Building New Flower Beds
Creating a new flower bed from scratch is an exciting project, although the building part might seem a little daunting. With some planning and preparation and a bit of sweat equity, you’ll be enjoying a flower-filled bed in no time.
Choose the Right Spot in Your Yard
There are a handful of things to look at when picking a spot for a new flower bed. Building a flower bed is a significant task — you don’t want to construct it and then discover it’s not suitable for growing flowers.
Does it Have Good Sun Exposure?
Most popular bedding plants need full sun to flower or a minimum of six hours of direct sun every day. Watch the spot for a few days, checking it at different times of the day to see sun exposure. Make sure it isn’t shaded by your house, trees, fence, etc.
If the spot is partly shaded, you can still use it for a flower bed, but you’ll be limited in what flowers will grow well.
How Close Is the Water?
Water accessibility is incredibly important. Your flower bed needs access to water, so make sure they’re close enough for your hose to reach or to carry a watering can there.
How Windy Is the Spot?
Keep an eye on how hard the wind blows through your yard. Ideally, you want a spot that has some protection from the wind. Strong winds can damage plants, move soil, and speed up the evaporation of water.
Is the Ground Level?
Level ground isn’t necessary, but you want the spot to be pretty level. Highly uneven ground creates water and drainage problems. The high areas dry out quickly, while low spots may not dry out and will have standing water.
Remove the Grass
Unless you already have a bare patch of earth, you must remove the grass before planting flowers.
Digging out the grass isn’t an easy job. Starting from the center of the bed, use a shovel to remove a chunk of grass. Then, remove pieces of turf by wedging the shovel or a hoe under the grass’ edge, lifting and peeling it away.
Get the Soil Ready for Flowers
- Start by raking away any big rocks or debris.
- Turn over the top 12 inches of soil, working it well.
- Spread two to three inches of compost over the soil and work it into the bed.
Edge the Perimeter of the Flower Bed
After preparing the soil, the final step to building a new flower bed is outlining the perimeter with landscape edging. A border helps keep the grass where it belongs and prevents flowers from moving into the yard.