Making a Flower Bed

A flower bed adds curb appeal to a home. It can also increase the potential value of the property. You don't have to be a landscape expert to create a beautiful flowerbed. You only have to have a little imagination, a few basic gardening tools, and the time to put in some effort. Unless you live in the dessert, or North Pole, you should be able to make a beautiful flowerbed with minimal effort.

Things You'll Need

• Garden spade
• Garden gloves
• Sand (optional)
• Fertilizer (optional)
• Border (optional)

Instructions

1. Sketch your yard on a piece of paper. It doesn't have to be to scale, just something to study. Decide what part of the yard you want to make into a flower bed. Think about whether that spot gets good sunlight and drainage.

2. Look the yard over and visualize the area to see if that is where you want to make your flower bed. If it is, you'll need to remove the sod. Use a short handled spade. Place the shovel blade horizontal to the ground and use it to shear off the sod. You can recycle this sod into any bare spots you may have in other parts of the yard.

3. Replace the sod with more dirt, if the area you are making the flower bed in is lower than the rest of the yard. Turn the soil over with a garden shovel and break up the clods. Use your hands to crumble the earth if necessary.

4. Add some sand, if the soil seems to be hard packed or clay-based. This will help with root growth and drainage. You can add fertilizer if you choose. If you don't want to add chemicals to your yard for ecology reasons, the flowers will still grow fine.

5. Bordering the flower bed is a matter of choice. If you have rocks around your yard you can use these. Take a trip to a local creek if you have one nearby. You can find many pretty rocks to use as a border, and they are eco-friendly and cost-effective.

6. Plant the flowers in the bed you just made according to the instructions for the type plants you have chosen. Water them well when you plant them, and continue to monitor the dryness of the soil for several weeks. The flowers will require extra moisture while they take root and start to flourish in your new flower bed.

7. Adding mulch, wood chips or gravel to the top of the flower bed is also a personal choice. If you know any tree trimmers, you may be able to get wood chips just for the asking. These wood chips will act as a natural food for your plants and the earth.

Tips & Warnings

• Mix annuals and perrenials to avoid a lot of replanting next year. Wear gardening gloves to avoid blisters.

• Many people advocate using chemical fertilizers and bug sprays to help plants grow. Some of these chemicals can harm people, pets and the earth. Chemicals are not necessary if you mulch the flowers with wood chips or even fallen autumn leaves. The earth will provide natural food.

Resources

• National Garden Association website