How To Cut The Edges Of Your Lawn

If you’re struggling to keep things neat you’re not alone! This common problem can be solved in no time with the right grass trimmer and some handy tricks.

During the warmer months you may find yourself cutting your lawn once a week to maintain a healthy appearance. There are several parts of a lawn, especially if your garden is a quirky shape, which can’t be reached with your everyday lawn mower. Grass trimmers are a great easy way to keep your garden looking neat and tidy all year round. They are multipurpose so can be used to cut long, overgrown grass as well as to tidy lawn edges and trickier spots that can’t be reached with a lawn mower such as around plants.

Many of Flymo’s grass trimmers, such as the 18V EasiTrim 250, can also rotate its head by 90 degrees allowing you to cut vertically across the border which ultimately creates a neater edge.

Before you start firing up the trimmer there are a few things to consider such as the types of edges in your garden (including open and closed edges) and the type of grass trimmer you will need for your individual lawn… 

Things To Consider With Open And Closed Edges

Open edges are those that are exposed on one side such as those around soil, shrubs and trees. A closed edge is when a lawn edge ends and a surface appears on the other side such as a concrete driveway, brick work or a patio. Each type requires different approaches.

Open edges:

• Avoid standing on the edges when mowing
• Use a half-moon tool to neaten up any imperfections. Use the existing edge as a guide or why not add a rope or line of sand to change to your desired shape.
• Cut the edges with an edger or trimmer
• Ensure there is a 20-40 degree angle on your edge to avoid grass drying and turning brown
• For a precise cut, you could always try mechanical grass shears

Closed edges:

• If your lawn and edge are the same length you can mow over the edge as normal
• If levels are very different you should use a trimmer
• If your lawn is only slightly lower avoid damaging the blade on the other surface by adjusting the height
• Adding a roller to your lawn mower will help to avoid scalping uneven edges You might also consider installing a border to the edge of your lawn as they require no maintenance and will make your lawn look more attractive.

Which Grass Trimmer Should I Choose?

When considering which grass trimmer to buy, there are a number of key factors to take into account and options available.
There are three core types of grass trimmers available depicted by their power source and each with their own benefits;

• Petrol
• Electric
• Cordless (battery powered)

Petrol grass trimmers are often more powerful, making them suitable for large gardens and thicker, denser grass. However, they are noisier and do require more maintenance than conventional electric grass trimmers. The electric grass trimmer is the most commonly owned trimmer in the UK and runs off the mains electricity found in your home. Electric trimmers are sufficient for small to medium sized garden and tend to be lighter in weight.

The third and final variety is cordless or - battery operated. When buying a cordless grass trimmer, consider the run time of the battery. The best batteries are lithium-ion batteries which keep their power right up until the run out and need charging. You will also need to know the span of the battery on one charge to ensure it has enough power to tackle your garden in one stint. 

Get Creative With Your Edging

As well as keeping the lawn edges maintained there are a few things you can do to make them into features. Check out these ideas for inspiration;

• Create neat and tidy borders with Plastic lawn edging
• Decorative lawn edging such as stones look attractive and are easy to maintain
• Wooden lawn edging creates a softer look
• Why not add LED lighting for a quirky lawn edge
• And if you are on a budget remember that a strip of bricks will also do the job!