I’d like to adjust the shape of my front garden bed because it doesn’t look right to me. From above, it’s shaped like a hat. Do you have any advice for adjusting the shape of the bed?
— Mary Dexter, Lake Zurich
I see lots of gardens that could improve the aesthetic appeal of the beds and make mowing easier by edging the beds so the curves are smooth and flowing. Most gardens have beds with ragged edges and sharp twists and turns, and that makes it difficult to maneuver a mower. This is a great time of year to rework the bed edges in your garden.
A pliable garden hose works well to mark the new bed edges — it’s easy to change your mind for the edge placement by moving it to reconfigure the curves. The hose needs to lay out in a smooth line without kinks; not all hoses will work. I use a rope that I previously used for climbing trees (no longer used for that purpose) to mark bed lines. The hose will be your guide for cutting the new bed edge with a sharp flat spade. I’ve also used marking paint to mark new bed lines without a hose or rope. Just be sure you throw all chunks of grass into a compost pile, since the grass will start growing in the bed if you leave it in place.
The size of the curves in your bed lines will depend on the scale of your garden beds, so it’s hard to give specific advice for the number and size of the curves; I would generally err on the side of fewer curves that are more gradual and smooth. You might even need to consider making sections of a bed smaller to create a good-looking bed with new edges. I found the description of the bed as looking like a hat to be very funny, so thanks for the laugh! Personally, I’d adjust the bed to reduce the width of the wide section with one gentle curve to expand the end of the bed closest to the street.
For more plant advice, contact the Plant Information Service at the Chicago Botanic Garden at plantinfo@chicagobotanic.org. Tim Johnson is senior director of horticulture at the Chicago Botanic Garden.
