How to Build a Flower Bed

If you are thinking about adding an additional flower bed to your yard, you don't have to hire someone to do it for you. Hiring a professional landscaper to make the bed and then landscape it, can be quite pricey. If a little hard work doesn't bother you, you should be able to have your flower bed completed in no time. You'll just need a few supplies to complete the task. Read on for some tips in getting your flower bed ready for planting.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Rake
• Hard rake
• Weed killer
• Flowers
• Mulch
• Top soil

Instructions

1. Figure out where you would like your new flower bed to be in your yard. It can be big or small, the choice is up to you. Of course, the bigger the bed, the more work you are going to have to do. Take into consideration whether the area will get full sun, partial sun or shade. You will need to know this when you pick out the plants that are going in the bed.

2. Gather the tools you will need to make the bed. The basic tools that you are going to need are a shovel, rake and hard rake. It might also be a good idea to purchase some weed killer. If you are not planning on getting the job done overnight and the new flower bed is now covered in grass, the weed killer can make your job easier.

3. Spray the area you are planning to dig up with the weed killer. Make sure that it is not going to rain or the area will not be getting watered. Otherwise, the weed killer won't work like it is supposed to. Most brands on the market will begin to work right away. If you allow it to sit for several days, the grass should die and be easier to dig up.

4. Use your shovel and begin digging up the area where the flower bed is to be installed. This is where the hard rake will come in handy since it is thicker and sturdier than a normal rake. Rake the area to remove the grass, once you have dug most of it up with the shovel. Once you have removed the grass and it's roots, use your normal rake to rake up the remainder.

5. Level your ground out with the rake. You can use either the normal rake or the hard rake to do this step. You are now basically preparing the ground so it will be ready to have flowers planted in it. If you like, you can spread some top soil on top of your freshly cleared bed's soil. This will help improve the soil quality. Water the bed.

6. Choose the flowers and plants you desire to plant in your bed. Take into consideration what type of light your bed receives, when choosing them. You don't want a plant that will only live in the shade, planted in full sun. Also a tiered effect works best when creating a flower bed. Plant your taller plants in the back and work your way towards the front, with the shorter ones. A mix of colors will give your flower bed and "Easter basket" effect.

7. Cover the soil with mulch, once you have planted all your flowers. This doesn't only make the bed look nicer, it will also help in retaining moisture. Once you have the mulch down, water your flowers. You can now stand back and look at the wonderful looking flower bed you just created all on your own.

Tips & Warnings

• A touch of yellow added to your flower bed, will make the other colors of the bed pop.