| You've planted the flowers, put in the shrubs | | | | You can always create a living edging by |
| and even added a bird bath and a few garden | | | | using a border plant. Some great border |
| decorations, but what's missing? Could it be | | | | plants includealpine phlox which is suitable |
| the edging? | | | | for most climates and can be divided and |
| | | | planted again and again, gazanias, pansies, |
| Almost as important as the flowers, the | | | | petunias and violas. |
| edging is like the frame to your garden. The | | | | |
| picture can be interesting and beautiful, but | | | | If you pick perennial plants, like the alpine |
| it needs a frame to really enhance its | | | | phlox or gazania, then you can divide them |
| appearance. Just like a picture, your garden | | | | and propagate them throughout the border. |
| needs it's frame to really bring out the | | | | This will help reduce costs as you won't have |
| beauty of your living "work of art". | | | | to keep buying new plants, but will take |
| | | | longer to establish a full border. |
| There are many different types of edgings and | | | | |
| you must plan which one will look best in | | | | For large gardens, comfrey can make a good |
| your garden. One popular type of edging is to | | | | border. It has thick growth and will prevent |
| use a low brick or rock wall, cemented | | | | grasses from encroaching on the garden. Also, |
| together with mortar. This will create a | | | | you can use the leaves for mulch around y our |
| beautiful and permanent edge to your garden. | | | | other plants. When blooming, the tiny flowers |
| Of course, not everyone has the means, money | | | | will add interest to your border. Keep in |
| or desire to do this. | | | | mind, however, that comfrey is not suitable |
| | | | for small gardens as it can easily overwhelm |
| Another lovely way of edging is to simply | | | | the other plants. |
| place bricks around the borders of your | | | | |
| garden. You can put them in a line, stacked | | | | One of my favourite ways to edge a garden is |
| in a double row, set on their edges or tip | | | | to use an herb border. Even strawberries can |
| them diagonally and lean them against each | | | | be used as a border and their bright flowers |
| other. | | | | and lush fruits will add quite a bit of |
| | | | interest to any garden. When preparing meals, |
| In a similar fashion, you can use large rocks | | | | simply step out in to the garden and cut some |
| to edge your garden. Use rocks that are big | | | | fresh herbs each evening! |
| enough to make an impact, but ones that you | | | | |
| can easily carry and move yourself. You can | | | | Perhaps the simplest form of edging is to |
| gather the rocks from fields, the woods or | | | | take a shovel and bevel and edge all around |
| friends yards for free! | | | | the garden. The can be a nice subtle way to |
| | | | break up the line between garden and grass. |
| In your garden supply store, you will find | | | | You can rent a gas powered edging tool if |
| many manufactured edgings to suite any style | | | | shovelling by hand seems like too much work. |
| of garden. Miniature fences, fake rocks, | | | | This type of edging will need to be redone |
| plastic, metal - you name it, they have it. I | | | | each year. |
| prefer a more natural type edging, but if you | | | | |
| must buy one of these, choose a good quality | | | | No matter what option you choose, your |
| product and not something that looks cheap | | | | gardens will take on another dimension with |
| and will only last for 1 season. | | | | it's framed edging. |
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