I am fairly new to gardening but really enjoy it - the problem is that I
have been attempting to make a really attractive flower bed in my yard and
wanted an edge to give it a nice formal look (plus one side of it is close
to the driveway and slopes down so I want to ensure the soil doesn't wash
away). The problem is that I cannot seem to find an edging product that is
easy to install and that doesn't look cheap or tacky. Any suggestions?

Barbara

"barbara hamilton" wrote in message
...
I am fairly new to gardening but really enjoy it - the problem is that I
have been attempting to make a really attractive flower bed in my yard and
wanted an edge to give it a nice formal look (plus one side of it is close
to the driveway and slopes down so I want to ensure the soil doesn't wash
away). The problem is that I cannot seem to find an edging product that
is
easy to install and that doesn't look cheap or tacky. Any suggestions?

I gave up on edging long ago. Couldn't find anything affordable that I
liked, and the one type of edging I thought I could live with caused a
drainage problem. What someone suggested I use is hardwood mulch, which
doesn't wash away the way pine bark mulch does. This really has done the
trick for me. We also generally dig a bit of a trench between the
drive/sidewalk and the flower bed to give the mulch a barrier of sorts.
Anyhoo, worked for us. Hope this helps! :-)

My recommendation would be to take a drive through some nicer subdivisions
and check out their retaining walls for beds. They are usually made with a
grey stone that is carried by Lowe's or Home Depot. Depending on whether
your beds are raised or at lawn level, you could use one or two tiers as a
border.

If you want some variety of color or shapes, go online and check out
Luckstone. They are on Old Apex Rd. in Cary and will deliver the stones
(for a fee). I believe the stones at Lowe's are interlocking so they don't
shift and look disheveled.

Hope this helps.

Penny
"barbara hamilton" wrote in message
...
I am fairly new to gardening but really enjoy it - the problem is that I
have been attempting to make a really attractive flower bed in my yard and
wanted an edge to give it a nice formal look (plus one side of it is close
to the driveway and slopes down so I want to ensure the soil doesn't wash
away). The problem is that I cannot seem to find an edging product that
is
easy to install and that doesn't look cheap or tacky. Any suggestions?

Barbara

"barbara hamilton" wrote in message
...
I am fairly new to gardening but really enjoy it - the problem is that I
have been attempting to make a really attractive flower bed in my yard and
wanted an edge to give it a nice formal look (plus one side of it is close
to the driveway and slopes down so I want to ensure the soil doesn't wash
away). The problem is that I cannot seem to find an edging product that
is
easy to install and that doesn't look cheap or tacky. Any suggestions?

We had a stone wall put in this winter by Kathy at Southern Rain. Part of
it is a retaining wall, part is not. It wasn't cheap, but every time I see
it, I'm happy we did it.

She also tilled, amended, and planted a large area. The edges are quite
sloped, but she also cut in adjacent to the concrete, and it hasn't run off.
If you're interested, I can email you pictures and contact info for Kathy.

Beth