To Edge or Not to Edge?

by Donna Lewis

Hello all.

Keeping our gardens looking neat is something most of us do. For years, when I lived in Houston, I would use a weed eater and trim with a pair of scissors.  Yes I was crazy. I thought the garden looked great!

So, over the years, as I learned more about nature and taking good care of it, I have altered the way I do things.

How many of you have had the awful experience of zipping along with a weed eater and cut a poor little frog in half?  I can hardly write about it. But you know it happens…so what to do?

I have found a safer way to edge the garden.  Yes it is a little more work, but my little friends are worth it. Use a sharp-shooter shovel and go slow. You will see the frogs and toads move before you hurt them. Then, you pull all the grass away from the edge, and it actually lasts longer than cutting the tops off the grass. I also find that if you edge after it has rained it’s even easier.

Just a little tip from someone who loves all the critters.