HelpfulGardener.com

At my apartments I'm going to be making individual flower beds in front of each apartment. From the wall, out 2.5 feet to some black plastic edging I will be putting in the ground. The edging will stick up about a half inch above ground level between the lawn and the flowerbed.

Can creeping phlox be controlled simply by using a weed eater each week to cut it even with the edging? Maybe a couple of inches farther back from the edging? Or, will creeping phlox just get out of control and start spreading into the lawn?

Thanks,
Harry

Haha I guess it depends on what you prefer -- my garden bed with creeping phlox has expanded each year as they crept out onto the lawn, since I would pull the grass from around the phlox and move the edging and mulched area out....

But yes, if you kept clipping the phlox back at the edging, they should just get bushier and fill out to the edging and no further. You may need to hand pull some if they get past your weed whacking and set down roots in the designated "lawn" area.

Thanks applestar,

Sounds about like what I'm looking for. Our weekly lawn people can do the weedwacking, and I can do an occasional work by hand.

I'm not a gardener, but I've been told that creeping phlox makes a pretty ground cover.