saypoint's comment re bricks and waiting is very valid. I waited 8 years to do my brick edging until I thought I had the beds in a fairly final layout. Of course, immediately after the bricks went in, I started second-guessing myself - 'the back of that bed angle is not right...'; 'that bed is too small...'; 'maybe I should have used the bricks to enclose the entire garden instead of the individual beds; instead of grassy paths between beds, I could have replaced the grass with mulch paths...' Part of the second thoughts are no doubt due to it all still looking a bit raw. By the end of next summer, there will be more plants overhanging the edges to soften it and the grass will have grown back to fill in up to the metal edge. But I'd definitely recommend leaving a brick/metal edge until after your beds are in a reasonably final form. bboy - I've seen English gardens with that wide York stone as edging that looked great. I would have loved to do that sort of thing here but there wasn't enough space.

Brock, if anybody is guilty of writing too much, it is I, appreciate your input on the matter. I believe you are correct, it's Chinese or Japanese roof iris aka crested iris (did some googline). I did see zone 5b somewhere which is the colder limit for them, and I definitely think there is a difference b/t 5a and 5b, but I might be able to squeak some things through anyway. Now that is distressing that they may not survive the winter. I just set them out this afternoon, new area where there is no protection, and will have to mulch (or something) for the winter and expect to lose them. There are too many similar in this class to know exactly what to expect. If they make it through the summer, I could pot a few up and bring them inside, but that defeats my purpose as I have enough already to winter inside. They look so nice with that pretty foliage. Yes, I could move some, but I've got scads more plants waiting to be set out. Yes, I agree that some, not all, mail-order retailers exaggerate the zone business because they would lose sales. A topic for another time, tired after setting out 24 plants, used my bulb planter which made things go a little faster. I think I had my tiller set to till and not cultivate, oh well, it had gotten so bad so fast, it needed the extra power, but I'm worried if I could have compromised the roots forming on the Austins I set in there ealier. They should recover.

You can keep weeds out of your lawn with a good healthy properly cut lawn. The height of your lawn is the major factor. For the most part keep it tall unless your like me and have grasses similar to bermuda which needs to be cut low. Also you can apply corn gluten meal(CGM) as a pre-M for your lawn. It is high in N so you want to watch it unless agian you have bermuda which is a N hog. I went by the local Lesco Dealer to look at one of their sprayer rigs and asked if they had any organic materials. They baulked at me and said that organics was too expensive and to much work. Thats your retailer of synthetic lawn care. They aren't going to support anything that will keep them from making money. Good Luck,

This my edger of choice: Called a Lawn Shark, you place it so the serrated edge points towards you, step on the small lip/platform on top (can't see in photo), then pull handle towards you. It makes a clean, sharp cut about 8" long and 5-6" deep. I used this for years in my old garden and loved it!! Hands down my favorite tool!! And never seemed to require much sharpening. Alas, it is no longer manufactured but someone with some skills could certainly put one together. Have used a straight edged shovel (sharp edge) and rotating string trimmer since then but neither worked nearly as well or as efficiently.