Box Edgings are miniature hedges. Some experts may object to them on the grounds that they encourage and harbor insect and pests, but this can be dismissed by the practical gardener who will search out the intruders and destroy them.

The best dwarf form for a box edging is Buxus sempervirens var. sufruticosa. It should be planted in April or May. You should dig a narrow, clean-cut triangular shaped trench and insert the box plants in a close line. You should hold a board in your right hand to draw the soil up against them while you hold the plants in line with your left hand.

You should not allow box edging to grow more than six inches high. You need to take care when clipping so that you keep the height of all the plants the same and to maintain a clean line, whether it is straight or curved. The best time for clipping is at the end of May or during the first week in June. The best shape in cross-section is square topped with battered or vertical sides, though if it pleases your eye, you may round the top angles.

Ivy edgings have a bold, handsome appearance, but are not suitable for gardens of restricted size, and in town gardens they are apt to become coated with soot, nor are they reliable in the North because of the cold winters. Where space admits, however, and the temperature is safe, excellent effects may be obtained with ivy.

It is only necessary to insert the plants and to peg them down to the soil, which in time they will cover with abundant growth. An annual clipping in April or May will soon produce a neat effect. Many other plants are in use for edgings, such as the ground myrtle, euonymus, and pachysandra, etc., but as they present; no special difficulty in management, they only need to be referred to by name if you are looking for something different.

The border of any object can either make or break the aesthetic value of it. The border of your wall fountain should match the surroundings, the border of your flower bed should be tidy, and the border of your hedge should be trimmed.

The verge makes an admirable edging where space permits, and where it is not subject to unfavorable conditions, such as the drip of trees. To ensure the best effect it should be trimmed with mathematical accuracy. As the mowing and trimming involve considerable labor, it is not the one for you if you have limited time to attend to gardening.

Tile and other artificial edgings have a wider application than the living plant edgings just discussed and they are a necessity in a well-kept garden. When turf and soil or turf and gravel come into juxtaposition the clean-cut edge of the turf constitutes a good enough edging. The case is different where soil and gravel meet. The qualities which should distinguish a good edging are durability (both as regards resistance to weather influence and accidental fracture); flexibility, to permit it to be laid in a good curve if necessary; stability, to enable it to keep in place; and, lastly, moderate cost.

Tile edgings may be just plain roofing tiles, or special edging tiles with a "fancy" margin, of which many patterns, good, bad, and indifferent, are available for sale. They are usually thin and will not resist the wear and tear of every day usage. The porous tiles are subject to fracture by frost.

Special edging tiles are made of the following materials:

Porous brickware (red)
Hard brickware (red)
Stoneware (brown)
Blue brickware (slate blue)

The first is undesirable because of its brittleness and liability to fracture by frost, and the last on account of its unpleasant color, though it has the advantage of toughness and strength. Between the other two materials there is little to choose. Both are durable and unobjectionable in color, so you can make the decision for yourself. If price is a consideration, the hard brickware is the least expensive, though prices may vary according to district.

When it comes to selecting the pattern you cannot be too circumspect and should confine yourself to simple designs. The tile edging is not a feature that you can emphasize with decoration and the plain scalloped edge is the best one to choose. Even that is apt to suffer in use, and will show unpleasant gaps where some of the projections may be broken off by a chance blow of the spade.