Annual flowers around the exterior of the house add a welcome touch of color to any landscape and, once planted, are not difficult to care for. However, building requires some finesse and concrete steps to ensure growth and prosperity. We review some of the things you need to prepare your flower beds for spring planting.
Bed evaluation
First, evaluate your starting point based on soil, existing growth, and available space. Is your current soil suitable for planting? Do I need to till, fertilize or do any preparation before planting? Are there existing plants (flowers or shrubs) that can be established? Do you want to keep your existing pants and/or bushes or start from scratch? Utilizing existing plants and shrubs can lower overall costs and provide a good working base to complement the plants you plan to grow.
Getting to the root of your cannabis problem
Time to get a little dirty! Weeding gets bad reviews, but that’s no big deal. Remember, you can’t get rid of all weeds. Just like washing your car, you also need to weed. The good news is that you have several options.
Related topics: How to get rid of weeds in flower beds more here.
All you have to do is pull out small weeds by hand. If it doesn’t take root, the weed will grow back. This method is not suitable for large areas, and weeds will quickly regrow and spread if they are not killed. To minimize future weed problems, the roots of weeds should be killed or removed. Therefore, it is best to weed after heavy rain.
The soil becomes moist, so the roots are more easily released from the soil, leaving fewer roots to regrow later.
Another way is to use a tool such as a shovel or trowel or “lawn mower”. You can dig precisely and get full roots, especially early in the season, before the weeds really take root. With a little practice, you’ll find that you’re pretty good at weeding this way.
Weeding is a more common method and is usually easier than manual labor. A variety of selective or nonselective herbicides are available. Nonselective herbicides are designed to kill nearly all plants they come into contact with, while selective herbicides only kill hardwood plants. Spray on a calm day (little to no wind) and remember to use a piece of cardboard as a barrier in front of plants you don’t want to spray.
Remove leaves and debris
The next step is to move on to cleaning the planting bed. A rake can be used to remove accumulated debris or twigs. Use a hair dryer to remove or remove excess foliage that may have accumulated over the winter. Blowing the leaves from the bed onto the lawn can make raking easier. After you’ve removed all leaves and debris, you can evaluate the soil to see if it’s suitable for planting.
Add compost
Compost is an important part of soil health. It’s good for plants because it provides nutrients and lightens clay, but it holds water better than sand. You can develop your own organic compost using discarded fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, and eggshells, or visit a local home and garden center here where you can find a variety of composting options. Add some compost to each planting hole and mix it with the soil you dug up to help your plants grow healthily. Then cover the entire grow bed with a few inches of compost.
Turn the Soil
If the soil in the flower bed is dense and heavy, it is recommended to use a shovel to loosen the soil. Be sure to add compost when turning the soil. This improves the condition of the soil and helps new plants grow better. You don’t have to dig too deep. Generally, 2-4 inches is good. It will be easier to plant new flowers in loose soil after this step. They will also grow better throughout the growing season because their roots spread more easily through loose soil.
Covering the planting bed with mulch
The final step is to add mulch to your flower beds. Covers are both decorative and functional. Mulch made from bark or sawdust can be used to cover bare ground in beds. It also helps control weed growth by limiting the number of seeds that enter the bed soil and begin to germinate. Mulch also helps retain moisture longer, so plants and flowers don’t dry out as quickly. When covering flower beds with stones or gravel, it is best to lay down landscape fabric to reduce weed growth. Cloth is not required when using bark or woodchip mulch.
Give your bed an edgy look
Once your flower bed is ready, trim around it to frame your beautiful work. Borders are a great way to separate your flower beds from the yard and make them stand out. Some grass varieties will spread if given the opportunity. Thus, stripes are often not only an aesthetic detail, but can also help protect in overgrown flower beds with grass. Read how to pruning a pot and learn more about proper pruning techniques here. Dig simple, shallow trenches between flower beds and grass, or choose bricks, plastic edging, or wood to create flower beds. Each option has its pros and cons and looks slightly different, but they all serve the same purpose of keeping your flower beds looking good.
Finishing
Finally, planter design is the fun part of the process. This is your chance to get creative with different colors of flowers and plants. Read how to arrange flowers in a flowerbed for more information on the different arrangements and color options here.
We’re almost done, but we still have two important things to do. Fertilize your flowers with flower fertilizer. This will allow the flowers to grow and produce colorful flowers. The water in the fertilizer helps plants stay in the soil. The first watering may take a little longer than usual because you are wetting the dry soil you are dealing with.
When you’re done, it’s time to grab a cool drink, relax and enjoy the beauty of your creation. Adding flower beds to your landscape design is a great way to enhance the beauty of your property. Vibrant colors can change the look and feel of your home and add a welcoming feel.
If you want to add planters to your home but don’t have the time or need some help, call the experts at RDK Landscaping. They are experts at designing, maintaining and maintaining your flower beds and the rest of your property in top condition!