If you are thinking of starting your own flower bed, then you are in the right place.
With our guide, we can tell you exactly how to start a flower bed for beginners, how to prepare the garden bed for flowers, and give you a step by step guide of where to start.
Planting a flower bed is a great way of improving the overall appearance of your yard or garden, but it also lifts your spirits when you see the fruits of your labor blooming and thriving away in the sun.
But, before you start getting those fingers green and dirty, you will need to know exactly where to start, and how to make a flower bed.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that a flower bed is only as good as its foundations.
This means that you need to prepare and plan the bed before you start planting! So, first things first, how do you prepare a garden bed for flowers?
How do you prepare a garden bed for flowers?
Any avid gardener will tell you that prepping the soil first is the secret to success when it comes to gardening. You have to literally make your bed, before you lie in it, or before the flowers can lie in it!
So, preparation is key! The garden bed is most important when it comes to planting flowers, as they will only be successful, and thriving if you have a good foundation or soil bed to start.
With a poor rooting system, your flowers will not be able to thrive or grow, and so this step is most important.
If you are planting a new garden bed for flowers, then you will first need to check if there are any existing, buried utility lines in your garden. You can check this with your local government authority.
Then, you need to kill any existing vegetation or plants that you do not want there.
For example if there are weeds, herbaceous plants or other types of vegetation already there, then they will get in the way of your flower bed, and will need removing.
Once this is done, you can start planning and defining the outline of the flower bed, so you know what shape and size it will be.
If you have your desired shape and size, then cover the soil with layers of newspaper (black and white ink if possible) and then top with a very thick layer of compost (about 2 or 3 inches).
This method works best if it is winter or fall, and so the layers will kill existing vegetation by spring, when you are ready to plant.
If you are ready to plant, then you can instead use a herbicide to kill any vegetation that is there, but you must turn the bed over before planting new flowers or there may still be remnants of herbicide.
If you are using herbicide, then be sure to check how long it remains active on the soil, and the instructions of use to make sure that you can successfully plant flowers afterwards.
Once the old vegetation is dead, use a shovel to turn the bed over whilst the soil is damp. You will need to dig deep and stick the whole depth of the spade or shovel into the soil to turn over the bed.
Once this is done, spread a layer of compost about 2-3 inches thick over the bed and turn the soil over again to mix it in nicely.
If you add compost, you will be improving the soil, adding structure and making it more nutritious, ready for your plants. Next, rake the soil to make it level. Then, your bed should be prepped and ready to go!
How deep should I dig my flower bed?
As previously mentioned, when you turn over soil or dig into it ready for your flower bed, you will need to put the whole length of the spade or shovel in.
This is because a flower bed will need to be about 8-12 inches deep.
How do you start a flower bed for beginners?
Once you have prepared your flower bed as shown in the above sections, you are ready to start planting. However, you will first need to choose your flowers and plants.
We recommend that you pick short, stocky plants with disease free foliage for the best results.
When purchasing, avoid any wilted, discolored or spindly plants as these may fail to take to the soil, and could die.
You want to give your flower bed the best chance of survival. We would also recommend taking note of which climates the flowers work best in when you are buying them.
For instance, some may not be suitable for windy conditions, which could be a problem if you live near the sea, whereas others may need more sunlight which may pose an issue if your garden bed does not receive a lot of light.
Once you have your plants ready, remove from the pot it came in and try to keep as much of the root ball as you can to help them grow in the bed.
You will want to make sure that your plants become well established within the flower bed, so we recommend pinching off flowers on them, so that they can develop a better root system instead of focusing their energy on flowering!
As long as you have followed our guide of preparing your flower bed, and the soil is smooth and level ready to go, you can plant the flowers.
Just make sure that they are planted at the same soil level as you purchased them in the container.
Finally, you will want to mulch the flower bed with 1-3 inches of chips, bark, or other organic mulch to conserve moisture and repel weeds.
How do you start a perennial garden?
Perennials are the perfect plants for low maintenance gardeners. They can be planted any time in the growing season, and are easy to do.
To start a perennial garden, the process is very much the same as starting a flower bed.
However, you will need better spacing, as the average perennial needs 12-18 inches between plants, where taller and larger perennials may need 18-36 inches of space.