Flower Garden Basics

Practical Tips on How to Start A Flower Bed From Scratch Begin with Site Selection Soil Preparation and Design
© Barbara M. Martin

Mar 24, 2006

How to start your new flower bed or flower garden. Simple overview of flower garden basics to help you start out right: where to put it, soil preparation, style and size.
Beginning a first flower garden or a new flower bed can be a little daunting, but it is also exciting and always an adventure. Here is a quick rundown of practical how to tips on where to put it and how to begin. (Check my quick and dirty Landscape 101 for an overview on where to put a flower bed.) Each topic includes a link to more detail such as how to select the site for your flower garden, prepare the soil for planting your flowers, flower garden design, and selecting and planting your flowers in more detail.

A Sunny Spot is Best
For your first beginning flower garden, pick a spot that is in full direct sun. It should be sunny all day long or for at least half the day including noontime. Shady gardens can be terrific, but for a first garden with lots of flowers, a sunnier spot is better. More on Sun and Shade Conditions

Flat Ground is Easy to Garden
For a beginning gardener, flat ground is best because it is the easiest to work on. A slight slope will do fine, too, although the steeper it is the more difficult it is to garden on. A steep hillside is challenging. More on Garden Site Selection

Remove Grass, Sod or Weeds First
First, remove any existing grass or weeds including the roots. The more thoroughly you do this chore now, the better your results will be later. You can dig it out by hand or use a sod cutter; smother it with cardboard or newspaper topped with mulch over several months' time; or use an herbicide. If you use weed killer, be sure to read and carefully follow ALL of the label directions. More on Clearing A Flower Bed

Amend Soil: Add Organic Matter
Next, loosen the soil and mix organic matter into it. Organic matter is a catchall term for decomposed materials such as compost, old rotten leaves, well aged stable manure/bedding, spent mushroom soil, or whatever materials you have available locally at reasonable cost. More on Adding Organic Matter

What Size Flower Bed is Best?
Size does matter, and bigger is not always better. For a first flower garden I suggest starting on the small side. This way you are less likely to become overwhelmed by the preparation phase and won't be swamped by the maintenance as the season progresses. You can always build on your success and expand it later!

See Landscape Design 101 specifically for flower gardeners for help in deciding what size would be most appropriate and where to put the flower bed so it is integrated into the rest of your landscape.

Flower Garden Style
Meanwhile, think about how you want your flower garden to look. Do you like a formal or informal style? What color(s) do you like? What mood? What kind of backdrop will it have? More on How to Design With Confidence

Selecting Flowers to Grow
What should I plant? This is the big question and every gardener will have their own personal answer to it, depending on the growing conditions where the garden is and other practical considerations, plus the style of garden, and of course based on personal taste.

It's always fun to select the flowers for the garden, plant them and watch them grow. You'll have the best chance for success if you start by understanding the concept of Right Plant, Right Place and select plants accordingly. More on Right Plant, Right Place

Reality Check
Equally important, how much time do you have weekly to spend on maintaining your flowers? (Even low maintenance plantings require regular care.) Will you have help? What is your budget?

If you are just starting out on your very first flower garden, a modest sized flower bed is probably better than too big. An area about three or four feet wide and eight or ten feet long is manageable yet will give you lots of room to play with. You can see what works well for you and what doesn't and then build on that knowledge and experience later. More on Flower Garden Design with lots of ideas.

Have Fun!
I love growing flowers and flower gardening. It is so much fun, it can even become addictive. It's even good exercise. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Be sure to follow the above links to more practical tips and information about each subject and also check out All Flower Gardens Articles So Far -- I'm adding more all the time. Happy Flower Gardening!

All Flower Gardens Articles So Far

Copyright 2006 Barbara M. Martin