We've had challenge keeping the grass out of the lirope edging. Partner uses a trimmer mower to maintain it and we don't have a barrier in between grass and lirope.
We have been discussing putting down newspaper in between and piling our fall leaves over the paper. That has seemed to work OK in other places, then a permanent edging material could be installed in between grass and lirope , if desired. It is much easier to keep the grass out of the mulched area. We used some of the black rubber edging in another area but Partner just replaced it with landscape timber secured by rebar, as we have used in some other areas. We have never tried the green steel strips. We really like to use the lirope as edging but the invasivness of the grass has been challenging. EP

I am referring to the 'lawn /path' as 'grass' and what you are referring to as 'monkey grass' as 'lirope'. Bermuda spreads fast and it can be challenging to keep it from invading the lirope. A barrier in between is a very good move. EP

I'm surprised it's not the other way around. It's always a guessing game for me - does the Bermuda win this time, or the Monkey grass? They seem to have a mutual invasion society going on. If you do put a barrier down, you'll have to have a pretty deep one. In trying to pull bermuda grass, the roots can go down a good 10".

Susan

For me, the liriope has been more aggressive than the Bermuda grass. I don't have a barrier between mine, and the liriope has spread out into the Bermuda. What I call Monkey Grass is a thinner bladed grass than the Liriope, and is not nearly as aggressive. KFK123, I originally planted my liriope in tiny sprigs, very far apart. I can remember my brother in law laughing at how I did it, but I told him it would fill in. Within three years it was so thick he couldn't believe it. So I would guess yours will make a nice thick carpet of grass in just a year or two unless you used very tiny sprigs and planted it really far apart. Then it might take three years. I never fertilized mine at all. The stuff grows like a wildfire. If you can water it well, it'll grow faster.

I have heard that monkey grass needs a root barrier as deep as 18 inches to stop it invading other areas. If growing in good soil, I have even found Burmuda grass roots from 16 to 18 inches deep.

By all means do not put down weed barrier cloth in an attempt to prevent Bermuda grass invasion into undesirable areas. Bermuda roots get through that stuff easily, tangle up with the fabric, and grows huge in diameter roots under that worthless stuff.

Well,
I tend to only plant stuff where I can mow around it if I don't like the way it spreads into the lawn. Where it spreads in spite of the black plastic edging or in areas where I have landscape fabric under mulch, I just pull it up.
I don't get too fussy about the edges, just tend to let them kind of bleed over for a softer look. Don't like hard edges much in plantings.

The variegated green and white liriope is not nearly as aggressive as the solid green kind. I remember trying to dig up a strip of the green stuff about 30 years ago and swore I would NEVER have the stuff again. I bought a house three years ago, with the variegated kind was already planted. My first impression was to rip it out while I still could. But it was in a bed enclosed with concrete on all sides, so I figured it would be safe. It has not filled in solid, has nice purple flowers in late summer, and is tolerant of all kinds of conditions. But it is not invasive. I really like it.

BTW enchanted, I looked at your pictures. I LOVE your place. I am gardening in the sandstone and clay by Keystone lake. Did you build all the terraces yourself? What kind of soil did you start with? Did you amend it, and if so, how?

Barton, partner built the area behind the shop and the 2 lower s/w areas. The rest was previously here. We build our soil with hauled in top soil, compost, peat, and sand. We don't mind sharing plants but there is no way we will share our soil. The sub surface is chunky rock. He also did all the landscape timber beds and edgings. In this picture you can see the lirope down below on the left side, along the slope. We love it but it can be messy when invaded by the grass. We have removed a lot of it from the more confined areas. In our shady door yard it has not been invasive nor invaded by anything. We turned all the area on right of photo along fence into a wildscape area. It is filled with echinacea, Queen Anne's lace and day lilies. We seldom water there. When the echinacea is finished blooming partner whacks it with the weed eater. It self sows. EP

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