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Flowerbeds make beautiful additions to your landscape and come in all shapes and sizes, not to mention colors and textures. Not everyone has a green thumb, but that doesn’t mean you can’t create your own. All it takes is a little planning, some simple steps, and care. Read on to find out how to create your own unique flowerbed.
LOCATION
First, figure out where you want your flowerbed. The location is very important because it determines what type of plants you can choose. You also have to determine how much sunlight the area gets. Some flowers do well in shade but not in the sun, and vice versa.
Check to see what type of drainage occurs at the area. You don’t want a heavy rain to wash out your plants.
SHAPE
Determine what shape you want your flowerbed to be. You may choose to have a long rectangular flowerbed that goes along the length of your house, for example. Perhaps you are planning a round flowerbed. No matter what you choose, remember that bigger is better. Both annuals and perennials spread and need room to grow and mature. It is a common mistake to plant annuals and perennials too close. If this happens, you will discover that your plants may not flower as profusely as you would like. Also, you will have to divide your perennials sooner to keep them healthy.
SOIL PREPARATION
Next, determine what type of soil you have. Clay needs to be amended with sand and peat to provide adequate drainage for the plants. Loam is a gardener’s dream and requires no amendments. Rocky soil may require compost and peat so roots can spread. Sandy soil requires black dirt and compost. This isn’t an exact science, so experiment and watch how your plants react.
If your future flowerbed is covered with sod you can shovel it out by hand, rent a sod-cutter or till it in. Tilling sod will result in a weedy flowerbed, however. It is definitely more work in the end. If you are preparing a flowerbed in the fall then purchase black plastic sheeting at your local gardening center. Layer newspaper over the area that you want your flowerbed, hose it down, layer it with the black plastic sheeting, then secure it with rocks or bricks to keep it from flying away. The next spring you will have composted newspaper and dead grass.
Another consideration is that you may want a raised flowerbed if you have poor soil. Perhaps you just want it raised because of aesthetic purposes. In any event, that means hauling in soil. Use a combination of black dirt, peat and compost.
SUNLIGHT OR SHADE
If you are not sure how much sunlight your future flowerbed will receive, then take one day and determine the number of hours. If it gets at least four to six hours a day then most plants that require full sun to part shade will do nicely. All plants that require full shade will do poorly.
In addition, if you choose a spot that gets intense sun and heat, choose only plants that require full sun. (All plants you purchase will have tags that tell you their light requirements.)
COLOR SCHEME AND TEXTURE
Do you have a favorite color that you want in your flowerbed? Maybe you’re not sure what colors will do well with others. Forget about what’s right and think about what you really like. Study some garden magazines or order free garden catalogs to get ideas. If you have one color that you’re sure you’re going to use, then go with that and choose contrasting colors.
For example, if you plan to use mostly purple flowers, then add a few pink ones to contrast with the other color. If you’re not sure what color goes with what, a good rule of thumb to follow is to choose white. Then again, there are some people who love color regardless, and will choose every color of the rainbow. It’s a dramatic affect, and it’s all up to you.
A good idea at this point is to pick out the actual plant species and look up their planting specifications. Note their spacing requirements and figure out how many plants you’ll need to fill in the area of your flowerbed. Perennials start out slow but they spread, and can be divided every three years as a rule. Annuals are fast color but won’t show up the next year.
Texture is an important element in your flowerbed. Some flowers are soft and frilly while others are bright and bold. There are low ground covers and tall grasses. Think about the background of your flowerbed as opposed to what plants you’ll choose for the front. Tall flowers in the front may obscure the short ones behind them. Plan accordingly.
PLANT CHOICES
This is the fun part! Go to your nearest garden center or flower catalog and pick out the flowers according to the color scheme you’ve planned. Choose plants that are healthy and green. Don’t pick plants with fading blooms or browning leaves. Pick plants with buds if you can. Small plants with no buds may not look attractive but they will do very well also. Note that some perennials will not bloom the first year.
PLANTING
Now that you’ve got your plants, get out your shovel and hand trowel. Place every plant in the position that you want them on the prepared soil of the flowerbed. Start at the back, and begin digging the appropriate-sized hole for each plant. (Planting instructions should be on each plant’s tag.) Fill the hole with appropriate amount of peat and compost mixture. Carefully remove plants from their containers and place them upright in the hole. Make sure they don’t sit too high or too low. The top of the soil plug should be just above ground level.
Fill the remainder of the hole with dirt and the compost mixture. Water so no air holes are present. Air holes can cause the roots to dry and rot. It could kill the plant. Tamp the area and make sure the plant is secure. Work your way towards the front of your flowerbed until you’re finished. Water all plants again thoroughly.
Mulch your flowerbed with straw, wood chips, or pine needles. Mulch keeps the weeds down and is attractive. It also provides organic matter as it rots.
BORDER OR EDGING
Now that you’re finished planting, step back and determine if you want to keep the edges of your flowerbed like they are (grass and soil), or edge it with other material. Grass against soil works fine, but you need to keep the edge clean to prevent the grass from taking over your bed. There are a wide variety of other choices. Stones, brick, limestone bricks or pavers, commercial edging, plastic edging, etc. It all depends on your taste and the amount of money and work you want to put into your flowerbed. Plastic edging, for example, will allow you to mow right next to it without disturbing your plants. Rock is a beautiful edging, but you’ll have to use a weed-eater to keep the grass clean next to the rock.
WATERING AND FEEDING
The hard work is over but you can’t just ignore your newly planted flowerbed. Water requirements vary for every plant, but generally water every week or so. If rainfall is scarce, this is especially important. If you’ve created a rock garden and live in a desert climate, follow the water requirements for your particular plants and region.
Feeding your plants nutrients is important also. There are different ways to fertilize. There are granule, liquid, powder, and pellet forms. Feeding too often can result in low flower production and leggy plants. Feeding too little can also cause low flower production. Follow the directions for whatever type you choose and feed accordingly for healthy beautiful flowers.
PLEASURE
Enjoy the beautiful flowerbed that you’ve created and take a look at your thumb. It may have turned a shade greener!
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