what is the point of lawn edging

What’s the Point of Lawn Edging?

what is the point of lawn edging pin When you hire a professional landscape gardener, you will notice that he or she will use an edger tool around the edge of the lawn. But is there really a point to a grass edger and are they important for your garden?

Many people ask the question ‘Should I edge my lawn?’ and often come up empty-handed because without knowing the true benefits of edging your lawn, it might be hard to see why you should take the time to buy an edger for your lawn.

However, the truth is that these grass edger trimmers can come in really handy and once you use one, there is no going back – you will want that perfectly manicured lawn for the rest of your life.

In this article, we will be looking at what is edging a lawn and giving you a run-down of the importance of doing so.

If you have never edged your lawn before, you might have the idea that using a trimmer and edger is far more complicated than it actually is.

Lawn edger trimmers are used to create a boundary around the edge of the lawn and whatever is beside it. You might create such a boundary between the grassed area and your driveway or a path. Furthermore, many people use a grass edger cutter along their flower beds. You might also see gardeners putting their garden edger tools to work along a wall or fence – essentially you can put in a boundary anywhere that the lawn meets something else.

The tool that is used to do this can go by many names, but they all refer back to one thing – a grass edger.

However, it is important to keep in mind that there are various types of sidewalk edgers, each with its own pros and cons – it is worth reading up on the benefits of each to work out which model might be best for you.

In the main, you will see both manual or powered grass edgers. Manual tools are the cheapest and require you to use your own physical strength to drive them into the ground to create the narrow boundary around your lawn.

In contrast, a powered edger tool can be run by either electric, batteries or gas – the latter being the most powerful and efficient. However, battery-operated edgers are hugely favoured by modern homeowners due to their portability.

Why Edging Your Lawn is Important

Many people wonder do you need to edge your lawn, and whilst this isn’t a job that must be done, there certainly are a huge number of benefits in doing so. Ultimately, whether you use a landscape edger or not is your choice, but once you begin to understand how valuable these humble tools can be, you might think twice about your decision.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at some reasons why edging your lawn is important.

Appearance

Landscaper edging sidewalk When you think of a perfectly manicured garden, your mind will often wander to something that has been edged – yet many people might not even be aware that they would think this. Landscape gardeners pride themselves on creating an aesthetically pleasing garden, as well as one that functions well and remains green, lush and healthy. By using an edger trimmer tool, they are easily able to do this.

Without a doubt, a lawn that has been edged looks far nicer than one that hasn’t been given the same treatment.

Furthermore, where gas edgers are concerned, there are hugely powerful walk-behind models which are ideal for large, flat lawns.

The type of grass edger that you choose will largely depend on how much power you require. For more rigid ground, a gas model might give you the edge, whereas less challenging land may require nothing more than a manual tool.

Add Value to Your Home

As well as improving the curb appeal of your home, edging your lawn can improve its value. This is because properties that are well-maintained will always sell for a higher price than those that are not.

Investing in a lawn edging tool doesn’t need to cost the earth – even the most top of the range are no more than a few hundred dollars. But if you wanted something more budget-friendly, a manual one can be picked up for as little as $20. This small investment and a little bit of time could see your property sky-rocket in value.

The time you will need to put into edging your lawn will depend on how large it is, however, once you have done it once, the maintenance will not eat up much of your weekend at all.

Trim The Edges of Your Grass

worx commercial edger

When you mow your lawn, it can be tricky to get the mower right to the edges of the lawn and so you are often left with blades of grass sticking up and making your hard work look poorly done.

But this problem is totally eradicated when you use a lawn edger. Yes, you might decide to trim the edges of the grass with a trimmer (which is a totally different tool often confused with a lawn edger), but this won’t work well if your movement is restricted by a fence or other vertical object.

When you edge your lawn along these solid obstructions, you are able to trim the edges of the grass where the lawnmower cannot reach due to the large lawnmower engine. This means that the entire garden will look neat and well-mowed, without numerous blades of grass poking out.

Care for Your Plants

If you have installed flower beds alongside your lawn, you are likely familiar with the trying task of having to remove grassroots from them. This is a major problem that is faced by gardeners the world over, but edging your lawn could be the simplest solution to this.

The grass is an exceptionally hard-wearing plant that will quickly overtake anything that stands in its way. But this doesn’t mean that you should let it.

One of the best ways to stop the grass and any weeds that may be on it, from making its way into your flower beds is to edge the lawn. Doing this will create a barrier between the two sections of your garden, and this will stop the grassroots from getting into places where they shouldn’t be.

I Don’t Know Where to Start With Edging my Lawn

As we discussed earlier, there are several different types of lawn edging tools, and each one will deliver a wide range of advantages. One of the best things about edging your lawn is that you have the option to tackle this in any way you would like.

Whether you want a robust walk-behind gas edger of a simply handheld manual device, your options are diverse and varied.

If you have used this type of equipment before and are worried that you don’t know where to start with edging your lawn; there are several excellent guides online that will tell you everything you need to know. It isn’t a difficult job, and the benefits are clear.

Is Lawn Edging Necessary?

Many people ask the question ‘Is lawn edging necessary?’ and there is a clear answer to this.

The most important thing to point out is that lawn edging is not necessary in the slightest – your garden will still thrive without it, and you probably won’t notice much difference if you have never edged your garden.

However, edging your lawn is definitely a way to bring your outdoor space to another level and improve the health of your plants as well as that of your lawn. What’s more, your property will look far nicer when you invest in one of these tools.

There are so many benefits to edging your lawn that it isn’t difficult to see why it is important. We know that once you try it for the first time and see the results, you will realise that, whilst it is not a necessity, the benefits are far too great to ignore.

Summary

When we think about why edge a lawn, our first thought might be that this is a pointless activity and a waste of energy, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Edging your lawn is a very important job and doing it regularly can improve both the aesthetic of your yard as well as the health.

Lawn edging is simply the act of using a tool to create a boundary between the lawn and whatever lies next to it – this could be a path, a flower bed, a wall or anything else.

Lawn edging is certainly not necessary but not doing it could be detrimental, and once you start edging, you’ll likely never go back.

Andrew Fisher

Andrew Fisher

Andrew is a dedicated father of three who really takes pride in his lawn and garden. You'll find Andrew behind the scenes of almost everything Edge Your Lawn produces. When he's not helping readers find all the information they need, he's in his backyard working on his lawn and garden landscaping. This year he hopes to build an outdoor deck and sort out his veg patches.

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