You can really enhance the look of a bed or border with garden edging. But edging doesn’t just make the bed look nice: It also keeps the lawn and rambling plants from invading each other’s spaces. And a crisp edge is easier to mow or trim along and keeps mulch where it belongs. For a more permanent look than a trenched edge, you can’t beat brick. Bricks can be installed different ways for different effects.
Dig a narrow trench and line the bottom with a couple inches of sand or gravel to create a stable base. Level and tamp the sand and set the bricks in end to end or side by side. You’ll need more of them if you set them with the long sides together, but it creates a much wider border that’s easier to mow along. Set the brick solidly by tapping it with a rubber mallet to ensure that it’s level. (You may need to add or remove sand later, as settling occurs.) Sweep sand into the spaces between to fill the gap. Brick edging is a good fit for gardens with plants that spill out of the bed because they provide a buffer between bed and grass, meaning grass isn’t as likely to be smothered. Keep the top surface of the brick about an inch above the soil.
