Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gardening

How to plant flowers like a seasoned gardening pro

By

Gardening can be a bit intimidating with all of the soils, plants, fertilizers, seeds, and more. So, when it comes to starting a flower garden of your own, there can be a lot to consider. Luckily, with some tips, tricks, and planning, you will be a gardening pro in no time. From lush flower gardens to intricate potted plants, you’ll have no problem growing and caring for all kinds of beautiful, lively blooms.

How do you start a flower garden for beginners?

Growing a lush, vivid flower garden right in your own backyard can be a truly rewarding experience. With all of the different options available, it is definitely a time to be creative and let your personality shine. So, if you’re ready to create a beautiful flower garden, check out these tips and methods for the best results.

How to plant flowers
Iryna Inshyna/Shutterstock
  • Stock up on the right tools. Having the right gardening tools can make a huge difference when you’re ready to get down in the dirt. With each one having its own purpose, these essential tools can be a game changer when it comes to gardening: Trowel, spade shovel, bow rake, hoe, hand rake, watering can or hose, and weed eater.
  • Pick flowers that make sense. Although it is easy to get distracted by the stunning beauty of a certain flower, it is important to ensure that it makes sense in your garden. If there is a particular flower that is a must have, you should select that flower and then choose other flower types that will complement it and work with it. A key thing to note is that flowers planted in the same garden bed should have similar needs when it comes to sunlight, soil type, and watering patterns.
  • Find the perfect spot. If you select a certain type of flowers that love full sun, full shade, or part sun, it is important to put them in an accommodating location. When finding the ideal spot you should consider exposure to sunlight, soil type, and the sightline from your windows for the best view.
  • Prep the ground. Most of the time, the soil that is already existing in your yard is not the ideal soil type for your flowers. Topsoil is the best type for most flower varieties, but you can do research on your specific plant types for the best soils. To prep the ground, you can dig a deep hole outlining your garden bed. Fill the hole with a fertilizer and soil mix to create the perfect living environment for your flowers.
  • Introduce your plants to their new home. Once you pick the right spot, the right flowers, and the right soil, you are ready to plant your flowers. For most perennials, you can typically plant them during any time of year, with the best times being in the fall or spring. For annual flowers, the best time to plant is late spring or early summer.
  • Get the watering schedule down. Once your plants are in the ground and flourishing, it’s helpful to have a consistent watering schedule to ensure they have enough. You can either use sprinklers with timers or hand water with a hose or watering can.
  • Maintain all of your hard work. After you spent so much time and energy getting your flower garden looking beautiful, it is important to maintain it. To do this, you can change out mulch, pull up weeds, and water your plants for an efficient flower garden.
Recommended Videos

What months are best to plant flowers?

Timing is everything when it comes to planting flowers. It can mean the difference between a failed crop and a flourishing one for many flower types. While some flowers are hardy and can withstand planting during any season, most do best when you stick to these general rules.

Perennial flowers that return each spring with vibrant blooms do best when planted in the spring or fall season.
Annual flowers that flourish once during the year and then die, do best when planted in warm months like late spring or early summer.

When in doubt, springtime is the most successful period of time for planting most flowers.

Kostenko Maxim/Shutterstock

How long does it take to grow flowers from seeds?

Though it differs slightly based on the type of flower, most flowers take about 95 days or about three months to grow from a seed.

If you are looking for flowers that grow a bit quicker, say around two months, you can check out these options:

  • Sunflowers
  • Petunias
  • Poppies
  • Cornflowers
  • Nigella
  • Sweet alyssum

What are the easiest flowers to grow from seed?

While pretty much any flower can be grown from a seed and turned into a vivid, bright bloom, these top options are easy and quick to grow, making them great picks for your homegrown flower garden:

  • Calendula
  • Columbine
  • Cosmos
  • Four o’clocks
  • Morning glories
  • Marigolds
  • Sunflowers
  • Sweet alyssum
  • Moss rose

As you can see, growing your own flower garden isn’t as intimidating as it may appear. You can enjoy a variety of stunning colors all spring and summer with the right tips, tricks, and methods. Staying prepared and planning ahead is always the best way to ensure a successful garden. With the right tools, soils, flowers, and locations, you’ll see that creating your own flourishing blooms is highly achievable.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
HappySprout Contributor
HappySprout Contributor
These are our favorite types of wildflowers
Add these stunning wildflowers to your garden and have a unique collection
A mix of colorful wildflowers

Wildflowers make excellent additions to gardens, especially if they are native to your area. Pollinators and other wildlife love them, they’re easy to plant and grow, and they are incredibly beautiful. If you want to get started growing your own native wildflower garden, here are a few of our favorites to start with. No matter what aesthetic or colors you prefer, some of these gorgeous types of wildflowers are sure to delight you! From bluebonnets to beardtongue, here are our favorite types of wildflowers.
Bluebonnet

Bluebonnets aren’t just the state flower of Texas, they’re also a stunning blue wildflower. Native to the South and Southwest U.S., these lovely flowers can be annuals, perennials, or even biennials. While some of the more common bluebonnet varieties are darker blue, there are also lighter blue or slightly purple bluebonnet varieties available.

Read more
Don’t let these common plant pests ruin things: What to do when you find them
Watch out for these common plant pests
Aphids on the petals of a daisy

As much as we wish it weren’t true, houseplants and greenhouses aren’t exempt from pest problems. Since they’re inside, you don’t have to worry about deer or rabbits or squirrels chomping at the leaves, but bugs can still find their way indoors. Whether they buzz in through a window or hitch a ride on your pets, pests are sure to find your plants eventually. Some pests are more common across different species than others. Here are the most common types of plant pests to watch out for, and what you should do when you find them.
Mealybugs

Mealybugs are sap-sucking insects that cause gradual damage to your plants over time. Houseplants infested with this pest often exhibit yellowing leaves and leaf drop. They have a cottony appearance, which is obvious when contrasted against the green foliage and stems. For survival, they often nestle and cause damage in nooks and crannies like crowded stems or unfurled leaves.
Signs of an infestation
Because yellow leaves and leaf drop are signs of an array of problems, those things alone don’t indicate a mealybug infestation. What you want to look for, especially if some of the foliage starts to fall prematurely, are cotton-like spots on the stems and leaves. Mealybugs also leave behind a sticky substance that’s wax-like and powdery in appearance, so if your plant starts to look like it has a white film coating parts of it, chances are there’s a bug problem.
How to get rid of mealybugs so they don’t come back
Mealybug infestations can be handled in a variety of ways, depending on the size of the infestation and the kind of method you want to use. For smaller mealybug populations, you can use natural solutions like:

Read more
How to care for red spider lily, a stunning end-of-summer bloom
How to help your red spider lily thrive
Red spider lily flowers

Red spider lilies are beautiful, vibrant, and interesting. With their bright red color and unique flower shape, they’re certainly charming. Whether they’re growing on their own or the centerpiece of a larger display, red spider lilies make for a gorgeous addition to most gardens.

Want to grow your own red spider lily? It’s easier to do than you might assume! Here’s everything you need to know to grow your own red spider lily flowers and ensure that they thrive. From planting to pest control, we have you covered in this handy guide to red spider lily care.
Planting red spider lilies

Read more