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- Gardening Gloves
Location Selection
If this is your first flower garden, start small, Select no more than a 5 x 5 foot plot or a border along a fence or in front of shrubs. You might want to select a location that you can expand in future years. Choose a level, well drained spot that gets approximately 6 hours of direct sunlight a day.
Plant flowers in a manageable area of your yard.
Space Preparation
Thorough preparation is essential for a good garden result. This isn’t the time for short cuts.
Weed and Grass Removal
For grass, cut through the grass in manageable sections going down below the sod and pull up each section to remove. You will want to remove all the weeds, digging down with a weeding tool to get as much of the root as possible to reduce the chance of the weeds returning.
Soil Turnover
If the ground is hard to dig, your plants will have a difficult time growing through it. If you have hard soil, water the ground the day before you work the soil to soften it up. Using a garden spade, loosen and turn the soil to at least a depth of six inches. Place organic compost or fertilizer on the surface of the soil and mix it in well prior to planting. Water and moisten the prepared soil prior to planting using a garden hose.
Professional Edge
Try the Razor-Back Half Moon Edger.
Plant Selection
For a novice gardener it is best to purchase plants from a nursery rather than planting from seed. A garden center or nursery can help you select plants that will do well in your area.
Look for healthy, bug-free plants that have strong root systems and no dead leaves. Avoid spindly plants or those that lack a healthy green color. Consider colors and types of flowers you enjoy. You will want to select plants that grow to a variety of heights and bloom at approximately the same time for the most dramatic impact.
Wait until after the last frost date or the date specified on the plant packaging.
Spacing Guidelines
Although the garden may look sparse when first planted, the distance between plants is designed for optimal spacing for mature plants.
Plant the tallest blooms in the rear of the garden, decreasing the height in subsequent rows with the shortest plants in the front of the garden. If your garden plot is open on all sides, plant the tallest plants in the center, decreasing row height with the shortest plants around the outside edge.
Water as soon as you are finished planting to settle the soil around the roots.
Continued Maintenance
Apply fertilizer after you begin to see new growth. Remove dead blossoms once they have turned brown. Continue to water as needed.
Enjoy! Part of the fun of gardening is watching your plants mature and grow with your help.
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