How to Start a Flowerbed

Preparing the spot for a flowerbed can be the most time consuming part of the project. These simple steps can be accomplished in a few hours for those of us who enjoy instant gratification.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• newspaper
• growing medium such as a mixture of topsoil and well rotted compost.
• shovel
• rake
• lawn mower
• plants

1. Choose a flat spot in your yard that gives the proper amount of sun and shade, depending on the type of plants you have chosen.

2. Rake the area as clean as possible, getting rid of any thatch or debris.

3. Mow the lawn in the shape that you would like your bed, using the lowest setting on your lawn mower.

4. Rake the area once more to remove any grass clippings left by the mower.

5. Spread the sheets of newspaper over the area, 4 or 5 pages thick.

6. Spread the soil mixture over the newspaper 8 to 10 inches deep in the center, tapering into the lawn.

7. Arrange your plants on top of the soil, with taller plants in the center and shorter plants toward the outer edges to see how they will look once they are planted.

8. Starting in the center of the bed, dig a hole large enough to accommodate the roots of the center plant.

9. Fill hole with water and let it drain.

10. Place plant roots in hole and fill with soil, tamping soil slightly to fill any gaps.

11. Repeat steps 8 through 10 with the remaining plants.

12. Water thoroughly. If you have chosen a sunny location for your bed, wait to water until the late afternoon or early morning.

Tips & Warnings

• The newspaper keeps the grass and weeds from growing and will disintegrate by the time the plant roots reach the original surface.