How to Start a Flower Garden

Flower gardens are often considered the "eye candy" of your backyard. Flower gardens aren't only lovely to look at, but they provide wonderful fragrances and can, depending on the flowers, attract butterflies. So, how do you start a flower garden which will give your backyard that great visual appeal?

1. Gather your Garden Tools.  If you don't have the following tools already, now's the time to purchase them:

• spading fork
• rake
• hoe
• water pot
• pots
• shovel
• gloves
• boots
• sheers

These tools are used during various stages of your gardening, from preparing the ground where you will be planting to maintaining the garden once it's planted. They can be purchased from gardening stores, either physical stores or online.

2. Decide on the Flowers. One of the challenges of flower gardening is choosing which flowers to plant. Of course, there are so many different ways to decide. Do you want a rainbow of colors, or just a couple? Do you want wildflowers? Do you want flowers which attract butterflies? You must make sure that the flowers you choose are able to be grown in your zone. You might want to take a walk around your neighborhood to see what others have grown, and what strikes your fancy. Going to the local nursery is a must, as the gardeners there can clue you in on what grows best locally.

3. Find a Good Location. For your garden to grow successfully, you need to locate it in the best spot in your backyard. Flowers need a sufficient amount of sunlight to help them grow. Before you plant, make sure that the spot you selected can get 6 hours or more sunlight daily.

4. Prepare the Soil. Remove the weeds, work on the soil and then add hummus which usually consists of composted manure, compost or leaf mould or a mixture of these. This works regardless if the soil in your backyard is made of sand or clay.

5. Plant the Flowers. Flower planting should ideally be done on a cool or cloudy day to minimize the stress of transplanting. You can do this early in the morning or in the late afternoon or evening. Whether you are planting seeds or flowers which are already growing, do make sure you place the plants with enough distance between them to grow properly. There should be instructions on the seed packet or with the flower container. For already-grown plants, dig a hole first that should at least be twice the diameter of the root ball, but the same height. Once you take it out of the container, gently work you hand over the root ball to stimulate the roots, making sure that it is positioned at the correct soil line. Once inside, return the soil that was dug up and then add some water.

Naturally, you will want your garden to look good all year round. But the reality is that not all flowers bloom all year round. You have to remember that there are flowers that bloom annually, biannually and perennially before they die. This means you have to plan which flowers to buy, what to put together and when flowers should be replanted.

Synonyms:  clover, floer and flowe are typos for "flower."  gardin, gardn, gardne and grden are typos for "garden."