How to Make a Grass Edge With Rocks

Determine the desired position of your grass edge. Borders around flower beds and walkways are ideal positions for grass edges.

Mark the line for your grass edge using string or colored chalk dust. Keeping the edge curved and avoid creating corners to make mowing the grass up to the edge easier.

Use a trench shovel to dig out the area for your grass edge. Measure the height of the rocks you have chosen to use in order to determine the depth of the trench -- the top of the rocks should sit about a 1/2 inch higher than ground level. Dig the trench 1 inch deeper than necessary if you want to install a layer of sand before placing the rocks.

Pour a 1-inch layer of sand into the trench and spread it with a trowel then pack it down by hand. The sand will help to suppress weed and grass growth between the rocks in the grass edge and it will also provide you with level ground on which to set the rocks.

Lay the rocks one by one, beginning at one end of the trench. The first rock should be snug with the end of the trench, especially if it borders a walkway. Select each rock carefully and arrange them in the trench so that the edges of the rocks fit together snugly and they all sit at approximately the same height.

Use a rubber mallet to tap the rocks into the sand base as you go. The more snugly your rocks fit together when you assemble them, the less likely they will be to shift over time.

Fill in any space in the trench in front of and behind the rocks with top soil. Pack the soil in tightly to further secure the rocks.

Spread mulch or soil evenly behind the rocks if you are using them to border a flower bed or garden. Blend the soil or mulch, bringing it right up to the edge of the rocks so the bed flows seamlessly into the grass edge.