As Spring comes tip-toeing in, flowers, blossoms, trees, and the bees are waking up and coming to life. Whether you are quarantined in your home or have always had the idea in mind, building a flowerbed can be a highly rewarding process. So go buy some topsoil, grab your gloves, and get your hoes (and shovels), it's time to get dirty:
1. Not too Dry, not too Wet
It's best to work the soil when it is still moist. This is key if you plan on planting your garden soon.
With the root system of your plants being the most vital part of the plant's health and longevity, this step is very important to the overall well-being of your garden. Make sure where you are starting your garden, you have removed all vegetation, rocks, and checked for any underground lines or cables.
2. Turn the Soil about a Foot Deep
Major determining factors for what extra tools you may need depends on the consistency of the soil, any roots or rocks to dig up, and how large you plan on making your new bed. Going this far down gives your new root systems plenty of room to grow and not be exposed to direct sunlight or prolonged exposure to heat.
3. Add 2-3 inches of compost and turn it into the bed
This will act as a super-charge and can help enrich the soil around the roots. Improved soil structure will increase the overall wellness of your plants and help ensure they grow strong enough to help withstand the weather and other things not so good for the plants.
4. Add a thick (3-4") layer of mulch
After you added your layer of compost, turned it, added your plants, added more compost, then turned it again, add a thick layer of mulch to help protect the soil from weeds or any other unwanted plant that may steal nutrients from what you planted.
5. Top dress with another layer of compost to keep down weeds and preserve moisture
Not only does this step add the final layer of compost, but it really brings the bed together, giving it that "fresh" look. More importantly, though, it helps seal the soil away from any unwanted seedlings or bugs from seeping in and disrupting your garden.