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Lawn Edge Tidying after mowing - I just can't get it right

karenktekarenkte Posts: 47
in Problem solving
I have tried the following for tidying my edgings after mowing my lawns and I have issues with both.  Where am I going wrong.  My lawn directly joins the flower bed soil.  I have no paving edge strip.  I am supposed to have a  neat edge which slopes away from the grass and measures maybe 10 to 15 cms.

1. If I trim the edge with old fashioned side angled shears it takes me ages to do and then I have to go around picking up all the grass.  This can take longer than mowing the lawns.  It doesn't give as neat a finish as 2 below.

2. I have a heavy duty strimmer which I use on my allotment grass.  If I turn this sideways it will neater the lawn edge but it seems to actually put an edge in to the lawn (like what you would do with a half moon edger).   So firstly I can lose grass as the edge comes more and more in to the lawn, it's like the strimmer is hacking in to the lawn.  Secondly I can't get a straight line as its all by eye so the edge can look very ragged.  However the actual finished cut looks more professional that 1 above.

3. With both 1 and 2 above I have a round border in the middle of my lawn and you can see grass growing out of the sides of the deep edge instead of just earth and this can look unslightly too.

This is driving me crazy as no matter how much work I put in to the garden it doesn't look right with lawns that are not finished properly.  Trial and error is just not giving me the result I am looking for.
Any help really appreciated.
Thank you.
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Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It just comes down to practise.
    I loathe strimmers as they do more harm than good most of the time, but if you don't want to do the edges with shears, perhaps it would be worth putting in a concrete edge, or paviours or similar, to make it easier to edge. 
    You can always put a mulch round the planting in the round bed so that the edge is less obvious too.
    A mulch on the flower beds next to the  grass edging can also be used, pushed back before doing the edges, and raked back afterwards. I do that with my front grass as I have a hedge there which gets a bark mulch each year. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    The expensive way to have nice sharp edges is to put in metal lawn edging such as Everedge but if that is a step too far, then as Fairygirl says, it's a matter of constantly doing it, once a week if possible, then short grass bits on the soil don't matter so much. There are grass collector gadgets that fit onto your side angled long handled shears but I haven't used these so can't recommend them.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • Pauline 7Pauline 7 Posts: 2,246
    I use single handed shears and take an old washing up bowl to put the bits in as I go.
    West Yorkshire
  • karenktekarenkte Posts: 47
    Thanks for the advice.
    Looks like I will stick to the shears and I may get a small strip of everedge to try how that may work.
    I use the long handled edge shears.  I didn't realise there were these single handed shears.  I will look into these.  Do you find them a lot easier / neater than the long handled?  I suppose if you are already on your knees cutting then you can pick up the cuttings as you go along.
  • Pauline 7Pauline 7 Posts: 2,246
    I find them better than the long handled shears. I have a problem with my back and do most of my gardening sitting on a camping mat. I haven't go a very big garden so I can trim the edges of the lawn and keep on top of the weeds in the border at the same time. I have one old washing up bowl that I have my edging shears, trowel and secateurs in and one that I put the waste in. Tools kept together and waste easy to dispose of. 
    West Yorkshire
  • karenktekarenkte Posts: 47
    Thanks Pauline, I am going to try that myself and see how I get on.  Are there any particular make of single handed shears that you can recommend?
  • Pauline 7Pauline 7 Posts: 2,246
    I have 2 or 3 different pairs but the ones I use the most came from Asda and, if I remember correctly, cost less than £5. 
    West Yorkshire
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    Unless I’m missing something. I always assumed that edging the lawn takes longer than mowing the lawn. The only way to keep the time consuming edge neat is to work with some rotating angled hand shears. Then with the other hand using a hand fork raking away cut grass from the newly cut area as you go along. Long handled shears will not give you a neat finish. You need to see up close of what you are doing. That means on your knees or get a low stool for the job! 
  • edhelkaedhelka Posts: 2,351
    edited July 2020
    I use an electric (battery-powered) hedge and grass trimmer. It has a changeable head - long for hedges or short for grass. But it still takes ages - removing the mulch, doing the edges, tidying. I mow the grass maybe once every two weeks and usually do the edging only every other mowing, so once a month. I like to grow plants overhanging the edge because then I don't need to worry about the edge.
  • InglezinhoInglezinho Posts: 568
    In general I hate plastic, but an incredible time and effort saver is to line your lawn with a plastic edger. 
    Everyone likes butterflies. Nobody likes caterpillars.
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