 | Dan Longan is the co-owner/operator of Longans Garden Center located on North Broadway in Pittsburg. Longans Garden Center has a wide variety of Christmas Trees, christmas arrangements and decor. For more information email dlongan@sbcglobal.com or shopblossoms@gmail.com. or call 620-704-6008. |
Lawn, Garden & Landscaping
2013-06-25 09:35:04
What are steps to planting a flowerbed?
Q-I want to plant some flowerbeds around my yard. Can you tell me the proper steps before I jump into the project?
A-As easy as planting a garden might seem, it does take careful planning to achieve success. A lush, colorful, and healthy garden needs just the right circumstances to bring full enjoyment.
Step 1
Choose your garden space or spaces. Evaluate the amount of water, sun, shade and cover that may affect flowers in the space. The conditions will guide the variety of choices for planting as, for example, some flowers cannot tolerate full sun while others cannot tolerate shade. You will want to plant flowers with similar tolerances.
Step 2
Decide how much effort and maintenance you want to invest in your garden space. You might have a spot that has excellent light, but needs some attention to the soil. Remember that deep digging, tilling and other steps in preparing the soil take time, effort and investment.
Step 3
Think about whether you would like one coordinated burst of color or continuous flowering. Investigate and chart the germination and bloom periods of the plants that interest you, and plant according to your desired outcome.
Step 4
Choose whether you would like to work with seed, bulbs or started plants, or a combination of all of them. You may find far more varieties of seed for sale than plants, but seed does not always grow well and does require more lead time. Seeds might also require a bit of extra attention and effort such as needing to be started indoors. Also remember that germination times differ, so even the best planned space may fail to blossom and grow at the same rate, potentially leaving holes in your presentation.
Step 5
Plan your flower garden ahead of time and consult best planting times and any special concerns. For example, bulbs may have limited shipping dates, seeds may need to be started early, and some varieties may require cold treatment, soaking or scoring before planting. Some plants do not flower until their second season.
Step 6
If you are buying seedlings or plants, buy from a local greenhouse where the plants were grown under local conditions, not just shipped in. This will assure a better result. Find out what flowers are available in your area. Choose plants that are healthy, but not yet in bloom. This will give them time to establish themselves in your space and you will have an extended opportunity to enjoy the flowers. One of the biggest mistakes people make is buying plants that have the most flowers. The colors of course draw your attention. However, plants that are blooming when you buy them may be near the end of their period of flowering.
