Edging the Japanese Maple Woodland Carriage Road
Many outdoor maintenance chores are getting done around my Bedford, New York farm - we’re on schedule and everything looks great.
This season, we’ve done a lot of additional work in my Japanese maple woodland. Not long ago, I spent several days pruning every single one of the Japanese maples. My outdoor grounds crew was out there with me weeding and cleaning all the beds. And last week, the carriage road that meanders through the grove was edged and groomed.
Enjoy these photos.
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- My farm sits on 153-acres of land that includes four miles of gravel-covered carriage road. These roads provide the best footing for my horses. It’s important to keep them well-maintained, not only so they look good, but also for proper drainage during storms.
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- This road that winds through the maple woodland is 10-feet wide. Pete, who has been doing a lot of detailed road edging around the farm, is excellent at any job that requires lots of precision work. Here, he uses a long piece of wood that measures exactly 10-feet, so he can know exactly where the edge will be.
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- Using a hoe, Pete makes a 10-foot mark at various locations along the stretch of road.
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- In some areas, the road has gotten wider, especially where there is not as much turf. This section was in great need of edging.
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- Pete uses our Little Wonder gas-powered edger. It is such a useful tool – it is a single-purpose machine used to make good, crisp lines along the edges of roads, lawns, and garden beds.
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- The blade is about 10-inches long, which cuts a very clean edge. It is also protected by a metal cutter head that helps prevent some of the debris from flying.
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- The blade’s cutting depth can be adjusted from a lever near the handlebar of the machine. It can cut up to four inches deep.
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- Edging can be done manually with a variety of spades, but depending on the size of the yard, it can become quite time-consuming. Rotary edgers, such as this one powered by gasoline, reduce the time it takes to complete the job.
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- The wide base keeps the machine stable as it goes around the curved roads. Pete lines up the edger’s blade and follows the 10-foot marks he made along the way.
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- It is easy to see the finished edge.
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- What a difference it makes once the edger passes through – details like edging can transform a space in minutes.
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- Pete then uses a basic paddle hoe to pull out weeds and any unwanted turf. The hoe has a six-inch blade on a 52-inch wooden handle attached with a goose-neck for better alignment. The hoe also has a blade set at approximately a right angle to the handle, and easily draws the soil out from the edge – it looks so clean and crisp.
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- The hoe allows him to make the edged line more pronounced, especially where there is very little turf.
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- Next, Pete uses a wide 16-tooth road rake to move the gravel back to the center of the road. It is crucial that roads have crowns, where they are higher in the center and lower at the sides, so water can flow properly during storms.
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- This process takes quite some time to complete, but it looks quite lovely once it is done.
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- Looking closely, one can see the road crown in the center. And it is now very clear where the road edge meets the garden beds.
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- Here is another edged section of carriage road.
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- Pete places stakes along the newly edged road so any vehicles that pass are well warned.
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- The Japanese maples in this grove are varieties of Acer palmatum – trees that have been cultivated in Japanese gardens for centuries. Over the last several years, I’ve planted hundreds of these trees. I just love them.
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- Japanese maples prefer dappled sun or part shade. I purposely planted them beneath all these larger trees. The varying heights add such a beautiful texture to the grove. With more than a thousand varieties and cultivars including hybrids, the iconic Japanese maple tree is among the most versatile and the most beautiful small trees for use in the landscape.
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