How to Make a Fall Flower Garden
Choose a site., Determine your hardiness zone., Trace the path of the sun., Decide on some annuals., Choose some perennials., Sketch out a plan., Dig your flowerbed., Purchase your flowers., Plant your flowers., Water your plants.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose a site.
The very first step in creating a flower garden is to determine the garden’s location.
Walk around your property and determine the best location for your flower garden to live.Avoid areas that are very rocky or that have steep slopes.
Stay away from large trees and shrubs. (These will compete with your flowers for nutrients).
Look for an area that receives adequate sunlight.
Be sure you can reach your flower bed with a hose for easy watering. -
Step 2: Determine your hardiness zone.
Each region has what is known as a "hardiness zone." Hardiness zones (categories developed by the US National Arboretum) outline which plants can survive in which areas.
Visit http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html to determine which hardiness zone you live within., In addition to knowing your hardiness zone, it will be important for you to know how much direct sunlight, indirect sun, and shade your flower garden will have each day.
Spend a few days watching the space where you would like to place your garden and track the amount of sunlight (and shade) this area receives.
This will help you select the right flowers for your garden., “Annuals” are flowers that live for only one season.
Select some annuals that are well suited for fall weather.
Be sure to choose flowers that will thrive in your hardiness zone.Examples of fall annuals include:
Asters Full sun Well-drained soil.
Zones 4-8 Grows to 5 inches tall.
Toad Lily Shade Moist, well-drained soil.
Zones 4-9 Grows to 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide Goldenrod Full sun Well-drained soil Zones 4-9 Grows to 4 feet tall. , “Perennials” are plants that bloom over and over again each year.
For your fall flower garden, you will want hearty perennials that live right through the summer and bloom in the fall.Examples of these include:
Russian Sage Full sun Well-drained soil Zones 5-9 Grows to 5 feet tall.
Perennial Sunflower Full sun Well-drained soil Zones 4-9 Grows to 8 feet tall.
Colchicum Sun or shade Well-drained soil Zones 4-9 Grows to 6 inches tall , Once you know which types of annuals and perennials you would like to use in your fall flower garden, begin to make a plan for where each type of flower will go.
It is important to place larger flowers in the back, so that they do not block the sun from smaller flowers.
You should also consider the various colors of your fall flowers, and aim to create a dynamic mix., Using a flat shovel, begin to dig up the grass about 4-5 inches around the bed’s perimeter.
Then carefully lift out the grass (or peel back sod).
Remove any debris and loosen the soil.
When you are finished, use a rake to level the bed.
You may also use herbicide to kill the grass, but you will have to wait until the following season to plant flowers there. , Chances are, you do not want to waste time allowing flowers to sprout from seeds.
Instead, it is best for you to purchase flower “starts.” These baby plants are available at most nurseries, and many hardware stores., Once your flowerbed is ready and you’ve purchased your starts, you are ready to plant your flowers.
Be sure to have a small trowel and possibly some gardening gloves.
First, water your flowers in their pots.
Carefully remove each flower, and pry apart matted roots with your fingers.
Dig a small hole for each flower.
Add “slow release flower food” to the bottom of each hole. (This is optional.) Insert your flowers into each hole, and fill in the soil around the plant. , Once your flowers are planted, you should water them thoroughly.
After this, you will need to follow the watering guidelines for each type of plant.
Create a watering schedule for yourself, so that you are sure to keep your flowers healthy and hydrated. -
Step 3: Trace the path of the sun.
-
Step 4: Decide on some annuals.
-
Step 5: Choose some perennials.
-
Step 6: Sketch out a plan.
-
Step 7: Dig your flowerbed.
-
Step 8: Purchase your flowers.
-
Step 9: Plant your flowers.
-
Step 10: Water your plants.
Detailed Guide
The very first step in creating a flower garden is to determine the garden’s location.
Walk around your property and determine the best location for your flower garden to live.Avoid areas that are very rocky or that have steep slopes.
Stay away from large trees and shrubs. (These will compete with your flowers for nutrients).
Look for an area that receives adequate sunlight.
Be sure you can reach your flower bed with a hose for easy watering.
Each region has what is known as a "hardiness zone." Hardiness zones (categories developed by the US National Arboretum) outline which plants can survive in which areas.
Visit http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html to determine which hardiness zone you live within., In addition to knowing your hardiness zone, it will be important for you to know how much direct sunlight, indirect sun, and shade your flower garden will have each day.
Spend a few days watching the space where you would like to place your garden and track the amount of sunlight (and shade) this area receives.
This will help you select the right flowers for your garden., “Annuals” are flowers that live for only one season.
Select some annuals that are well suited for fall weather.
Be sure to choose flowers that will thrive in your hardiness zone.Examples of fall annuals include:
Asters Full sun Well-drained soil.
Zones 4-8 Grows to 5 inches tall.
Toad Lily Shade Moist, well-drained soil.
Zones 4-9 Grows to 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide Goldenrod Full sun Well-drained soil Zones 4-9 Grows to 4 feet tall. , “Perennials” are plants that bloom over and over again each year.
For your fall flower garden, you will want hearty perennials that live right through the summer and bloom in the fall.Examples of these include:
Russian Sage Full sun Well-drained soil Zones 5-9 Grows to 5 feet tall.
Perennial Sunflower Full sun Well-drained soil Zones 4-9 Grows to 8 feet tall.
Colchicum Sun or shade Well-drained soil Zones 4-9 Grows to 6 inches tall , Once you know which types of annuals and perennials you would like to use in your fall flower garden, begin to make a plan for where each type of flower will go.
It is important to place larger flowers in the back, so that they do not block the sun from smaller flowers.
You should also consider the various colors of your fall flowers, and aim to create a dynamic mix., Using a flat shovel, begin to dig up the grass about 4-5 inches around the bed’s perimeter.
Then carefully lift out the grass (or peel back sod).
Remove any debris and loosen the soil.
When you are finished, use a rake to level the bed.
You may also use herbicide to kill the grass, but you will have to wait until the following season to plant flowers there. , Chances are, you do not want to waste time allowing flowers to sprout from seeds.
Instead, it is best for you to purchase flower “starts.” These baby plants are available at most nurseries, and many hardware stores., Once your flowerbed is ready and you’ve purchased your starts, you are ready to plant your flowers.
Be sure to have a small trowel and possibly some gardening gloves.
First, water your flowers in their pots.
Carefully remove each flower, and pry apart matted roots with your fingers.
Dig a small hole for each flower.
Add “slow release flower food” to the bottom of each hole. (This is optional.) Insert your flowers into each hole, and fill in the soil around the plant. , Once your flowers are planted, you should water them thoroughly.
After this, you will need to follow the watering guidelines for each type of plant.
Create a watering schedule for yourself, so that you are sure to keep your flowers healthy and hydrated.
About the Author
Mary Hart
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow organization tutorials.
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