Apr 20th, 2014 at 01:59 PM

Planning your Flower Garden

1 Get the best soil. Flowers, like all plants, need good soil in order to grow up strong and healthy. Regardless of whether you are planting your flowers in a pot or a garden, good soil is a must. Avoid soil that is heavy with clay, sand, or rocks, and that has a balanced pH near 7. Flowers need at least six inches of loose soil to start out growing in, so loosen up a top layer at least this deep. Test your soil’s pH level to determine if you need to add anything. If your soil has a low pH (high acidity) below 6.5, add in ground sulfur to neutralize it. High pH levels (too alkaline) can be rectified by adding in ground limestone. Both are available at garden centers. Add in organic materials to add nutrients to your soil. Decomposing leaves and plant matter mixed with your soil will help your plants to grow healthier and faster. Do this a few weeks or months before you plant your flowers so that the nutrients have time to thoroughly mix with the soil. Mix in some fertilizer. For an added nutrient boost, purchase a bit of fertilizer from a local garden center and mix it in with the soil. This can be done the day of planting, which makes it a quick alternative to weeks of adding organic matter.