If you're cutting through thick grass or tough soil, a sharp straight-edged spade or half-moon edger ... your lawn edging. Or, you can use the 2-by-4 plank hack to create a sharply-edged bed.

A string trimmer trims the grass and weeds against fence lines, foundations, and other places you can’t reach with a lawn mower. An edger establishes clean borders between driveways, sidewalks, and ...