Marybeth, you haven't given enough info. Give examples of what you have/plan for in the beds please.

One must to consider the mature size of the shrubbery.

By edging do you mean trimming the edge of the grass or are you installing a hard edge?

My gardener just removed 12 inches of sod(lawn) from around my flower/shrub beds and what a difference it made! My shrubs no longer look like they've overgrown their space.

One way to do this is to dig a level trench and use bullnose pavers. They are also called bullet pavers. Usually they are 12 inches long and 4 inches wide. They come in a few different colors. There is some work involved with this but the look is very nice. Also mowing and trimming is much eaiser. Places like Lowes and Home Depot are great places to get the help you need. If you google the installation part you will find many sites that offer the formula for your project. Good Luck!

A lot depends on your personal preference. I happen to like the look of plants overgrwoing the grass edge - you might not like this look.

are the shrubs mature? if not - they will grow and it is difficult to make them thinner than they want to be. allow room for them.

Madtripper is right, a lot depends on personal preference and whether the shrubs are mature (and, if not, their mature size). I also like to see some of the plants spilling over slightly onto the lawn or walkway.

Personally, I prefer a trenched edge ... which is no hard edging at all, just a nice clean cut along the edge of the lawn. This allows me to expand the beds as the occupants thereof grow larger, or when I add new ones, or just move things around (the lawn seems to be gradually getting smaller every year). And there are those times when I need to go out and put a fresh edge on some of the beds - not that they necessarily need it ... I need it: when it's done, all (well almost all) seems right with my world. It's also a great task for those early spring days that invite you to work in the garden, but it's too early to pull the winter mulch off or do any dividing.