How to Make a New Flower Bed

Jim explains that he starts many annual flowers from seed at home, and also buys a few things. After deciding where to create the flower bed, he removes any existing plants, like the underperforming pansies, weeds, and debris to get down to bare soil. He aerates the soil with a trenching shovel without flipping it over and then lays down a base of compost to prepare for the new plants.

You stick the shovel about six inches deep into the ground and pull back slightly to create an air pocket without flipping the soil over.

Rooting annuals deeply allows them to perform better, especially since their growing season is short (six to seven months). Aerating heavy clay soils like Jim's helps break up the base and makes the soil more porous, which reduces the need for watering, as more rain and water can soak down to provide the plants with adequate moisture.

Jim uses soil cube compost for amending the soil, but in the past he has used compost mixed with pine bark soil conditioner. He acknowledges that pine bark soil conditioner might not be available everywhere and suggests using whatever type of compost is locally available.

Recompacting the soil can make it difficult for plants to root properly and limits water and nutrient penetration. To avoid recompacting the soil, Jim suggests avoiding too much foot traffic after aerating and amending the soil.

Jim adds about a one to two inch layer of compost on top of the aerated soil, ensuring it is spread evenly and smoothly over the bed.