Sharp, clean edges that define and enhance your Howard County property. Professional power edging along walkways, driveways, and borders. Included with mowing or available as standalone service. Greenlawn Inc since 1986.
Lawn edging transforms property appearance instantly
Call for FREE EstimateLawn edging creates clean definition between grass and hardscaping—walkways, driveways, patios, and other paved surfaces. This sharp line dramatically improves overall property appearance by providing visual crispness that separates maintained properties from neglected ones. Even perfectly mowed lawns look unfinished without proper edging, while mediocre lawns with excellent edges appear well-maintained and cared for. Edging is the detail work that makes or breaks professional lawn appearance.
At Greenlawn Inc, we've been edging Howard County lawns since 1986. Our 39 years of experience has taught us that edging quality separates true professional service from basic mowing. Many so-called lawn services skip edging entirely or use string trimmers that create wavy, imprecise borders. We use power edgers every visit creating consistent, straight lines that enhance curb appeal and property value. For our weekly mowing customers, complete edging is included automatically—it's essential component of proper lawn maintenance, not optional extra.
Columbia lawns without regular edging face multiple issues:
Regular edging delivers multiple advantages for Howard County properties:
Sharp edges create instant visual improvement that's immediately noticeable. Properties look more manicured, maintained, and valuable. This crisp appearance is often cited as most visible difference between professional lawn service and DIY efforts. Edging takes property from "someone mows this lawn" to "this lawn receives professional care." For Ellicott City homes being marketed for sale, quality edging significantly improves first impressions and curb appeal without expensive investments.
Edging provides visual separation between landscape elements—lawn, walkways, driveways, patios, and other features. This definition makes properties appear more organized and intentionally designed rather than haphazard. The human eye appreciates clear lines and borders that edging provides. Well-edged properties feel more orderly and pleasant even when other aspects of landscaping are simple or minimal.
Defined edges create clear borders for mowing, making it easier to achieve consistent results without scalping or leaving unmowed strips. Mowers can follow edges confidently knowing exactly where grass ends and pavement begins. This precision speeds mowing and improves quality. For professional crews serving multiple properties daily, good edges make work significantly more efficient.
Regular edging cuts back grass attempting to spread onto hardscaping. This maintains full width of walkways and driveways rather than allowing gradual narrowing as grass encroaches. Preventing overgrowth is easier than correcting it after years of neglect when grass may have spread inches onto pavement requiring extensive work to restore proper borders.
Clean edges prevent organic debris buildup that can stain or deteriorate pavement edges. Soil, mulch, and grass clippings that would accumulate along undefined borders are kept on lawn side of crisp edge. This reduces maintenance needs for hardscaping and extends its attractive appearance. Regular pressure washing needs decrease when edges prevent organic buildup from starting.
Quality edging requires proper equipment and technique:
We use commercial power edgers specifically designed for creating clean lawn borders. These tools have spinning blades that cut precise, straight edges along pavement. Power edgers create consistent depth and perfectly vertical cuts that string trimmers can't match. Many homeowners and even some services try edging with string trimmers—this creates wavy, inconsistent borders that look amateur. Professional power edging is immediately distinguishable from string trimmer attempts by straight, clean lines and consistent appearance.
During mowing service, we edge all walkways, driveways, and paved surfaces throughout your property. This includes front walkways and entrance areas, driveway edges on both sides, patio or deck borders where grass meets pavement, and any other hardscaping interfaces. Complete coverage ensures entire property receives same level of detail rather than partial edging that looks inconsistent. Properties emerge from service with uniformly crisp borders everywhere grass meets pavement.
Edging should create clean vertical cut approximately 1-2 inches deep—enough to cut through grass roots and create visible definition without excessive depth that weakens pavement edges. Our operators maintain consistent depth creating professional results. Too shallow and grass isn't effectively cut back. Too deep and you risk damaging pavement edges or creating trip hazards. Experience teaches proper depth for various conditions—concrete, asphalt, brick, and different grass types all perform slightly differently.
Edging creates soil and grass debris along borders. We blow this material back onto lawn rather than leaving it on hardscaping. This cleanup is critical final step—unblown edges leave messy appearance that negates the clean lines just created. Properties are left with crisp borders and clean pavement ready to walk on immediately. This attention to debris removal separates complete professional service from rushed or incomplete work.
Optimal edging frequency depends on your service program:
Our weekly mowing service includes edging every single visit. This maintains consistently sharp edges throughout the season. Weekly edging means grass never gets opportunity to establish significantly on pavement—you're constantly cutting back minimal growth maintaining perfect definition. This frequency delivers optimal appearance for Columbia properties where curb appeal matters.
Bi-weekly mowing also includes edging each visit. Two weeks between edging allows more grass encroachment than weekly service, but regular bi-weekly edging still maintains reasonable definition. Edges won't stay as pristine as weekly frequency but remain acceptable for most properties. This represents good balance between budget and appearance for Howard County homeowners choosing every-other-week service.
Properties that don't use our mowing service can schedule standalone monthly edging. This frequency works for homeowners who mow themselves but want professional edging quality they can't achieve with consumer equipment. Monthly edging maintains reasonable definition without excessive cost. Between monthly visits, edges gradually soften as grass grows, but monthly service prevents significant overgrowth requiring extensive restoration work.
Some properties need only spring and fall edging—perhaps rental properties, secondary homes, or minimal-maintenance landscapes. Twice-yearly edging restores clean lines for active seasons without ongoing commitment. This isn't sufficient for properties where consistent appearance matters but works for situations where occasional attention is adequate.
Edging pricing depends on whether it's part of mowing service or standalone:
We provide free estimates measuring your property and assessing edging needs. Most Ellicott City homeowners find including edging with mowing service provides best value—you get consistent professional edges throughout the season as part of complete lawn care without separate billing or scheduling.
Crisp borders that make lawns look truly professional
Call for Edging ServiceMany homeowners attempt edging themselves with varying results:
Consumer-grade power edgers ($150-300) work but lack power and durability of commercial equipment. Many homeowners try edging with string trimmers—this creates wavy, inconsistent results that look amateur compared to true power edging. Manual edging tools (half-moon edgers) provide workout but require significant time and effort creating straight edges, and most Columbia homeowners quickly tire of the physical demands.
Professional operators develop muscle memory creating straight, consistent edges through repetition. They edge dozens of properties weekly, refining technique constantly. Homeowner attempting edging monthly or less never develops this consistency. Results improve with practice, but most people don't edge frequently enough to master technique. The difference shows in final results—professional edges are noticeably straighter and more consistent than typical DIY efforts.
Edging entire property takes 20-45 minutes depending on size and linear footage of borders. For homeowners already spending 1-2 hours mowing, adding edging time extends lawn care effort significantly. Professional service includes edging as part of overall mowing visit without additional time from your schedule. The time savings alone justifies professional service for many busy Howard County families.
Given that mowing service includes edging automatically, attempting DIY edging only makes sense if you're also mowing yourself. If you use professional mowing, you're already receiving professional edging—there's no separate decision to make. For DIY mowers considering whether to add edging to their routine, evaluate whether time and effort investment plus equipment costs justify savings versus hiring complete mowing service that includes professional edging.
Edging is primarily aesthetic, creating visual improvement rather than affecting lawn health directly. However, the aesthetic improvement is substantial—properties with sharp edges look dramatically better than those without, regardless of other lawn quality. Edging is difference between lawn that looks mowed and lawn that looks professionally maintained. For properties being sold, curb appeal from quality edging can influence buyer perception and offers. For homes you occupy, edging creates pride of ownership and neighborhood standing. While not technically "necessary" like fertilization or pest control, edging is essential component of professional appearance most Howard County homeowners desire. Once you see property with consistent quality edging, lawns without it look unfinished and neglected by comparison. If you value your property's appearance, edging isn't optional—it's fundamental to professional presentation.
String trimmers can edge in pinch, but results are inferior to power edgers. Trimmers create wavy, irregular edges because the spinning string isn't rigid—it flexes and bounces creating inconsistent cutting line. Trimmers also cut at angle rather than vertically, creating sloped rather than crisp perpendicular edge. Finally, trimmers throw debris everywhere requiring extensive cleanup, while edgers direct cuttings more controllably. Professional services universally use power edgers rather than trimmers for edging because the quality difference is dramatic. If you've only seen trimmer "edging," you haven't experienced what true power edging looks like. The straight, clean lines from power edgers are immediately distinguishable from trimmer attempts. For Columbia homeowners wanting professional results, power edging is worth investment over trimmer compromise.
Lawn edging (what we're discussing here) creates borders between grass and hardscaping like walkways and driveways. Garden bed edging creates borders between grass and planted beds, often using permanent materials like metal or plastic barriers. Lawn edging is maintenance task repeated regularly to control grass growth onto pavement. Garden bed edging is installation project creating permanent borders that then need only occasional maintenance. Lawn edging uses power edgers cutting grass back. Garden bed edging uses installation tools placing permanent materials. Both improve property appearance through defined borders, but they address different landscape elements using different techniques. Many Howard County properties benefit from both—lawn edging maintains hardscaping borders while garden bed edging defines planting areas.
Proper edging shouldn't damage quality hardscaping. Power edgers cut grass and shallow soil without significantly impacting pavement edges when used correctly. However, deteriorated pavement with crumbling edges can experience some minor additional breakdown from edging vibration and contact. Well-maintained concrete, asphalt, or brick handles regular edging without problems. If your hardscaping is severely deteriorated, we can discuss lighter edging techniques or addressing pavement repairs before resuming normal edging. In 39 years serving Ellicott City, we've rarely encountered pavement damage from proper edging—the risk is minimal with quality hardscaping and experienced operators. The visual improvement edging provides far outweighs minimal concerns about pavement wear.
Edging is typically seasonal service coinciding with mowing season when grass is actively growing. During winter dormancy (November-March in Howard County), grass isn't growing onto hardscaping so there's minimal need for edging. Attempting to edge frozen ground is difficult and potentially damaging to equipment. Most edging occurs April through October when grass is growing and properties are mowed regularly. If you have specific winter edging needs—perhaps preparing property for winter holiday appearance or addressing edges before events—we can discuss options, but normal edging follows growing season timing. Spring edging when service resumes re-establishes clean lines that may have softened slightly over winter but don't require intensive restoration if property received regular edging through previous season.
No, edging proceeds as part of regular mowing service whether you're home or not. Since edging is included with our weekly and bi-weekly mowing programs, it happens automatically each visit without requiring your presence or involvement. Our crews arrive on scheduled day, mow and edge your property, and leave everything looking crisp and professional. You come home to freshly mowed lawn with perfect edges without needing to be present or coordinate access. This convenience is major benefit of professional lawn service—comprehensive care happens automatically on schedule without demands on your time. For standalone edging customers not using mowing service, same applies—schedule is established and service occurs as planned without requiring you to be home.
Stop settling for fuzzy, undefined lawn borders. Professional edging from Greenlawn Inc creates the crisp, clean lines that transform ordinary properties into showcase landscapes. Our 39 years serving Ellicott City and Columbia means we understand exactly how to edge various pavement types, grass species, and property configurations for optimal results every visit.
Whether you want edging included as part of comprehensive mowing service or need standalone monthly edging for DIY mowing situations, we provide consistent professional quality that makes immediate visual impact. Many Howard County homeowners report that adding quality edging to their lawn care was the single most noticeable improvement to their property's appearance—more impactful than even fertilization or weed control because the visual transformation is so dramatic and immediate.
Crisp, clean borders that make lawns look truly professional
Call to Add Edging Service
Trusted by Howard County families since 1986
Family Owned • Power Edgers • Professional Results
About Greenlawn Inc: Since 1986, Greenlawn Inc has provided professional lawn edging services throughout Howard County, Maryland. Our experienced crews use commercial power edgers to create sharp, consistent borders along all hardscaping, transforming property appearance with crisp lines that separate maintained landscapes from neglected ones.