How to Grow Flower Beds

Decide on the areas where you want to plant flowers in your yard. Most flowers do best with full sun exposure and good drainage. Plan to create your beds in early spring or summer. You can create beds by digging out the lawn, or carving out sections of sod along perimeters, near pathways, around patios and outbuildings. Once you determine where you will plant, get the soil ready.

Dig the bedding areas. Use your shovel or spade to remove grass, weeds, rocks and any debris from the ground. Turn the soil over to a depth of at least 6 inches, preferably 10 or 12. If you know your soil is high in clay, add amendments such as pine needles, straw, leaves, compost and small amounts of sand. Sand is only typically for the heaviest clay soils. Till or work in the amendments fully.

Add fresh soil and compost and mix these together, then use a rake or shovel to mound up the beds to about 4 to 6 inches above the ground level. Extra, good soil (topsoil or potting soil) always helps when starting flower beds. Bed elevations can go higher if you prefer, such as to 12 or 18 inches.

Turn on the hose and water the prepared soil areas. Check that the beds drain easily and don't create mud puddles. If there is an area that stays too wet, you'll need to remedy that first by adding more amendments and working them in until drainage occurs.

Plant the flowers. Use seeds for wildflowers by scattering or pressing into soil about 1/4 to 1/2 inch depth; check the seed packets for requirements. Plant annuals and perennials by poking small holes at depths from 1/4 to 1 inch as suggested by each seed packet.

Make rows of different types of annuals and perennials by planting those that grow lower in front and place higher ones to the back of the bed. This is true especially for beds against walls, fences and paths; however, if your beds are more open, place taller plants in the center.

Plant small starter plants in beds, according to how wide they'll bush and how tall they will grow. If you aren't using seeds at all, but prefer to start by purchasing trays of annuals and perennials, remove them from their pots, dig a suitable sized hole (1 to 1.5 times the pot size) and place the plant in it. Space plants 4, 6 or 12 inches apart, depending on expected growth.

Water all the flower beds and keep them moist until seedlings sprout or roots begin to take hold -- usually within the first couple of weeks. Thereafter, watering is determined by local temperatures or heat waves. For example, water regularly every few days until plants have begun to mature, then water every five to seven days. If the leaves or flowers ever look wilted, water the plants.

Spread mulch around the plants. When seeds begin to sprout you may need to thin some areas so they don't overcrowd a bed. Check for clusters of seedlings, and when they are several inches tall, remove those that are too close together. You can plant these in other bedding areas or into pots.

In October or sometime in autumn, plant bulbs in your flower beds to add spring color. Follow the depths required; most bulbs are planted between 3 and 6 inches deep. These are fine to plant into perennial beds, and adding annuals around them helps hide dying leaves when bulbs die back after blooming.