Edging rave: benderboard

DH and I carved out a new planting bed this weekend and I finally got to try out a new kind of edging I purchased months back from Lowes: benderboard.

If you watch HGTV's landscaping shows, you probably have heard of it. They use it as a flexible edging for patios and planting beds.

The one I bought is black and is made out of recycled wood composite materials. Think Trex decking, but much thinner. I would have preferred gray (since my house is gray and it will probably fade anyway) but I had checked a bunch of other stores and could only find one store that had it. So black it is.

The way it works is that there are stakes that go into the ground with a U-shaped top and the benderboard just slips right into the top. You can shape the benderboard, turn it, keep it straight if you want. The stakes are sold separately because if you want more curves, you will need more stakes to keep it in shape.

You take a flat shovel or an edging tool, sink it down at least four inches and create a trench. Then you put the stakes in, pound them down with a mallot (I put mine deep enough to prevent my grass roots from growing underneath the benderboard), slip in the board, and firm the dirt against the board. Done.

I'll take a picture when I get home so you can see the shape that we did. So far, so good! I've been trying out different kinds of edging, and this may be the winner.

Re: Edging rave: benderboard

sounds good, I'm eager to see pics, we are looking for something like this...

Re: Edging rave: benderboard

I'm thinking about changing the shape a little, the bottom of the bed needs a little more curve I think. It will look better once I transplant some daylilies in and some other plants I have for the space.



This is what the stake looks like. You can't see it on the outside because of the grass and once I put mulch in the bed, you won't be able to see it on the inside either.