I got great answers to my other?

Could you please restate your question, Valerie? It got cut off just as you started the question! Thanks, we would love to help you with suggestions on what you are having trouble with.

Hi, Valerie, I'm glad you got good answers for keeping weeds out of your flower bed! Now we still need to know how much sun vs shade it gets, how damp the area is, even what kind of soil you have and how big it is.

I'd walk through the neighborhood and ask friends if you could get a cutting from a plant you admire in their yard, or if they have a root bound plant that they were planning to cut in two, if you could have a chunk of roots when they're ready. Maybe someone is tired of the old look and ready to rip out and change their old plants? Be friendly and thoughtful and you'd be surprised how generous neighbors can be!

You'll still need to plan as it grows: taller plants in the back, or if it's circular, in the middle. What colors where to balance it. Be sure to write back with those answers and, please post pictures if you can. We love to see a work in progress. - Shuganne

Instead of timber like you had, you could go with brick, or there are a lot of attractive edging you could get if you want it more open. You could use the thinner rock like pavers stacked, there are all kind of options available to use that would suit your style. If you end up thinking the wood does look the best, make sure you use treated wood for the flower beds and it will last for many years without a problem.

Hi, Valerie, thanks for getting back so quickly. I found the neatest site for full sun flowers:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/fgen/full-sun-plants.htm

Now onto your borders. If you leave the old timbers in the flowerbed to decompose, you should add extra nitrogen. The decay process pulls nitrogen out of the soil, and plants need nitrogen, too. If you can lift the borders away, that would probably be better.

Let's think about new borders. Do you mow the lawn or do you have boisterous helper? I'm thinking plastic edging would be fairly inexpensive but vulnerable to wild mowers and spinning weed whackers and pushed-too-far edgers. So you tell me: do you have a pile of old bricks? I'd lay them flat at ground level, so the mower can see where grass stops and flowers start. The tire could run on the flat layer of bricks and leave no stubble behind. I absolutely hate it when there's a little border of grass that got missed in the mowing process. (No, I've never jumped out of my car with hand shears, but I will admit to really really wanting to.)

It's getting late enough into the season that some things may be going on sale soon. Keep an eye on the ads. Just notice if anyone is doing construction or remodeling in the neighborhood. Take a stroll past to see if there's something in the trash pile that you could repurpose into a border. Garage sales. Swaporamas. What have you got that you no longer need that you could offer to trade in a local traders magazine or website? How about living without borders for a bit? You'd be surprised what comes back to you when you send positive vibes into the universe. Have fun, Valerie, and thanks for asking Hometalk!

- Shuganne

I use just plan coiled plastic Landscape edging the most. It has less breaks and I can bury it a few inches into the soil to prevent some roots from entering the new bed. You can then add a decorative edging if you like. Pavers like Allen stones, stomp on plastic hollow bricks, individual pieces that slide into each other.