My first flower bed?

I need some advice for planting my first flower bed. The area is already laid out (off the porch with plenty of sun, but not too much) but has not had flowers or plants in a couple years. (I think there used to be strawberries in it.) Well anyways...I'm doing this as a surprise for my grandmother whom I live with since she can no longer do something like this herself. And she LOVES sunflowers. So I'm thinking of planting a variety of flowers such as sunflowers, daisies, and roses, etc. The bed is approximately 10-12 feet long and about 2-3 feet wide. Would these flowers look good together? As long as I put the tallest ones in the back and the shortest ones in the front and so fourth? Also...how do I even begin! I know I have to get up all the weeds, etc. but then what? And do I need a special type of manure or something? Thanks and I would appreciate all the advice/tips I can get.
My first flower bed?
Well, you start by using a shovel and turning the soil,removing the weed clods as you go...THEN, you can get to the good stuff.





Sunflowers don't require fertilizer or even rich soil, so I'd avoid that with them. There are many varieties so check the height on the back of the seed pack! You can plant many varieties together, from tallest to lowest, and they will be lovely.





Depending on the daisies you use, they too require minimal care and don't need rich soil to thrive. I do think they are a nice match for sunflower.





A nice compliment that I add with my white daisies is the adorable bachelor button. It comes in traditional blue or varying shades of purples, pinks and white. VERY easy to grow and they come back each year. Old fashioned, and hardy.





Roses are a different beast entirely and require special care. I'd set aside a special area just for them as they need rich soil, and special food. I think they are too elegant to pair with sunflowers and daisies. I border my rose bed with alyssum...also very easy to grow and hardy.





Get a gardening book for every expert was once a beginner!
Reply:This is what I would suggest you do. 1st I would not suggest places roses and sunflowers together. They each require different types of care. So make it pretty, yet simple.Go to Lowes or Home Depot . Take a note pad. Walk around and pick out things you like and write them down. Check the tags for the plants requirements (shade, full sun, dry or wet and the growth size) to make sure they require the same care.There are tons of different varieties of daisies and sunflowers. Get an assortment of colors and sizes. You can also work some beautiful foliage plants in as this adds a great contrast. Don't plant in rows, but stagger them in the bed area making sure the taller items are to the back. They also have bags of garden soil that have everything in them (fertilizer)you will need to add to the area you are planting. Get some Miracle Grow to mix in with your water. Get a bag or 2 of mulch to cover the top of the soil. This keeps weeds out as well as moisture in. I always walk around and make a list of things I like. Then go back to the items and place them in a cart together and see if I like them adding or omitting some. You can also look on the web and get pictures of completed gardens to get ideas. I hope this helps. Good luck and have fun!
Reply:Well,,, that's a lot to answer.....


First it depends on what part of the country you live in, on what is best to plant.... If you go to a local nursery they should be able to help you with what is good to grow in your area. But also keep in mind you might want to get easy maintenance plants that do not need a lot of attention..... ones that will come back next year.... and roses are always good... just make sure you plant them in the middle and with a trellis or some kind of support and you need to see if they are climbers or not.... You might want to get some miracle grow to put into the hole before the plant to give it a bit of a boost in starting,,, there are bags of the stuff you can get..... 10-12 ft... probably 2 bags to put into the hole as you plant will be enough and then maybe 3-4 bags of chips to put on top after you have planted to help keep the moisture in would be nice and help with the weeds....


Good planting.loan