My weapon of choice is a simple edging spade. I like it because it makes a uniform even depth cut with a very clean edge. Other who cut by hand like to use a half moon edging tool. I don't like it because it does not cut an even depth.

A lot of people are using mechanical edgers. Some simply cut a vertical line while others cut and clear a valley to one side.

I like the clean look and line of a hand cut edge.

 

I'm with AGLA, a clean edge cut with a sharpened spade is the best mulch to grass edge. It's simple, can be change or expanded with little effort in the future and always matches the surrounding design elements. Often a metal edge or similar plastic edge is utilized between a stone or gravel area and it's surroundings to keep the stone from migrating into the mulch or turf.

A clean line from a spade or one of the dedicated bed edgers is the way to go. You will have to be concerned with buried wires, pipes or tubes but some investigation and a learned feel with a shovel will avoid most mishaps. Some repair tools and supplies are always a good thing to keep in your toolbox, as things happen and a quick repair can easily avoid a bigger problem. Cable tv installers are notorious for barely burying their lines, so locate the entry points of cable and phone if underground and edge slowly and carefully. A power edger shreds these wires and cables quite effectively.

Kirk

 

I see in new york and I am not really familiar with your soil conditions so this may or may not work for you.

Down here in South Carolina we have have clay. When it is dry clay is really hard although when wet it can be dealt with. If dry I would water the area to be edged. I used my stick edger with a fresh blade to make these edges about 2 days after a good rain. Came back with square point shovel on a 35 degree angle. After some practice it goes pretty quick.

Hope this helped you out.

http://www.lawnsite.com/showthread.php?t=295362

 

I use both a walk behind edger and a half moon. I have a power trim edger and love it. You can use the half moon to clean it up. After the edge is established you can usually maintain it with a weed wacker.

 

I use a Turfco Edge-R-ite, Basically its a half of a sod cutter, has several blade options, you can use it to cut L shaped edge around mulch beds, V shaped edge around trees, remove a 1" U shaped ribbon of sod next to sidewalks or concrete. Also has a blade that is about 3" wide, removes a ribbon of sod, which can be replaced, if you are laying dog fence or CATV. One good thing, if you are used to using it, you can feel it hitting a CATV wire, before you actually cut it! Google Edgerite, or turfco. Sometimes you can find them at golf course auctions, for way less than what Turfco gets for them.

 

you can see plenty of good edging pictures (using our grooming blade) at our website, http://www.turfteq.com/ and our facebook, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Turf-Teq-LLC/186798660818?ref=ts

 

This is a few pics of my method. I think you have a wide range of ways to cut an edge, just a matter of what works for you.

http://www.lawnsite.com/showpost.php?p=3129470&postcount=98

http://www.lawnsite.com/showpost.php?p=3129476&postcount=99

 

Here is my take. My customers have liked the look of flagstone strip stone edging. It is 4" high, about 1 1/2-2" wide and various lengths set flush with the sod surface. On the mulch side, I leave the soil down about 3" and fill that in with mulch. Then the mower wheel can run on the top of the edging and then one only needs to run a string trimmer along the flagstone edge to clean it up. Here in CO, most landscapers use steel edging (14 gauge galvenized roll top safety edging held in with edging pins), but the flagstone has a much more natural and appealing look and is almost as funtional to keep grass out of the beds. Some maintenance is required at the joints of the flagstone as sod will slowly creep into the beds between the joints, but the overall look is much nicer than steel edging. I use either a pick/ax or a square sod spade to install depending on how hard the soil is. Hope this helps.

 

This is a few pics of my method. I think you have a wide range of ways to cut an edge, just a matter of what works for you.

http://www.lawnsite.com/showpost.php?p=3129470&postcount=98

http://www.lawnsite.com/showpost.php?p=3129476&postcount=99

White Gardens,

Those pictures look great. Can you post more with the finished landscape on that project?

Thanks

 

White Gardens,

Those pictures look great. Can you post more with the finished landscape on that project?

Thanks

Here you go.

http://www.lawnsite.com/showthread.php?t=272897&page=11

 

Here is my take. My customers have liked the look of flagstone strip stone edging. It is 4" high, about 1 1/2-2" wide and various lengths set flush with the sod surface. On the mulch side, I leave the soil down about 3" and fill that in with mulch. Then the mower wheel can run on the top of the edging and then one only needs to run a string trimmer along the flagstone edge to clean it up. Here in CO, most landscapers use steel edging (14 gauge galvenized roll top safety edging held in with edging pins), but the flagstone has a much more natural and appealing look and is almost as funtional to keep grass out of the beds. Some maintenance is required at the joints of the flagstone as sod will slowly creep into the beds between the joints, but the overall look is much nicer than steel edging. I use either a pick/ax or a square sod spade to install depending on how hard the soil is. Hope this helps.

Take it a step further and mortar them in place. That will help to keep the grass at bay, and they'll never move, especially when you add re-bar to it.

The one I recently did is in the last pic in this post in my thread.

http://www.lawnsite.com/showpost.php?p=3182444&postcount=159

 

Bluebird makes a heavy bed edging machine that can be set from 1''-4'' depth. It will certainly give you the definition you want between turf and beds. Echo also has released a new product this year that offers the same results...It is hand held like a stick edger, but will provide you with the results you are looking for. The bluebird costs around $2000 new?? just a guess on that one... The Echo costs $650 at my equip dealer. Other options are to rent a bluebird edger for $50-60/day or use a pick-axe the make the trench on smaller jobs where it is not affordable to use a machine. Hope this helps.