Western Garden Centers

Planting a Spring flower bed may seem like a daunting task if you’re new to gardening, but we have 10 easy tips and tricks to help you create a beautiful, inviting  space in your yard.

1 -Lay Out Your Plants Before You Buy.  Today’s planting actually started out on the floor in the nursery of Western Gardens.  I laid out all of my plants on a cement square to help me decide how much I needed for the space to be planted.  Once I had what I needed, it was easy to load up and head to the flower bed!

2- Clean Up Your Flower Beds.  I always start every planting by cleaning up what’s already there.  It seems simple, but it makes a big impact to just clear away old debris. 3- Add 2 Inches of Compost Over Top of the Flower Bed.  No need to work it into the soil, the nutrients will work their way down to your plants’ roots.  We could almost just stop here, at this point the bed already looks so much fresher and cleaner!  The fun part is next though, so let’s get planting!

4- Use an Auger to Plant Bulbs.  One of my favorite tools is a bulb planting auger.  It’s an attachment that fits a standard-size drill, and it makes planting bulbs SO easy and fast!  {You can pick one up at your nearest Western Gardens.}  Just drill down about 6 inches, drop your bulbs in, and fill back in with soil!  Bulb planting at its finest.  And simplest.

5- Add Unique Plants like Veggies!  I am always looking for ways to plant veggies in a landscape, so I took some along.  Lettuce for some extra green, and some sugar snap peas to put on the trellis.  It’s a great addition because it’s unique and beautiful, and who doesn’t want a sugar snap pea on their way out the door?

6- Incorporate Unique Elements that you might not always see in a flower bed.  I found a trellis at Western Garden Center that went perfectly with the yellow front door and bistro table on the patio.  Always try to find cool things to throw in a landscape, but never force it.  If it doesn’t go with the flow, don’t try to make it work.

7- Adjust Flowers Prior To Digging.  Before I dig any holes for my flowers, I lay them all out in the bed still in their containers.  This is the time to make changes and play around with design.  One important tip I always give is, take 10 steps back, take a deep breath, and look at what you are about to do.  Adjust now before it’s too late!

If everything looks perfect, take your hand shovel, and dig into that bed!  All the hard work is over now, so it is time to get everything into the ground.  8- Before the flowers go in the ground, gently tear part of the plants’ root systems…it will encourage the roots to grow into the surrounding soil instead of circling itself (like it’s been doing in the container).  9- Once all your flowers are planted, quickly give it a drink of water.  If you’re planting when it’s hot outside, there’s a good chance those plants are in shock.  Watering them right away will help them get established in their new home.

10- Don’t Be Afraid To Try Something New!  We can’t wait to see those Sugar Snap Peas on that trellis!  Now grab a lemonade,  pull up a chair and enjoy your beautiful new flowers… and enjoy a sugar snap pea for me!

Plants in this post’s flower bed include:   Sugar Snap Peas, Lettuce, Pansies, Prim Rose, Ornamental Cabbage, Ranunculus

{We are often asked what kind of compost we use in our own gardens.  We recommend Bumper Crop all natural organic soil builder.  It’s great for veggie gardens, flower beds, planter boxes, and pretty much anywhere else you want to put it!}