Planting Flower Beds - A Guide for Beginners

Planting flower beds may seem like a tricky job but it's a lot easier than you think. In this guide, we will talk you through how you can plant your flowers and plants, how to arrange them and what tools you'll need.

Why Should I Plant?

Planting comes with numerous benefits. Not only can you add some extra beauty to your garden, you'll also feel a great sense of achievement when all you've planted start to flourish and you even contribute to helping bees & butterflies pollinate. Getting your hands dirty and becoming green fingered can even help reduce stress and improve your mood. So it's a win all round!

Things to Think About

Before you start planting anything, there's a few things you'll want to think about like -

What are you going to plant?

Some of you may have an idea of what you're going to add to your garden but for those of you who may need some inspiration, why not go for some cosmos, lavender plants, perennials or even some herbs. The choice is endless.

Colour Palette

Think about the colours you want to have in your garden. Are you wanting something bold like oranges, reds and purples or are you after something brighter, like whites, pinks and yellows. Try to get colours that compliment each other.

Tools

Do you have all the tools you need to plant your new flower bed? If not, why not check out our website and see what gardening tools we have that you can buy to help you get the job done.

How to Plant a Flower Bed

Pick a Good Spot

It sounds obvious but before you start planting your flower bed, you'll need to choose the perfect spot. You'll want your flowers & plants to be in a spot where they'll get enough sunshine. Once you've picked where you want to plant, dig up any grass with a garden spade and use a hand fork to turn over the soil. Remove any weeds you find and then rake the soil to level it out.

If there's a spot you like but there's nowhere or you to dig and plant, you can install raised flower beds. For those who don't know, raised flower beds are enclosed structures made from wood that you can use for planting in outdoor spaces that don't have any natural grass or soil. At HSS, you'll find all the building materials needed to create your own flower bed - from timber, wood nails, hammers & even paint, stains & brushes so you can add an extra pop of colour to your garden.

Check & Boost Your Soil

Sometimes soil can lack nutrients and the PH levels can be low so checking this two things with a DIY testing kit can let you know if you need to give your soil a boost. You can get soil PH testing kits from your local garden centre. Adding fertiliser to your soil can give your soil the much needed nutrients it needs to help your flora grow healthily.

Decide on Your Plant Placement

This may not seem like an important part of the process but where you place your plants can make a big difference to how your flower bed will look. When your arranging your flowers & plants, put the taller ones at the back, smaller ones at the front and anything in between the sizes can go in the middle. By staggering the heights, you create vertical layers so your smaller plants won't be hidden.

Get Digging!

Now that you've found the perfect spot, checked your soil & decided where all your plants will be placed, it's time to start digging and get planting. Grab your trowel to dig a hole in the soil that will be deep enough to place your plant. Once the plant is in, cover over with the soil and make sure it is in securely. When planting the other flowers & plants, make sure there's enough space between them all to give them room to grow. Continue to do this until all your plants have been planted and that's it! You have just created your very own flower bed. Well done you!

Things to Think About

Once you're done admiring your hard work, there's a few aftercare tips you should keep in mind.

Water Regularly

It seems obvious but just because your flower bed is outdoors, doesn't mean they'll be watered regularly. In the warmer & dryer months, don't forget to water your flower bed and plants but be sure that you water them according to the plants specific requirements. The last thing you want to do is over or under water them and ruin the work you've done.

Prune

Deadhead any flowers that have turned brown. There's no need to keep something that isn't growing anymore. Grab your pruners and snip away to encourage new growth in your flowers & plants.

Weeding

Weeds are going to grow whether we want them to or not. Use a good quality weed killer that'll target weeds at their roots or you can just pull out the weeds by hand.

Get in Touch

For any questions or information about any gardening tools we have online, get in touch with our live chat team who are on hand and happy to help or pop in to your local HSS store.

You may also like

SUBSCRIBE TO HSS HIRE BLOG

Make sure you never miss out on our latest trade offers and news from HSS Hire Group. Sign up today.