How to Grow a Flower Step-by-Step

Grow a Flower From Seed

• 1

  Plant spring-blooming annual flowers in early fall. Plant summer-blooming annuals in summer. Many annuals -- flowers that bloom for one season and die -- are grown from seed. Perennial flowers grown from seed may not bloom for several years after being planted. Bluebonnets, petunias, Indian blanket and gerbera daisy are among the flowers that are propagated by seed.

• 2

  Prepare the seedbed by removing all weeds and large rocks from the soil. You may pull weeds by hand.

• 3

  Till the first 2 to 3 inches of soil using a tiller or a rake. Loosening the soil will make it easier for water and air to circulate around the seed and the roots of the plant.

• 4

  Dig a planting hole, usually between 1 to 3 inches deep depending on the seed, using a shovel.

• 5

  Place the seed inside the hole and backfill the soil. You do not need to compress the soil to refill the planting hole.

• 6

  Water thoroughly. Add more dirt to level the soil as needed after the ground settles.

Grow a Flower From Cuttings

• 7

  Take cuttings from woody flowering plants in the early morning. Choose a healthy, one- or two-year-old stem to take your cutting, avoiding stems with flower buds when possible. Flowers that grow from cuttings include azaleas, jasmine and camellia.

• 8

  Cut stems with a clean, sharp knife or shears, taking 4 to 6 inches of growth. Make cuts just above a leaf or bud node.

• 9

  Remove all buds from the cutting. Remove all the leaves on the lower half of the stem.

• 10

  Insert the lower half of the cutting into the prepared garden bed.

• 11

  Press the soil firmly around the cutting so it remains vertical. Point the cutting so the nodes point upward; do not bury the cutting upside-down.

Grow a Flower From Division

• 12

  Divide perennials that flower in fall in the spring. Divide spring-flowering perennials in the fall. Perennials that are grown through division include sweet woodruff and gladiolus.

• 13

  Dig a 2-inch circle around the perennials with a shovel, approximately 4 inches deep.

• 14

  Lift the clump of perennials out of the ground. You may sever small, feeder roots, but take care not to do too much damage to the roots.

• 15

  Cut through the plant and the roots with clean, sharp cuts, dividing the clump into two or three sections.

• 16

  Place the divided perennials into separate planting holes, burying the plants to their original depth. You should see a soil line marking the depth on the plants.