A new flower bed can give your garden exactly what it needs to make it a beautiful environment again – old flower beds can look sad and take away the life of your backyard. Some people like to give their garden a makeover when the seasons change while some garden beds might just need to be brought back to life. We know that this can be a daunting decision and process but a little planning goes a long way. Below, we are going to talk you through the steps to follow to give your garden the transformation it needs.
Lawn Edging
Let’s take a look at your old flower bed and think of a new layout of your flower bed. Is the new shape similar to the old one or something completely different? You will need to answer this question to determine how much new material you will use for flower bed creation and lawn edging. You can see examples here of lawn and border edgings. What you have used previously can be used for the new layout but you are not limited to just that – there are many options and you will be able to get creative in this process.
Clearing the ground
Now that we have decided on lawn edging and a new shape for our flower bed, it is time to clear out the old one. Old garden beds can be overgrown with weeds and full of old mulch and other previously used materials. To start on a blank canvas it is important to clear the garden bed of all that and any plants that are dead or unwanted. This will allow for space to plant new flowers and form a new layout.
We’ve always found drawing up a quick plan on a pad of paper to be the best starting point. Make sure to take accurate measurements of the area you plan to turn into a flower bed so you can make sure you have enough materials – edging, compost etc – to carry out the project.
Depending on the size and shape you have decided on, you might have to clear previously unused ground – dig up any grass or weeds and prepare the soil for new plants. The soil that is in your garden might not be in the right condition for your plants just yet – don’t worry, just clear out any rocks and add compost/ fertiliser to make it suitable for the flowers you desire in your new garden!
When to Create Flower Beds
It is best to create new flower beds at the end of Autumn or in early Winter (October through December) or at the beginning of Spring in moderate climates, such as the UK. You want the ground to be free of frost and it is good to let the ground rest before planting. If you miss the late Autumn to early Winter window then you can also create new flower beds at the beginning of Spring, but be aware that the ground will likely be very wet and therefore harder to work with.
New Shape and Size of the Flower Bed
We have cleared the ground and are ready to start building our new flower bed. This is one of the most exciting parts of the project as you can get as creative as you want! You have decided on materials for your lawn edging and purchased all the materials so it is time for the layout. There are no limits when it comes to the size of your flower bed, except that for the size of your garden.
The most important aspect you need to consider is the type and amount of flowers that you would like to fit into the new garden bed. How much space will they need to thrive? A too-crowded garden bed can cause the flowers to stay small and for seedlings to sprout too quickly and die in a short amount of time. Sometimes less is more – if your garden does not have a big space available it might be wise to decide on a smaller garden bed or fewer flowers in the flower bed so that all your flowers can thrive and look beautiful.
