Do It Yourself

Your lawn may be a healthy green and your garden beds full of thriving, colorful plants, but if the total landscape isn't manicured, it looks messy. By manicured we mean a crisp edging that defines the flower beds and sets them off from the lawn. Landscape edging comes in many shapes and forms, from ground level rubber and metal strips to above-ground decorative pavers, and all are designed to separate grass from garden and keep creepers in their place.

YardEdge is an aluminum edging material you often see in public spaces and gardens, and it looks good in home landscapes, too. We found it sold online at www.doitbest.com and at lawn and garden centers. The material comes in a pack of four 6-foot-long green edging pieces with interlocking stakes. A landscaper will charge $230 to prepare the soil and install 40 feet of aluminum edging. You can do the job for $95.

For the best results, lay out the job with a long rope or garden hose so you'll have a guideline to follow. Then dig a 5-inch deep trench for the edging, removing any weeds and saving the excess soil until later. The edging pieces snap together; assemble them as you make your way around the garden and press them into the soil. Stakes are designed to fit into the edging to anchor it; pound them into the soil with a hammer. You need a hacksaw to custom-cut the aluminum to fit. The final step is to use the excess soil to backfill around the edging, smoothing the surface of the soil.