[Growster...]

We have about fifty odd beds all interspersed with criss-crossed grass paths.

Last year, we bought a battery strimmer, which handled the long stuff and the edges very well, but it was taking ages, so we bought a small Mountfield push/motor mower, and that does the paths fine (the old mower had just gone 'pop groan', and died, so we needed one anyway), but it does the job, but now left just the edges to cope with, and that brought me back to the same time to make the paths all smart and easy to work from!

I like seeing edges, they look professional and well ordered, but now they're going. It took a quick squirt of Glyphosphate around all the edges to kill off the immediate grass, and it left a central path area, and, as a finale, the 'growing bits in the beds', where we plant everything, are just levelled off to grass height.

So now, I can whip the mower round in half the time, have no edges, and also, the couch dies back as well, which is always a bonus!

Seems to work, the tiller just stops short of the 'no-go, no-grow' area, and the mower stops short on the paths...

So far, so good...

[compostqueen]

Do you mean a petrol mower then Growster? 

[cadalot]

Growster - You need to upload a photo so we can see this in action - For now I have lawn edging between my woodchip paths and beds but I really want timber if I can get hold of it cheap enough - and there is no way I'm spending hours trying to take pallets apart.

[Growster...]

Do you mean a petrol mower then Growster?

Yup, it's a Mountfield HP414, which, being 'plastic', is very light and costed us about £160.00. It has a good tolerance of grass length, and we like it a lot! It can turn on a sixpence, and I can lift it into the trolley to get it down to the patch with no worries!

[Growster...]

Growster - You need to upload a photo so we can see this in action - For now I have lawn edging between my woodchip paths and beds but I really want timber if I can get hold of it cheap enough - and there is no way I'm spending hours trying to take pallets apart.

Cadaolt, I was never really going to go for timber edges, or raised beds, so this option just evolved this year!

I'll take the 'Instamatic' down this w/e and try and explain by showing one we made earlier!

[compostqueen]

I've got more petrol mowers than a little and I'm fed up to the back teeth with them. I've just given one away for spares as the drive had conked. My husband suggested, "well, you can still push it"      "Do you push your car", says I     The petrol one I was using at the plot would not re-start. I am never again going to buy a cord start mower as they are ridiculous. Would we still crank our cars?   I think it will be easier for me, and my sanity, to get rid of the ruddy grass 

[sunshineband]

We decided that grass was just going to be tooooooo much work on paths, so I have gone for woodchip over membrane.

I have enough trouble keeping the small area of grass outside the front fence neat and tidy with the old push mower.

Tidy grass always looks good though 

[mumofstig]

We decided that grass was just going to be tooooooo much work on paths, so I have gone for woodchip over membrane.

I've just gone for membrane, doesn't look as good, but works for me  and easy to move the path if I change my mind (again) 

[Yorkie]

Likewise with just the membrane 

[Trillium]

I used membrane with pea gravel on top for looks.

[sunshineband]

I used membrane with pea gravel on top for looks.

And very nice and tidy I'm sure they are too 

Wood chip comes free from time to time though.......

[Growster...]

Great responses - thank you!

I've got some pics taken today, and will post them to get the griff from everyone...

Comments are expected, as Mrs Growster and I just do what's right for us!

[Sparkyrog]

Has just put a carpet surround round his PT " Gets wood chip for free " 

[compostqueen]

I actually got the mower going today and mowed the paths, at long last. It looks much better now

[RJR_38]

Likewise with just the membrane 

Do you not find the membrane snags/gets tears in it though?