Philosopher and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: "The Earth laughs in flowers." Make your home or garden a bright and joyful place by planting flowers, the means through which nature shows its happiness. Follow the tips in this tutorial to make your favorite place look enchanting by adding flowers.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Designing the Garden
Step 1. Find the best terrain
Flowers, like all plants, need good soil to grow strong and healthy. Regardless of whether you want to plant them in a pot or in the garden, it is important that the soil is of good quality. Avoid one that contains a lot of clay, sand or stones and make sure it has a balanced pH close to 7. The flowers require at least 15 cm of loose soil to start growing, so make sure that at least the top layer up to this depth is not too compacted.
Step 2. Choose the suitable place
While the flowers are generally easy to grow, they don't thrive everywhere. If the area is exposed to too much direct sun or too much shade, some flowers do not thrive easily. Find a space that allows for the right balance, a position that is equally exposed to the sun and shade throughout the day.
- If you want to grow a specific plant, check which are the ideal sun exposure conditions and choose the place where to plant it accordingly. Eventually it may be necessary to plant it in a more or less sunny place than the one initially chosen.
- If you plan on planting different types of flowers, choose those that have similar light / shade needs so they all grow well in the same area.
Step 3. Decide which flowers to plant
Visit a local nursery or garden center to choose the best flowers for your garden. Growing them from seeds, a small plant, bulbs or cutting takes almost the same process, so focus on the flowers you like and will look great in your garden. Check the directions and instructions on the seed labels or packaging to make sure you find the ideal ones that suit your needs.
- Check the maximum length that the flowers you have chosen will reach. Will they get very big and thick or will they stay quite small? Do they tend to grow tall or do they widen outward like a grape variety?
- Try to get hold of native flowers before looking at all the varieties available. Those naturally occurring in your area certainly grow and thrive successfully, as they are already accustomed to the soil, temperature and humidity.
- Check if they are plants that grow annually or if they are perennial. The annual ones bloom only once within 12 months and must be replanted the following year, but they are known for their bright colors and beautiful flowers. The perennial ones, on the other hand, bloom every year without having to replant them and over time they get bigger and bigger.
- Read the accompanying label when purchasing, to find out about their irrigation needs. Some plants need to be watered quite often, while others only rarely. If you have opted to grow several different species of flowers, try to choose the ones that have similar water needs.
Step 4. Stop them at the right time
Even with the perfect soil, the ideal location and healthy flowers, if you don't plant the seedlings at the right time, your garden won't be thriving. Flowers suffer in too cold or very hot climates, so choose the period between these two seasons, which is spring. Although it may seem like the most obvious time to plant flowers, choosing the perfect moment is an art. Wait at least two weeks after the last frost and avoid burying them until night temperatures remain consistently above freezing.
- Consult a farmers almanac to find the best time to plant flowers in your region. Due to the differences in climate in the different locations, the ideal period could be between February and July.
- Check the instructions on the seed packet to know when is the best time to plant them.
Part 2 of 3: Plant the Flowers
Step 1. Dig a hole
If you want to grow flowers from seeds, just dig a hole 5-7cm deep and wide. If, on the other hand, you have to transplant a flower that was previously in the pot, the hole must be as deep as the root ball. The flowers don't have to suffocate in the ground, so there's no need to bury them too deep.
Step 2. Take your flowers outside
This step refers to potted flowers that need to be transplanted. When they are still in the plastic pot, soak them a lot of water so as to thoroughly soak the soil. Then, take them out of the container and gently separate the root ball with your fingers to help the roots develop and spread into the soil, rather than keeping them compressed in a block of earth.
Step 3. Fertilize the flowers
Put some slow-release fertilizer specific for flowers, so as to stimulate the new plants to grow quickly. Add a few spoonfuls of it to the bottom of each hole you made and gently blend it into the soil with your fingers.
Step 4. Plant the flowers
Place each plant in the individual holes you have prepared for them. Work with your hands to fill in the empty space around each root system and cover the top of the root ball. Don't add too much soil on top of the flowers; the stems should never be covered by the soil.
Part 3 of 3: Taking Care of the Flowers
Step 1. Water the flowers regularly
Unless it rains every day, take some time to ensure they have constant water. Wet each plant with the amount equivalent to a few tablespoons using a watering can and wetting the flowers from a decent distance to avoid damaging the petals or leaves. You can also decide to install a drip irrigation system that does the work for you automatically.
Step 2. Pull out any weeds present
The flowers need to be the most important part of your small garden, so you need to prevent weeds from stealing the show! As soon as you see them popping up around the flowers, you need to tear them up and throw them away. Not only are weeds unattractive, they also absorb nutrients from the soil and take up the space in the earth that flowers need to grow healthily.
Step 3. Remove dead flowers
Whenever a flower dies or gets old and withered, you need to cut it back. Removing dead flowers and leaves stimulates new growth and allows your seedlings to look even more beautiful.
Step 4. Add a prop
If the flowers grow very tall, over time they can become too heavy and unable to support themselves. Insert bamboo stakes or forked branches vertically into the ground so the plants can lean on or wrap themselves around. This is especially useful and important if you are dealing with climbing plants that tend to grow by clinging around things.
Step 5. Consider repositioning the seedlings
If they are perennial flowers, they continue to grow over time and can outgrow the space you originally chose. Consider moving them to a larger location and placing new flowers in their previous location. In this way you ensure an ever more lush, healthy and beautiful garden.
Advice
- When buying plants, take a white sheet of paper with you and place it under the leaves. Shake them gently and if you see a lot of insects falling or rot do not buy them, as you will infect the other plants in the garden.
- Even if the soil appears to be of good quality (black, rich in earthworms, with a balanced pH, not too sandy or clayey), it never hurts to add some compost to conserve water and feed the plants.
- If you have pets, surround the bed with a fence that prevents them from stepping on newly planted flowers.
- Do not use specific fertilizers for grass to fertilize flowering plants and bushes, as they would make the leaves too green and hinder flowering. Lawn fertilizers have an equal percentage of nitrogen and phosphorus, for this reason avoid compositions 10-10-5 or 14-14-5.
Warnings
- Follow the instructions on the small plastic label. Specifically, make sure of the sun exposure necessary for good flowering based on the type of plant.
- Some flowers are poisonous to people and animals, so unless you are certain they are non-toxic, keep children and pets away from plants.
