How to Create a Front Lawn Flower Bed

Removing the Grass from the Flowerbed

• 1

  Lay out the shape of your flowerbed with a hose. You can also use a can of white spray paint to outline the shape. Water the flowerbed area a few days ahead of time, but don't allow the soil to get soggy.

• 2

  Slice the turf into 1-foot-wide and 1- to 2-foot strips. Pry up one end of the strip, and shove the spade under it, slicing through any deep taproots and lifting the grass piece out. A grub hoe is quick and convenient for removing grass in a small area. If you are planning a large flowerbed, renting a sod cutter might be a better option.

• 3

  Till the area if you own a tiller or don't mind renting one. After tilling, remove the clumps of grass and shake the soil from them. This is less work intensive and you can start planting right away, but weed seeds rise to the surface, which means you'll be pulling weeds in the spring.

• 4

  Smother the grass with newspaper, plastic or cardboard. The disadvantage to this method is that it takes several months for the grass to die and it looks unsightly in the meantime. This method isn't work intensive, but you might not want to wait that long to enjoy your flowers.

• 5

  Spray herbicides to kill the grass. This method takes several days to kill off the grass completely, and you might need to apply the herbicide a second time. This is the least environmentally friendly way to get rid of grass and you might kill off other plants nearby.

Planning Your Front Lawn Flowerbed

• 6

  Remove any grubs or Japanese beetles that may reveal themselves when the ground is exposed. Add compost, topsoil and manure to the flowerbed area as needed before planting. Work the material into the soil using a tiller or shovel. You can also work in the fertilizer at this time.

• 7

  Plant the flowers after the soil is thoroughly prepared. If your lawn and flowerbed are small, the following plantings are ideal for a circle in the middle of the lawn: 20 mealycup sages for the inner circle, eight small white shrub roses for the middle circumference and 16 dwarf boxwoods for the outside circumference.

• 8

  Plant colorful perennials only if you want to avoid having to plant each year: one Russian sage, three purple coneflowers, four moonbeams, four catmints and three pincushion flowers.