Planning flower beds: sun, soil, size and season

01Know your climate first

Regional noteThere is no single planting calendar. In the US, look up your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone and your average last spring and first fall frost dates; elsewhere, use your national equivalent. Every date in these guides should be read against your own frost dates.

02Read the site

1. 1.Observe the bed morning, midday and late afternoon and note hours of direct sun.
2. 2.Check drainage: dig a hole about 12 in (30 cm) deep, fill with water, let it drain, refill. If the second filling takes much more than a few hours to drain, choose plants that tolerate wet soil or build a raised bed.
3. 3.Test soil pH and nutrients. Most garden flowers do well around pH 6.0–7.0.

03Size and layout

• —Plan by mature size printed on the label, not pot size. Crowding causes disease and weak flowering.
• —Place tall plants at the back of a border (or center of an island bed), mid-height in the middle and low plants at the front.
• —Repeat a few plants along the bed in groups of three or five for rhythm.
• —Leave a path or stepping stones in beds deeper than about 4 ft (1.2 m) so you can reach everything.

04Plan bloom by season

1. 1.List what you want, with its bloom period.
2. 2.Make sure each part of the bed has something for spring, early summer, late summer and fall.
3. 3.Use bulbs for early spring, perennials for the backbone, and annuals to fill gaps and extend color.
4. 4.Include foliage plants and seed heads for structure in winter.