Here is a picture of a circle bed that I put in for 7 rose bushes just after I uncovered them this spring so you can see the edging I used. The edgers are made of colored concrete, and concave at one end & convex at the other so you can lay them straight or curve them as needed. They've been in for 9 years & stood up well so far.
{{gwi:299080}}From Drop Box

I used the green metal bands/strips that you can buy at home depot/lowes to put a "barrier" around my big oval rose bed. It works well and then I can just weed eat back the grass around it.

If you don't mind a very natural look you might like what I do. I encourage the clover to choke out the grass at the edge of (most) beds on my big property. Then I pull up the clover runners as they try to encroach on my edging plants if those plants can't hold their own against it. I pull it as I look at each plant and rose, which I like to do anyway :)

I mow over part of the clover, if you can picture that.

We have a lot of farmers around here, so they like the bees and clover isn't really considered a weed in these parts. The bees love me very, very much :)

I have Bermuda (and fescues, mixed) and hate how it takes over a cultivated bed. I'm happy with the clover solution here.

I have Bermuda also and I have my beds edged in stones. Unfortunately, I find a weedwhacker doesn't work for it, as it just flattens and runs under and between the rocks. I dig what used to be called a Victorian trench, which as you pointed out, is a lot of work initially. But if you attend to it on a weekly basis, it's not that bad. That's the only way I've found to defeat Bermuda. Olga, I think, has the most beautifully edged beds I've ever seen.

Meredith, your description of the clover barrier gave me a good laugh. I love it, but does the clover really keep out the Bermuda? I'm even wondering if the stones would as Bermuda roots can go several feet deep.

Thanks for the pics, wirosarian. Your bed looks great. I may try it.

Lainey, no, the stones don't keep it out; hence the Victorian trench. The trench DOES keep it out. The other thing that helps is to keep the beds heavily mulched. Should the Bermuda manage to get in, it will usually just grow on top of the mulch and is very easy to pull out, unlike when it manages to root itself in the soil.

It does keep it out! The white clover I have has really great roots itself once the plant isn't newly rooted from a runner. It spreads from above ground, though, so I can see it coming where I don't want it ;)

I really don't have to do much weeding at all for the awful Bermuda grass. Mine likes bricks and any normal edging and easily goes under them, yep. The clover roots stop it, really (or all but say 1 out of 500 runners, lol)! I have heavy red clay, btw, in case that makes a difference.

Amazing, Meridith

I have a rose bed which has a border of at least 2 feet wide walkway, then my lawn (bermuda) the Bermuda grass can grow underneath the 2 foot walkway and invade the rose bed. I don't think stone edging will keep it out. I just edge any beds with a gas edger attachment and pull out any stray grass that gets in my beds. Usually after a rain, they are easy to pull out.

I believe it, Buford. I was looking for an easy way out.