Hints for Planting a 6X30 Flower Bed

Preparing the Flower Bed

• Preparation is always the key to successful gardening. You should weed and dig over your flower bed, ensuring the soil has a crumbly texture and is provided with sufficient organic matter to give nutrients to your growing plants. You also must check out your local U.S. Department of Agriculture zone so you are aware of the best plants that will thrive in your locality.

Choosing Plants

• One of the easiest methods of choosing the best plants for your locality is to check out local gardens and parks to see the types of flowers that thrive in your neighborhood. Your local retailing garden center also is a good source for advice. When you plan a large 6-by-30 foot flower bed like this, you will need a number of perennial plants or shrubs to give an all-year framework to the garden bed. Larger plants should be located at the back of beds, unless you are planning an island flower bed, for all-round viewing. Choosing perennials that flower at different times of the year will give color throughout the seasons. Bulbs provide further splashes of color and often can be left in the flower bed to multiply, without fear of frost damage in winter. You are not just limited to spring-flowering bulbs, as you will find a variety of flower bulbs that provide color through spring, summer and fall. When you have planned your basic framework for the flower bed, select a range annual flowering plants to give added splashes of color.

Soil

• Preparing the soil for your garden bed well in advance of planting is ideal, as it gives chance for particles to break down. Adding organic mulches, such as chipped bark, after the bed had been planted not only will provide nutrients to the soil, but also act as a weed suppressant.

Planting for Color

• Mass planting in swaths or "drifts" is one way of creating a block of color that is pleasing to the eye. You should choose flower colors that complement each other for an overall harmonious effect, and then create further interest by adding specialty flowers in spots around the border for more spectacular results.