How to plant a flower garden

You don't have to be a master landscaper to create a garden full of beautiful blooms; you just need these easy-to-follow instructions.

You Will Need
* A soil test
* A landscaping plan
* Bulbs, small plants, or seeds
* Gardening tools
* Fertilizer
* A garden party
* Mulch

Step 1: Test your soil
Test your soil to find out what nutrients it needs. Garden centers often sell do-it-yourself kits, or you can arrange a test through the Cooperative Extension System, a national agricultural network. Find a nearby Extension office on the USDA web site.

Step 2: Pick flowers
Choose your flowers based on which varieties will do well in your climate, and whether you want annuals, which live for a year, perennials, which bloom for several years, or a combination. Also, consider whether you can handle high-maintenance flowers, like roses, or prefer less labor-intensive ones.

Step 3: Consider seeds
Decide between planting bulbs or small plants, or growing flowers from seeds. Seeds require more work, but are less expensive.

Step 4: Plan your landscape
Plan your design, including placement and colors. Position smaller flowers in front of the larger ones. Make sure to place blooms that require a lot of light in a sunny spot.

Step 5: Till the land
Prepare the soil by digging out grass and weeds with a spading fork, raking away rocks and debris, and then breaking up the soil with a rototiller, shovel, or hand trowel. Next, work in any nutrients your soil needs with a hoe. Finish by raking the land into a smooth surface.

Step 6: Plant your flowers
Plant your seeds or bulbs according to the package directions, and then water the area.

Step 7: Fertilize
Add an extended-release fertilizer. Use your soil test as a guide for which fertilizer to use.

Step 8: Keep them watered
Water your flower beds whenever the surface soil begins to dry.