Gardening can be a challenge even to the most expert gardener. For those who are just starting a new planting bed or even if you are only in the thinking of starting a garden bed stage, it pays to do some preplanning. This would mean that first you would need to determine the location of you new planting bed. Will it have full sun, shade or some where in between. Prepare the bed by removing any grass or weeds. Make sure the soil drains well and is not compacted. A soil test kit is recommended for any new area and is available through your local county extension office. This will help you to determine whether the soil may need amending with compost, potting soil or mushroom compost. Once you have cleared the area, decide what plants you would like to look at all the time and choose some perennials for this job. Next choose some of you favorite annuals to fill in other areas. Your local nursery will have an excellent selection of these to choose from. They also can help you to choose the right plant for the right place. Try to group plants according to their watering needs. A micro irrigation system with an automatic timer will help solve your watering needs.
Once you have chosen the plants, planting area and watering system, don’t forget to mulch around your plants to help retain moisture and keep plants cool in summer and warm in winter. Don’t forget about wildlife. A well maintained birdbath, feeder and bird houses are a good start. To make a well defined planting bed you could choose to use a border of bricks, landscape timbers or even the inexpensive plastic borders that now come in many designs from stone and brick to just plain black plastic edging.
This project doesn’t need to be a major investment to bring a little joy for a job well done. If you only have a shovel, rake, spade and clippers you will be well equipped to start and maintain your beds. Consider investing in some gardening books and manuals. They will give you the knowledge and confidence you need to go from novice gardener to green thumb expert in no time.