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Photo courtesy of Black & Decker

MISSION, KS -- (Marketwire) -- 03/14/13 -- (Family Features) It takes more than just mowing the lawn to get a great looking yard. In addition to making sure you have healthy, well-cut grass, there are some finishing touches you should add so that your yard goes from so-so to something you can be proud of.

Trimming and Edging the Lawn
The lawn mower can't reach every place that grass grows. So after mowing, you're often left with long grass sticking up around trees and flower beds, as well as along sidewalks, patios and driveways. When you trim, you leave your lawn neat and tidy.

Trimming is cutting the edges of your lawn horizontally. It levels unmowed grass so it's even with the rest of the lawn. String trimmers are effective tools for this job. A battery powered trimmer, such as the 36 volt Lithium High Performance String Trimmer with Power Command® controls from Black & Decker, is a lightweight option for many homeowners. Its battery holds a charge 5 times longer while idle compared to HPB18 NiCad battery packs, and it requires no gas to operate.

To trim properly, keep a few things in mind

•Make sure the area you're going to trim is free of debris. •Slowly move the trimmer from side to side, letting the tip of the line do the cutting. •Keep the head two to three inches off the ground so you don't scalp the lawn and damage it. •Cut thick or tall grass in smaller sections so you don't clog the trimmer. •Don't let the line cut into trees and shrubs. This can damage them and make them more vulnerable to disease or hurt their growth. •When you're finished, remove clippings and debris from the trimmer. •Plan on trimming every mowing to maintain a neat appearance.

When you edge a lawn, you're making vertical cuts to remove grass growing over sidewalks or patio edges. Some trimmers require a separate attachment for edging or will not convert to an edger, while many can simply be rotated to operate vertically.

Edging and Trimming Safely
To help protect yourself from debris:

•Wear protective safety glasses. •Wear long pants. •Wear closed shoes. •Wear gloves. Keep others away from any debris or objects which may be hit by the line. •Always follow your instruction manual.

Trimming Hedges
Properly pruned hedges not only improve the look of the plants, but their health, too. Formal hedges are typically made up of shrubs with small leaves that get sheared into a smooth and uniform-looking surface. Informal hedges are more casual in appearance, and are usually made up of plants that bear flowers or fruit, and have wider leaves.

Using a hedge trimmer such as the 36 volt 24-inch Lithium Hedge Trimmer from Black & Decker can make this task easy. The lithium-ion battery holds a charge up to 18 months. The 24-inch dual-action blade cuts branches quickly and has less vibration compared to a single action blade.

Here are few tips for trimming a formal hedge

•Deciduous hedges should be trimmed in late winter, while evergreens can be trimmed in mid-spring. •Sloping the hedge so that the base is broader than the top lets sunlight reach lower leaves. •To help you trim hedges evenly, use stakes and string to set up guidelines for height and width. •Cut slowly, and use a smooth, up and down sweeping motion. If you apply too much pressure, the blades can tear branches instead of cutting them neatly. •Cut the sides of a hedge first. •Use a ladder to reach the tops of tall hedges. •Keep trimmer blades sharp and clean.