Flower Bed Planning Tools

Types

• Decide what kind of flowerbed you want. Visit a botanical garden, nurseries and even your neighbors' yards for ideas. Your flowerbed should complement your home's style, traditional, formal, modern or cottage. When selecting flowers, choose a color scheme with two or three colors. Place tall plants at the back of the border and smaller plants in the front.

Size

• Determine the location and size of your flowerbed. Use blueprint paper to map out the house and yard, including hard surfaces, trees and outbuildings. Sketch your intended flowerbed. Choose plants that are suited for your region. Don't mix shade-loving flowers with sun-loving flowers.

Considerations

• Mark the boundaries of the flowerbed with chalk, stakes and string. Flowing edges are usually more appealing than straight edges. Remove the sod with a shovel or sod stripper and dig up the soil. Amend the soil with compost or manure to improve drainage, especially if you are planting perennials, which are usually a permanent planting.