Recalcitrant edging

 Here's picture of edging I just bought.  Manufactured wood.  It is
very hard to rassle.  I unrolled it with difficulty and pinned it down
with heavy bricks until it more or less straightened out, but it will
still be difficult to bend  around the curves at the end of the bed.

http://tinyurl.com/d59ohcg

Does anyone have experience with these?  Should I pour hot water on to
make it more malleable?  Or?

TIA

HB

 On 11/8/11 6:22 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:

When my back yard was redone, the landscape contractor used some kind of
manufactured edging.  For broad, gentle curves, he nailed the edging to
stakes driven into the ground 2-3 feet apart.  For sharp bends, he cut
the edging and nailed adjacent ends of the two pieces to stakes.

I discovered long ago how to nail edging to stakes.  You place a sledge
hammer lying down with the head against the stake and the handle
pointing away from the edging.  Stand with one foot on the handle of the
sledge hammer.  Drive the nails from the edging into the stake.  the
sledge hammer and you standing on its handle will keep the stake steady
while the nails are being driven.

--
David E. Ross
Climate:  California Mediterranean, see
<http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html>
Gardening diary at <http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary>

 
***Thank you, but my situation is a little different.  I am my own
"contractor", and the area to be partially circumscribed is limited. I
am looking for ways to "soften" in order to be able to  manipulate the
stiff and "recalcitrant" edging to make it conform to the small
rectangular bed to be edged.  I will be reusing the metal stakes from
earlier borders.

Anybody else?

TIA

HB

 
I think the idea of heat is a good one. Hot water, sun, blow dryer of
better a heat gun. You will have to work quick and do small sections
at a time so it is going to take a while. Let us know how it goes

 Higgs Boson wrote:

For a *rectangular* bed why are you bothering with "free-form" type
edging?  Seems to me a trip to the lumber yard for some landscpape
ties is in order.  Instead of an image of that fercocktah product post
a picture of the bed you want edged.  In my experience free-form type
edging doesn't work for straight lines, no matter how many pegs are
used it always ends up crooked.  And if you live where the ground
freezes no flexible edging works.