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Planting a Flower Garden
 happy6
Preparing soil to nurture plants, finding the right location, and growing flowers that bloom each spring is a great way to enhance landscaping. Learn the simple steps for planting a flower garden and a couple of tips for good health and blooming.
Selecting a Garden Location
Find a sunny location in the yard with the least amount of wind. Most flowers need an area with about six hours of sun each day. Shade flowers require only a couple of hours of sun.
Preparing the Soil
Use a hand-trowel or shovel to mark off the perimeter of the flower garden. Dig up the soil at least eight inches and turn it over. Break up the soil and remove rocks, weeds, sticks or other debris.
Purchase a bag of compost. Mix in a ration of 30 to 50 percent compost to soil. Compost improves soil structure and provides many of the nutrients needed for healthy flowers.
Make a water-retaining wall. Form a soil wall using a shovel around the garden. Soil walls help to retain water and keep flowers healthy. Level the soil in the garden with a rake.
Selecting Flowers
After the soil has warmed in the spring and there is no chance of frost, buy flower seedlings from a garden center. Choose appropriate varieties for the planting zone and climate. Determine how far apart each flower should be placed in the garden for good growing conditions.
Use a hand shovel to dig a hole for each flower in the garden. Remove each seedling from the package by lifting it out with a knife. Plant each flower in its own hole no deeper than the depth of soil in the package. Fill the bed with flowers according to spacing requirements.
Care
Water the flower garden daily and fertilize plants every few weeks using a fertilizer with a high ratio of phosphorous to encourage blooming.
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