I am comtemplated using a bed edging that I stumbled across on the hypertufa forum. This person dug a trench around an existing garden bed. I think it was 9 inches deep and nine inches wide. They filled it with a dry cement mix and topped it off with some fist sized rocks. They used a hose to water it all in. The result was lovely. Very "english" looking. I will try to find the thread and post it for you if you are interested. I myself have been throwing cement "rock" edging on all the garden beds that I created last year. Its a mixture of redimix with a bit of peat that I mix up and drop into the bottom of a large size plastic milk container. I then drop that around the borders of the garden beds after taking out the surrounding turf. I use the flat side of a pick axe to take out the turf and so far so good. I am also making a patio out of the same "rocks" over a particularly sandy part of my property. I can post pictures if you are interested in that also. It is surprising simple to do and very gratifying. Adele

Sounds interesting.

Yes, if you get a chance, I wouldn't mine seeing some pictures.

Thanks for your response.

Well, I'm in year 3 of the great rock wall project. If you have rocks in your soil like me, it's a natural solution. First I carefully fitted and dry-stacked - kids and pets dislodged that. I started using S-type mortar in between. It seems to take the last 2 winters without cracking. I dig a trench first and make a line of bricks to lay the rocks on. I use no other "structural" reinforcement, but I have not exceeded 18" in height. It is very physical even with small rocks, with all the up and down and fetching rocks the right size and shape. It's not pilates, but it is a workout.

Here is the link for the concrete edging. There is a picture of finished project further down into the thread.

I'll post pictures of my "rock"s on another post.

I would love to use real rock like Brenda but the only rocks in my landscape are pulverized (sand).

Here is a link that might be useful: cement garden border

This is a link to a couple pictures of the "rock" borders I am making. Adele

Here is a link that might be useful: rock borders

Adele, I love it! You are really something, making your own rocks (martha would be proud)...and what a charming result!

A neighbor showed me how to 1) first clear an edge using tools and then 2) every once in a while run the weed whacker on the side, whacking up out of the dirt any grass trying to creep into the bed. Her gardens are beautifully edged this way.

Another uses Roundup to keep that edge clean, but a biologist I respect a lot frowned on that over-use of round-up.

Since they are building houses all around me I am using all the rock they are digging up for my edging. The soil around here is so rocky it's easy to get lots and the free price doesn't hurt.

JP

rockToter -

How wide and deep is the edge you dig out?

When a garden is in a lawn, everything changes. Rocks are almost out of the question unless they are mortared in a fruitcake of sorts.

Sanford is the "brick capital," so lots of people use them. The expansive and lovely Patterson gardens (open on Mother's Day) have grass and probably miles of recessed edging with the bricks long side by side rather than end to end.

I use a gas powered edger. A friend who has a landscaping business told me to try that thing where you turn the weed whacker on it's side but it was very hard on my hands and arms and I was not doing a good job on the edges.
Last year I but the bullet and purchased the edger and LOVE it.

Beautiful project, Adele.

I use an electric edger...maybe once a month I run it around all my beds. Makes a nice, clean edge about 3" deep and 2" wide, and keeps the centipede grass from creeping in.

Sorry about this late response. My neighbor keeps about a 5" edge. It's just bare dirt. Holding the weed whacker on it's side whacks out any new growth. But my hubby thinks that's a dangerous use of the weed-whacker, so an edger would be better....

Thanks for all of your responses to my orignal query. I know this may seem like I'm beating a dead horse, but can someone post pictures of their typical bed edges?

Thanks!

I gave up on edgers years ago. It's a lot of work putting them in, and certain plants (eg, creeping grasses) always seem to find a way through. Plus it is often hard mowing along an edger, so you end up having to use a string trimmer. Instead, I just mulch my beds heavily to keep down the weeds and then do occasional weeding or roundup treatments to keep things in check.

chippate, here is a link to one of my front beds. This is the only picture that I have that clearly shows where I have used the gas edger, I also go along the edges with Round Up.

Here is a link that might be useful: edged bed

That's very nice. Thanks for posting the link to the picture.

Adele, How did you make your rocks? They are beautiful.

Susan.

Hi Susan, Thanks...the "rocks" were actually quite easy to make, just time consumming. That border that you see there will eventually be a patio of them. I am also working with the lay of the land and not grading anything. My intent is really to cover that area of sand since NOTHING seems to grow in it.

I use a cement admix with gravel. They run around 3.99 a bag. I think you get 21 "rocks" out of one bag. I cut the bag open into an old wheelbarrel and then add about half of a gallon sized nursery pot of peat and mix really well with a garden hoe. I add water to make it the consistency of I guess a brownie mix. Its thick. I had some plastic gallon water jugs left over from wintersowing and I cut the plastic jug in the middle, essentially cutting off the spout and most of the top. Wearing thick rubber gloves I just scoop the cement mixture into the "jug" form and with a fist or the flat of my hand tamp it down to get rid of any air bubbles, bring it to where I want the rock and then invert it on the ground. I sometimes form them by hand into shapes or sometimes push out a section in the middle to make a place to plant sedums. I've even put faces in some.

It usually takes me a little over an hour to mix and plop one bag. They are usually hard enough to walk on the next day. I am planning on bordering all my beds with them. Cement seems to be a very forgiving medium, the way I am using it anyway. I am not very scientific with the mixing and just seem to go by feel. Try one bag and see how it goes.

Adele

That is so cool. I'm gonna have to try that, adele. Economical, too. Bet you could mix in some of the coloring mix, too, to get more of a natural brown rock rather than grey. Fun. thanks- tammy

Hi Tammy. It is fun doing them ha. Actually the amount of peat you add also adds to the color. The first that I attempted had much more peat and are a nice deep brown but they are very weak and porous. I add just enough peat now to not affect the color but still give the cement a porous enough structure to hopefully grow moss. That is my intent anyway. I've toyed with the idea of staining them with a concrete stain. I did that on some concrete pavers in PGH and I really liked the effect. The color wintered over extremely well, even in zone 6 winters. I used three different earth tones and randomly applied with a rag. Seeing your place I can tell you have a weakness for whimsy as do I. I can't wait to see what you create. Adele

Adele, Thanks! I am going to try it. I was thinking of getting interlocking brick edging that goes for about $1.25 a piece. This looks better and is much cheaper.

Susan.

weakness for whimsy! what a wonderful way to put it! you make it sound like a good thing!! lol
my problem is i don't have enough time.... sigh. i will get to it sometime, tho. i cut & pasted your directions so i'd have em when i want them. thanks! tam

Adele,

One more question please. Is peat essential? What does it do to the cement? Thanks,
Susan.

Hi Susan, No the peat is not essential. I prefer the slightly tan look it gives the "rocks". The more peat you add the less strong the concrete mixture is. With the amount I use it does not seem to make that much of a difference in the strength of "rocks" and gives them a more tan color than that typical cement gray. You could go ahead like Tammy suggested and put a coloring agent used for cement instead. Adele

Aren't bags of dry cement mix awfully heavy? The 40 or 50# bags of sand that I sometimes have to lug around are a strain on my old back.

Am I just old and wimpy?