I have the same problem. My front porch concrete slab is about 2 inches higher than the front concrete walk. There is a strip of about 2 feet of soil between the porch and the walk. For many years it had some junipers growing there, so the low soil level was not a problem. Finally took out the old junipers (they had gotten old and ugly), and the resulting soil bed washes out onto the walk. I have been looking for something that would edge the walk, build up the height, and yet not take up too much of the 2 feet of planting area. It has to be attractive, as this is my front door. I was in the local big box home improvemnt store (you know the one I mean)last week. They were getting in shipments of stone items for the spring. One really caught my eye. It is a man made flat stone with all edges smooth except for one edge that is rough. The shape is rectangular, and the stone is only about 1.5 inches thick. This stone is designed for stacking to make a retaining wall. I am going to make a narrow trench along the concret walk, level sand into the trench. Then I will place these stones with the rough edge up at a height that will make it level with the opposite concrete porch slab. I plan to then use metel edging along the inside of the stones to help keep them in place. The edging will be low enough to be barely seen, or at the soil level. I think the edging is going to be important to keep things from moving around in the future. This will give me a smooth edge of stone exposed from the walk. This is good for sweeping and snow removal. The top has a rough look that I like. The stones are thin enough that I am not giving up much planting area. Go to the home improvement store and look at the options. Look at all items, as you may find something that is designed for another use that will work for you. They also have precast edgers that are okay. I will not do my project until next month, but will let you know how it comes out. D

askgi - Repost of Slammer's Buying Guide... 1. Carefully evaluate the size mower you need and buy at least one size larger, given gate and storage door considerations. Work with reputable Dealers who can provide product choice assistance, product predelivery prep and aftersale service at competitve prices. 2. NEVER buy a mower from ANYPLACE that will not let you test drive same or at least a similar model. Ergonomics are just as important as performance and capability. 3. DO NOT base your purchase on price or brand name alone! Do proper research and find all of the available models that fit your criteria and haggle, save, or trade to get the right equipment for the job. Do not compromise! Dealer support after the sale is also important. 4. Understand your property and it's impact on your choice of equipment. Mowing slopes, obstacles, future landscape projects, winter use, attachments, etc. can all have a significant effect. If you follow these three tips you will end up a happy camper with just the right unit for the job. If you disregard this advice you may end up with one or the other of the following problems: A. Buyers remorse. Stuck with a piece of junk or simply a unit inadequate for the task at hand. Or.. B. A teed off spouse when you start shopping for another tractor just 3 - 6 months down the road because you didn't buy the right unit in the first place. Enjoy the experience! PS: just a personal comment- Cubs (the 2000 series) are the only ones around with shaft (beltless) drive; deeres have a strong rep on being a value machine over time. A number of the posts made on such forums are sometimes overly critical of the product line in question and more a matter of personal frustration and venting... take all with a grain of salt. Good luck.

Would edging really solve the problem of shabbiness? Edging is generally used to control the spread of grass into flower beds. I would think that in your case that the edging would be a waste of money. How about some low lying shrubs or evergreens that you can plant along the edge of the lawn and use a mulch cover below them out to where the lawn is cut to end. While ferns are nice unless they are large species I would think that they really do not present a strong enough silouette to demarck a zone between lawn and woods. got some pics of the woods, of the ferns, of some low shrubs, or low evergreens. You could cut out the images of the shrubs and the evergreens and the ferns and lay them over the area of the picture of the woods and lawn you would want them and see how they compare?

Your "best bet" is a matter of opinion. The clumping bamboo would be far superior to the miscanthus in terms of height, density of the screen, is evergreen and with the least amount of maintenance required. Green Giant arborvitae grow fast, are quite dense if planted somewhat closely and are largely ignored by deer. Ticks like rough, low weeds and grass and are present in the sort of unkempt areas it sounds like the township property features. And they are major carriers of Lyme disease.