How to Edge a Garden Bed | This Old House

This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook creates a clean garden edge. (See below for a shopping list and tools.)

SUBSCRIBE to This Old House: bit.ly/SubscribeThisOldHouse

Cost:
$40 to $100, depending upon how much you enlarge the existing garden bed
Time:
4 to 6 hours for an average-size garden bed
Difficulty:
Easy. Requires little effort to establish a crisp, clean garden edge

Shopping List for How to Edge a Garden Bed:
- Pine-bark mulch, used to cover soil of newly expanded garden bed

Tools for How to Edge a Garden Bed:
- Metal edger, used to cut new edge along garden bed
- Garden rake, for spreading bark mulch
- Shovel, used to dig old grass from new garden bed and to transplant plants
- Wheelbarrow, used to transport bark mulch
- Garden hose, used to establish the outline of the new garden bed

Steps for Edging a Garden Bed:
Remove and discard all old plastic edging from garden bed.
Use metal edger to cut into ground along edge of existing garden bed.
Lay garden hose on ground to establish the outline of the newly expanded garden bed.
Cut down into the grass along the hose with a metal edger.
Pull back on the edger's handle to form a shallow trench along the garden bed.
Use a shovel to remove grass from within the newly expanded garden bed.
Spread 2 to 3 inches of pine-bark mulch over the soil to deter weed growth.
Smooth out the mulch with a rake.
Move some of the perennials from the old garden into new bed.
Thoroughly water the transplanted plants.

About This Old House TV:
This Old House is the No. 1 multimedia home enthusiast brand, offering trusted information and expert advice through award-winning television, a highly regarded magazine, and an information-driven website. This Old House and Ask This Old House are produced by This Old House Ventures, LLC and are presented on PBS by WETA Washington, DC.

Follow This Old House and Ask This Old House:
Facebook: bit.ly/ThisOldHouseFB
Twitter: bit.ly/ThisOldHouseTwitter
bit.ly/AskTOHTwitter
Pinterest: bit.ly/ThisOldHousePinterest
Instagram: bit.ly/ThisOldHouseIG
bit.ly/AskTOHIG
Tumblr: bit.ly/ThisOldHouseTumblr

For more on This Old House and Ask This Old House, visit us at: bit.ly/ThisOldHouseWebsite

How to Edge a Garden Bed | This Old House
youtube.com/user/thisoldhouse/