hey magic ... we ought to start a new.. searchable-titled post about edging ... there are a few tricks to do it... first is a straight shovel... see link ... then to hone it surgical sharp .. you would not believe how much easier sharpness makes the job.. go figure on that ... it took me something like 20 years in the garden.. to learn to sharpen my shovels.. what a nimrod.. lol ... i seem to recall .... that there is one major cut per year.. with some cleanup rarely .. the trick is that grass roots.. only go about 3 inches down.. so the cut edge is about 4 inches ... and that is what stops the grass from invading the bed ... if you dont go back each spring.. the grass will root deeper and come into the bed ... most push mowers ... the blade overhangs the wheels by 3 to 6 inches.. so.. its not all that hard to mow the edge.. presuming sobriety .. lol ... you do need 100% concentration, especially on curves and circles ... its been a decade... did i miss anything ...??? i saw some utubes on lawn edging.. but i wanted to show you the shovel pic ... regardless.. the bottom line.. when dealing with the most invasive weed on earth.. grass ... is that no matter what you use.. you will never be done.. trying to stop its advance ... ken ps: oh.. i HATE .. with a passion.. PLASTIC in the garden.. so that stuff is not an option to a true gardener IMHO... but i found.. even with that .... the grass grows under it.. and you find yourself having to edge it also ... brick or pavers is a nice option... if there is a budget ... same with grass eventually going under it though .. but in magics garden.. with the prairie surrounding .. the formality of the brick edge would not fit ... as compared to the formal beds like dave's .... to each his/her own ... but think about the totality of the 'look' .. before you go do it.. simply because someone else does it .. Here is a link that might be useful:

Hi everyone, I'm in. I just did the secret santa seed swap and had a blast. Doesn't take much!! :) A little about me: I read on this site a lot, but do not post much or get too involved. I have learned more than you could imagine over the past few years. I live in West Virginia and have since I was 7 years old. I know some have opinions of this state as "hillbilly" or "redneck" and while some of that is true, most is not. Although I still see things that shock me. That's another discussion :) I am 31, have a 4 year old son whom I absolutely adore. I was not supposed to be able to have kids and he was a surprise and blessing. I am lucky to be able to stay home and love remodeling,gardening,and spending time at home. I was diagnosed with a brain tumor last year. It's rare and something I have to deal with until it's big enough to be removed, if it comes to that. Bad as that sounds, I honestly don't give it much thought unless I have to. I will admit it took months to get to that place. I have made life changing decisions since the diagnosis and my ways of thinking about things are different these days. Sometimes these life changing events are just that, life changing. Enough of that kind of stuff now. I realized how much I loved gardening this year. I wrote earlier how much I read on gardenweb and can't tell you how all of you inspire. I plan on getting a hoophouse up this coming year. I grew lots of yummy food and had beautiful flowers this year and hope it's even better in '09. Anyways, enough about me. This sounds like fun. Andrea

Annie - I tested every variety of apple I could find for dehydrated apples and Jonathan's (or hybrids that are part Jonathan) always won the taste test with our family. They are really sweet. Granny Smith's aren't good for snacking - too bland/sour - but work fine for cobblers and applesauce, as do other apple varieties where you add a sweetener and spices. You can also make "powders" (fruit or vegetable) by dehydrating the liquified food (blender or food processor) on fruit roll-up sheets until they are crispy dry. Then blend to a powder in the blender/food processor. I make powdered sweet potatoes by using mashed sweet potatoes (no milk or butter, just cooked mashed sweet potatoes) and spread them in a VERY thin layer on the fruit roll-up sheets and dehydrate until crispy dry. I put 1/2-cup of mashed sweet potatoes on 1/2 of the sheet - leave a bit of space - then another 1/2-cup. This makes it easy to divide it into individual bags for single servings (1/2-cup mashed sweet potatoes = 1 serving). Dried Strawberry Topping 1 c. boiling water 1 c. dried strawberries 1 small package strawberry gelatin 1/2 c. whipped cream or non-dairy whipped topping Pour boiling water over dried strawberries and soak for 3-4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Drain, reserving both berries and any remaining soaking liquid. Add water to liquid to make 2-cups. Add gelatin and heat until gelatin is dissolved. Add refreshed strawberries and chill until almost set. Fold in whipped cream or non-dairy whipped topping and serve on squares of cake. -Grainlady

Good to know you're back on better footing. It's a good lesson for all to sleep on the problem before you address it. That's a practice I always recommend. It allows you to cool down and respond correctly to the actual scale of the issue rather than the perceived scale of the issue that is always larger than life and emotional when first encountered. In other words, if this was the final labor on the project rather than just a prelim screwup that the GC hasn't even viewed yet, the scale of the issue would be much higher. You always want to save the escalated response to an inadequate response from the GC after he has had a chance, not the first response being volcanic. 20% for the material surcharge is for the time spent selecting the correct material, any associated required components, ordering the material, arranging for it's transport, receiving the shipment, inspecting it that it is correct and undamaged, and storing it so that it remains undamaged. Time is money and none of those services are free. ;) You'll pay it one way or the other, even if it's not specified in the contract. You'll pay higher labor fees, or you'll get less warranty, or something. The slack gets picked up somehow if the contractor is an actual business man and is going to actually remain in business. It's better to be above board with all charges in writing so you understand what goes into a remodel. If you elect to select and purchase your own materials, then you are the one responsible for all of the above and the contractor is no longer the point of warranty with the product.