Step1
Flowering Vinca with poor color and yellow leaves. Poor prep and poor fertilizing are the culprit.
Great flower beds start with a great plan. You can't expect to just go to the neighborhood store, buy some flowers, stick them in the ground and have success.
You will need to follow a few steps to guarantee that the flowers you install will first of all, survive where they are being planted, and most importantly, give you the show that you are looking for.
Lets Start With Your Planting design
Always design in mass, meaning, consolidated groupings. This makes the color very dramatic and gives a greater impact. Stretching out your flower beds into long, thin lines with only two rows of flowers, reduces impact. Instead make the bed half as long and 3 times as deep.
Instead of the flower bed being 20 feet long and 2 feet wide, make it 8 feet long and 6 feet wide.
Should I Mix Colors and is there a difference in bed size?
In smaller beds, 25-50 flowers, use one color and one flower variety only. There's not enough room and it may get too busy. Larger beds, experiment, use multiple colors, but again, make colors compatible so it’s easy to view and not busy.
Environment
Use the right flower in the right environment, sun in sun, and shade in shade. The wrong plant installed in the wrong environment will always give poor results. Please do your homework and know your environments.
Planting under mature trees
When planting under mature trees, remember you’re working in a mature root zone so spend extra time on bed prep. Try to get as deep as you can, at least 12" with the tiller. The tree and flowers will battle for nutrients and the tree will always win. Extra attention, meaning water and fertilizer, will be needed all season for a great show.
Bed Prep
Always prep (till) planting beds before every rotation of flowers, trying to get to a depth of 8”-12”. Add compost or peat moss before tilling if you have heavy clay or very sandy soils or you just want to upgrade the planting medium. Note; Flowers will survive in average soil without amendments, but not in heavy clay soils. This type of soil holds water and the roots will never dry out, suffer and perform poorly.
Fertilizer
Always use a slow release fertilizer for flowers, feeds plants for 2-3 months. Spread evenly but generously around bed before planting.
Step2
Should I water a lot?
You want great flowers, water a lot. 3 times a week for first month, 1-2 times per week after that. Add more slow release fertilizer after 10 weeks. Hanging baskets and pots will need more water and fertilizer, monitor.
Why are my flower leaves yellow?
Flowers lacking fertilizer or planted in wet clay or unprepped soils will have yellow leaves.
Mulch
After planting, apply at least 1 to 1 1/2 inches of mulch over entire planting bed. Protects roots, holds moisture and controls weeds.
Stress is bad
Flowers wilting are suffering root lose, don’t let your flowers get to this point. Once roots die, plants are no good. Water
Step3
Common Flowers For Full Sun
Regular Petunias- space 14” apart, 1.5 tall 1.5 wide, many colors
After 1st month, water once a week.
Wave Petunias- space 20” apart, they will grow together in 2 weeks, 1’ tall 3’ wide, many colors. After 1st month, water once a week.
Begonias- space 10” apart, 1.5’ tall 1.5’ wide, and many colors
After 1st month, continue watering 2-3 times per week.
Flowering Vinca- plant in late May, does not like cool weather, yellow leaf. Space 14” apart, grows from sides, 1.5’ tall 1.5’ wide, and many colors. After 1st month, water once a week.
Salvia—space 14” apart, grows from sides, 1.5’ tall 1.5’ wide and many colors. After 1st month, water once a week.
Some other flowers are Marigolds, sweet potato vine, setcresha and many others.
Good luck.
Todd
Visit: www.landscapeproblemsolver.com
Color like this doesn't happen by accident, it's planned and well thought out.
Flowering Vinca with poor color and yellow leaves. Poor prep and poor fertilizing are the culprit.
Great flower beds start with a great plan. You can't expect to just go to the neighborhood store, buy some flowers, stick them in the ground and have success.
Authority 
Comments
arwen1964 said
on 5/31/2008 Good use of questions/answer format. Very thorough. I love to plant a mix of perennials and annuals for maximum impact. also, planting in threes and fives instead of single flowers maximizes excitment. Don't forget to include items which appeal to all the senses.