using a garden hose or spray paint.

I prefer the spray pain because I’m frankly afraid of slicing into my hose and having to add that to my to-do list of things to fix.

Outline flower bed

Plus the painted line won’t move while you dig into it.

Before I forget, here’s a HUGE TIP: edging is easier in the morning or after a heavy rain.

Your soil is easier to dig into when it’s damp.

Damp soil makes edging easier

Place the edger at a 90 degree angle and push it down into the flower bed. This will prevent grass from growing into the bed.

Push edger 90 degrees into bed

Rock the edger back and forth to loosen the dirt.

Pull the edger straight up then jab it into the flower bed to create a pie slice or checkmark (whichever is more appetizing to you, I prefer pie slice myself)

Create a pie slice with edger

Dig out this slice of dirt to reveal a nice edge.

If you’ve already got a flower bed remove as little grass or soil as possible, about 1 to 2 inches. This helps prevent your bed from getting bigger each year.

The final step is to tamp down the sloped bed with your edger, shovel, or by hand.

For some reason I preferred using my hands.

Tamp dirt in bed

And if you’ve got a really green thumb you can replant the grass you displace from the bed.

Why not kill two birds with one stone and get rid of bare spots in the yard with the grass you don’t want in the beds!!!

Replant grass in your yard

Believe it or not, it took me about 35 minutes to re-edge the mulch bed in my video.

I had a little help from my 9 year old daughter (she took the buckets of dirt to the woods) but this showed me the power of using the half-moon edger the right way.

Watch the video to see the before & after and get some fantastic additional tips.

When you’re done make sure you clean off the edger with a hose and file the blade again.

Spray down the edger’s blade with WD40 to prevent rust and corrosion. Gotta keep your tools looking good 🙂

Sharpen and lubricate edger

What’s Next

Our tutorial on how to clean and prep a stone patio is also super helpful – don’t miss it!

If you’re doing a bathroom remodel and need help, join one of our online courses – they’ll make your bathroom renovation much easier!

Let me know if you have any questions and I’ll do my best to help.

Thanks as always for reading, watching, and being part of our awesome community.

Cheers,

Jeff

Edge Flower Beds