How to Make a Texas-Shaped Flower Bed

It takes time and planning to make a Texas-shaped flower bed.

Nothing says state pride quite like a Texas-shaped flower bed, but actually creating that look in your own yard takes careful planning. It is possible to create a shaped flower bed almost anywhere -- and you don't need to hire an expensive landscape architect to make it happen. To make a state-shaped flower bed, you have to start working on your design before you plant a single seed or bulb.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Printer
• Old sheet
• Heavy books/rocks
• Scissors
• Shovel
• Lawnmower
• Organic mulch/compost
• Brick/stone/wood planks

Instructions

1. Download an accurate picture of the state of Texas online and store it on your computer's Desktop or Downloads folder.

2. Print out the picture.

3. Lay a sheet on a flat, even floor or area of ground and stretch it taut to get rid of wrinkles. Place heavy books or rocks around the perimeter to hold the sheet in place. Use a sheet you don't intend to keep.

4. Draw Texas on the sheet, as large as you want your flowerbed to be. Use the map you printed as a guide. Alternately, you may skip Step 3 and have a professional printer create a large-scale picture of Texas that can be traced onto the sheet. In this case, use a white sheet and place the picture underneath.

5. Cut away the excess sheet -- everything outside of the Texas state line -- with a pair of scissors.

6. Lay the sheet on the ground outside where you want to place your flower bed. Take your time with placing the sheet -- you can't move the flower bed even a few inches once you start breaking ground.

7. Place heavy rocks around the perimeter of the sheet or stake it down using wooden pegs to keep it from moving.

8. Trace the sheet pattern with the blade of a shovel, digging a border around it that follows all the curves and lines. Cut into the soil to the depth of the shovel blade itself.

9. Remove the sheet. Save or discard your Texas template.

10. Mow the grass inside the future flower bed to a level height of 5 cm.

11. Hand pull all weeds, rocks and other debris inside the marked area.

12. Break up the top 2 to 3 inches of soil using the shovel and churn it up to till the bed. The tilling process loosens and aerates the soil, providing a healthy place for plants.

13. Cover the area with 2 inches of organic mulch or compost to further enrich the soil.

14. Lay brick, stone or wood around the edges of the flower bed, if desired. The border will help you maintain the clean lines of the Texas-shaped flower bed.

15. Plant flower seeds and bulbs within the confines of your Texas flower bed.

References

• "Canadian Gardening"; Create a New Flower Bed Using a No-Fail Technique; Stephen Westcott-Gratton
• University of Minnesota Extension; Designing and Preparing a Perennial Bed; Danielle Sanborn, et al.

Resources

• University of Illinois Extension; Designing a Flower Garden; James C. Schmidt
• Cornell University Extension: Flower Garden Design Basics
• Cal Finder; Fun Garden Shapes, from Triangles to Butterflies; April 2009