Have you ever wanted to add flowers to your yard, but just never knew how to start a flower garden, or where to start? Having a flower garden is a wonderful way to bring some colors and beauty to your yard. Plus it’s a great way to dip your toes into the world of gardening. But be prepared, once you start down the path of how to start a flower garden it can be pretty addictive.
So just how do you start a flower garden we’re are going to teach you how to do just that and sharing our best tips and tricks to do it like a pro. Flower gardens are a wonderful way to create a beautiful focal point in your yard and can make your home feel more welcoming overall.
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How To Start A Flower Garden For Beginner’s
If you’ve ever been on our Instagram or seen our yard tour, you know we love flowers. Over the years we’ve added tons of flower beds to our yard and filled them to the brim with all kinds of flowers, bushes, and flowering trees. We even sprinkle them in between our edible plants to create a potager garden. The goal was to create an almost park-like feel.
Starting a flower garden isn’t all that difficult, however, it does require some time, energy, and upkeep. But it is entirely worth it! The first step in how to start a flower garden is to decide how much time you want to invest in gardening. Do you have plenty of time to work outdoors, or do you just want to do something quick easy? This will help you determine the size of your future flower garden, and even what to plant in it.
What You Need To Start A Flower Garden
To start a flower garden, there are a couple of things that will make starting your garden easier:
- A shovel
or tiller
- Rake
- Hand shovel
- Bulb planter (only if you plan on planting bulbs in your new flowerbed)
- Soil amendments (if you have clay soil you’ll need to amend your soil before planting)
- Watering can
or hose nozzle
- Shade cloth
- Mulch
- Scissors
- Fertilizer (we grow strictly organic, so we use manure, fish emulsion, and occasionally organic box fertilizers like Jobe’s Organics)
- Flower Seeds or pre-started plants
Some other great things to have on hand:
- Gloves
- Something to kneel or sit
on while working in the soil
- Large brimmed hat
to keep the sun out of your eyes
- Clothes you don’t mind getting dirty (I like to wear a pair of overalls when working in the garden)
- Garden soap
/scrub
- Garden journal
How To Start A Flower Garden Step 2: Planning A Flower Bed
The next step when it comes to how to start a flower garden is planning. Decide where you want your flowerbeds, everything else hinges on this decision. Once you have selected a spot, think about the shape you want to create. There is no right or wrong shape when it comes to how to create a flower garden. Keep in mind if you’ll need a walkway, or if you plan to add some decorative feature like a fountain or gazebo. It can be helpful to sketch the flowerbed on a piece of paper before you actually begin removing grass and preparing the soil.
The next step is to decide on what you want to plant in your new flowerbed. This is the fun part of how to start a flower garden, gather seed catalogs, paper, and a pencil, and dream. Some things to keep in mind while you are planning your new flower garden:
- How much light your new flower bed will get.
- Taller plants should go to the back of the bed, followed by shorter ones in the middle, and in the very front the shortest things you plan to plant.
- How is your soil? Is it clay? Rocky? This will play a part in if your new flowers are going to thrive. Do a soil test of your soil to find out what it needs.
- Are animals or children going to have access to this flower bed? If so consider planting flowers and shrubs that are not toxic. Or use barriers so that they can’t access these plants such as a fence.
How To Start A Flower Garden Step 3: How Do You Prepare The Soil For A Flower Garden
The next step in how to start a flower garden is preparing the soil for planting flowers. This will give your new flowers their best chance to thrive. Begin by removing all of the grass in your new flowerbed. If you have poor soil now is a great time to amend the soil (don’t know if you have poor soil? Do a soil test to find out) and get it ready to feed your plants. You can read more about soil preparation method’s here.
Can You Make A Flower Bed On Top Of The Grass?
Yes! You absolutely can make a flower bed on top of the grass. This is called no-dig gardening, you simply smother the grass and add compost to feed your soil which will, in turn, nourish your flowers. You can learn more about no-dig gardening in this video we made when we first started no-dig garden beds.
How Deep Should You Dig A Flower Bed?
If you choose to go with a more traditional method when you start your new flower garden, dig your beds at least 6 inches deep or up to 12 inches. This will give your plants room to establish their roots.
How To Start A Flower Garden Step 4: Where To Buy Seeds
The fourth step when it comes to how to start a flower garden is buying seeds. While your local stores will carry a selection of seeds chances are if you are looking for really unique flower seeds they aren’t going to have what you are looking for. When that happens we turn to online vegetable seed companies to find what we are looking for.
- Seeds For Generations
- Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co.
- Burpee Seeds
- Seeds Of Change
- Seeds Now
- Botanical Interests
- Ferry-Morse Gardening
How To Start A Flower Garden Step 5: How Do You Make A Flower Bed
Now that you have your garden planned, your flower garden soil prepared, and you know where to buy seeds. Finally, the time has come in this how to start a flower garden journey to decide what you are going to be planting.
The Best Flowers For A Flower Garden
Now you may already have an idea of what you want to plant in your new flower garden, but if not here are some really easy to grow flowers:
- Zinnias – zinnias come in tons of colors and patterns and are one of my favorite flowers to grow.
- Marigolds – marigolds also have a wide range of colors and sizes to bring beauty to your garden.
- Cosmos – another one of our favorites to grow every year. These also come in quite a few colors.
- Snapdragons – snapdragons make a beautiful addition to your garden.
- Pansies – these are a great way to add some color to your new flower garden even after it’s gotten cold.
- Mums – looking for colorful blooms once your spring and summer flowers have died back? Try planting some mums in your flower garden.
- Impatiens – Growing a flower garden in the shade? Try adding impatiens to your flower garden.
- Daffodils – these will add a gorgeous burst of color to your garden long before your other flowers kick in.
- Moss Roses – Living in a really dry area? These are a great addition that can handle low water.
- Sunflowers – these make a wonderful addition to your garden and can be quite the show stopper.
What Type Of Soil Do You Need For A Flower Garden?
Plants generally tend to grow best in garden soil with a pH between 6 and 7, but this will vary between types of plants. Before getting soil amendments, or planting do a quick test of your flower garden soil using a simple pH test kit.
Planting A Flower Garden
Now my friend you are ready to plant your garden! The final step in how to start a flower garden is upon you. From here you have two choices, you can buy already started plants from your local garden center or you can start your flowers from seeds. If you are going to be starting your seeds here is some helpful resources:
Make sure your last frost date has passed before you plant your flowers in your new flower garden. There is nothing worse than losing your beautiful plants because you planted them too early. Plant early in the morning, or late in the evening. Water well after you plant your flowers and fertilize to help minimize shock on your plants.
Growing A Flower Garden From Scratch
Growing a flower garden is a wonderful pastime and a great way to add beauty to your yard. Where ever you plan to put your new flower bed the most important thing to remember is to have fun and enjoy it!
Have we answered all of your how to start flower garden questions? If not drop yours in the comments!
Before you go, check these out!
- Spring Gardening Essentials
- How To Start A Garden From Scratch
- How To Build Raised Beds
- When To Plant Seeds In Your Garden Zone
