Edging is something that I have looked into off an on, but I just have not found something that could meet my needs at a reasonable cost. At $1 to $2 (or more) per foot, the cost of edging adds up fast. I have to say that is a beautiful example gottagarden, but I am not sure it does much to cut down on the maintenance. You would still have to get out there and trim and remove weeds from between the rocks. Last year I went with the "6 inch trench filled with mulch" edging. I have to say that my beds looked a lot nicer after I edged them and the edge was pretty easy to maintain. The lawn mower would occasionally kick up a piece of mulch. I have to get out there again soon and touch them up. I am interested to see how much work it will be. The product that you referenced looks decent, though not really my style. I think the biggest issue on the previous thread was that the guy had the stuff snaking back and forth in a repeated pattern. Though I suppose it is hard to prevent the "perfect circle" or "straight line" effect with that type of edging. - Brent

Thanks everyone for offering your pieces of advice--I really appreciate them all. It is also good to hear that Quickcrete is what you use to make up the bulk of the stepping stones, although I think Dena might have used leaf casting material in hers since she was essentially making her leaf castings directly in her stepping stones as opposed to incorporating already cast finished leaves into newly made stones. Hope I got that right Dena. I have some leaves I have made previously that are already finished--painted and polyurethaned. I made some leaves this fall that have still got to be finished so yes I am using prefinished leaves in my stones so that is why I am concerned about getting the Quickcrete on the surface of the finished leaves. It might be next spring before I actually get around to making the stepping stones--the weather has gone from the 80s to the 50s in the span of one week. Perhaps it is just a temporary temp. change. Dena, your leaf stepping stones are fantastic looking. BB, I really like your tufa container also. I too want to know what you used in it to get the coloration in the container. As I said previously, I have been making cast leaves for quite a while now and have probably made over 40 or so. Most were given as gifts, others were sold, and quite a few are in my yard/garden. I have also made a few tufa containers and bowls and want to try my hand at a few other things like grots when time permits. I have a few pictures of some of the leaves and troughs I have made linked below if you are interested. I am sure there are other pictures of them in my Photobucket account, but if you are interested, you can look through the yard pictures and scan for them. Once again, thanks for the help! Here is a link that might be useful: Miguel's stuff

You didn't mention where you lived, important to know because if you live in colder climates as you'll have to go deaper to avoid heaving when the ground freezes. In warmer climates dig down 6", compact, lay down gravel compact to 2" then pour up 4" of concrete. You might get away with 3" with reinforcement, but when you compromise you run the risk of failure. May I suggest mixing in concrete stain for coloring, go to a supplier even ACE Hardware or the internet instead of the fruity colors that Home Depot carries. Also instead of using that garden fiber board which really isn't that flexible try making a metal form for a more natural irregular shape, also stones bigger than 3 feet will not look that natural in my opinion. Also don't worry so much about having straight verticle edges, real stones don't and you're going to fill the gaps with soil and vegetation that will hide a lot of your sins. Lastly, you cannot just pour the concrete over the roots. They will continue to grow and lift and crack the patio. You may be able to just cut them out if they're in the way but an arborist would be the best to ask, as you could injure or kill the tree if done incorrectly. Weakened trees can topple over in storms; improperly trimmed trees can contract diseases.

GN Builders- I go to HD and Lowe's at least once a week. So far no go and both stores say they only carry the square. Neither can I order an oblong from them. sadly... Chispa and Virgil- I will try a landscaper. I have a friend who owns a small landscape company. Will try that route. Thx all for your offers!