Nothing snuffs out the end of the winter blahs like choosing flowers to plant with spring arrival. With such variety of flowers to pick through, how do you choose which blossoms best suit your home? Exploring the boundaries of your property, maintenance constraints and gardening vision will help you plant a beautiful bed of flowers.

Baskets, Beds and Boundaries

You may already have designated flowerbeds or you wish to liven up a space with blooms for the first time. In any case, the first step to choosing flowers is choosing where you want them planted.

Know the details of a chosen area before you begin shopping for flowers as this will help you narrow the search for suitable plants. Does the area receive sunshine all day or is it partially shaded? Does the soil feel loose or is it similar to clay? Does the area have decent water drainage?

Measure the desirable area to have an idea of how many flowers to purchase and plant. Record this on paper or draw a diagram prior to shopping. Therefore, if the flowerbed is four feet wide, you can visualize how many plants will fit if they require twelve inch spacing.

You may wish to plant flowers that trail up lattice. Measure the height of the lattice or fencing to find flowers that grow along the same dimensions. With baskets and barrels, measure the diameter and depth of the soil capacity to know how many roots they can hold.

Annuals VS Perennials

Do you want flowers that come back every year, live through one year only, or a combination of both? Annual flowers will bloom throughout part of the year and then die off; perennial flowers will bloom throughout their season and then return the next year. Choosing which to plant depends on the area of your property and your desires for maintenance.

Some outdoor areas beg for perennials, as they are difficult to maintain, such as hillsides. A hillside can be difficult to mow or trim with a weed eater, so planting perennials there will lessen your yard work to pulling a few weeds by hand each year. Plant a trailing vine of flowers or a groundcover plant to take over the area. This greatly reduces your efforts in yard maintenance while adding beauty to the scenery.

Annual flowers are fun for small flowerbeds and baskets that you wish to plant, repeatedly, with each season. Annuals allow us the chance to experiment with different combinations of flowers and add variety to each year of flower planting.

Seeds, Bulbs and Flats of

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