How to Maintain Garden Edging Stones
Easy step-by-step directions for how I maintain our garden edging stones. Curvy garden edging is the perfect addition to any landscape design. Stone landscape edging is a DIY project anyone can do!
This post features the backyard garden at our house on Sutton Place. It was planted along my neighbor’s fence, and the summer before we moved, it was home to beautiful peonies, dianthus, black-eyed Susans, lavender, and more.
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Along the edge of my fence row garden at the house on Sutton Place was a curvy stone border. Years ago, when the flower bed was first planted, I was able to get free stones from a friend, and began the task of adding the stone landscape edging. The stones were a lovely way to frame the garden, but this border involved some maintenance. Once a year, in the late spring, I would devote an afternoon resetting all of those stones. Along the way, I figured out what worked for me, and how to make the job easier.
The picture above shows what the edging stones looked like each spring. During the winter months, the stones would sink, and mulch would overflow onto the lawn. The border became blurry, and it always looked unkept and messy.
Where To Start
The first thing I did was dig out the stones, and set them about a foot away from the grass edge, on the garden side. (Pictured above.) In the beginning, I tried various tools to help with this process, but in the end, I found it easiest to just use my hands. Moving the stones back left ample room to level the dirt, and cut a border. After digging out a section of stones, I used my hands and a small garden cultivator to move the old much and soil to the front, towards the grass. Simply put, I was filling in the holes made by the sunken stones.
Resetting The Stones
After filling in the holes and leveling off the ground, I then set the stones back where they were to begin with. They rested nicely on top of the now-filled-in holes, and made a very nice barrier so the new mulch wouldn’t fall out onto the grass.
Easy Stone Landscape Edging
To clean up the space between the grass and the stone border, I edged a clean line in the grass about 4 – 6 inches away from the stones. The sod was always soft, so this job was very easy…and so satisfying. I used a straight shovel to make the line. You can see the nice edge on the grass in the image above.
Other alternatives for installing landscape edging are pavers, edging bricks, or large natural rocks.
Practical and Pretty
The nice edge on the grass not only looks much better, but it provided a path for the lawn mower wheels to easily run along the edging stones for a crisp, clean look. The natural stone edging provides a completely different texture to the garden bed, and even though they aren’t uniform, they add interest and charm.
Other Ideas For Garden Borders
- If used in the front yard, stone landscape edging adds incredible curb appeal. Install it along a walkway or driveway, in front of planting beds, or in front of a hedge.
- Use your creativity and natural looking garden stones to make your perennial garden the focal point of your yard. They are an excellent way to enhance the most beautiful areas of your landscape.
- Need inspiration? Stone lawn edging ideas can be found at large garden centers, online, and in magazines.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use leftover mulch and soil, gravel, or sand.
In my experience, you don’t. This once-a-year maintenance process solves the problem.
The best way to keep them in place is to lay them as close together as possible. When there are no gaps, and the stones are laid side by side, they stay in place very nicely.
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Lawn edging made with stones is not for everyone. It’s not maintenance-free, and it takes a bit of effort and labor to keep it looking nice. The end result is definitely worth an afternoon spent outside!
