How to Make an Annual Bed

Success with annuals starts with preparing the right spot for them. Clear a section of your landscape for the bed, removing grass and weeds. A few weeks before planting, till at least six inches down, to loosen and aerate the soil, and add organic materials like compost to enrich and add moisture. You can also add fertilizer at this time, or wait until planting. Don't forget to add mulch after planting, and a border around the bed will help keep grass from invading.

UF/IFAS Publications

• Bed Preparation is the Key to Successful Flowers and Vegetables (PDF)
• Bedding Plants: Selection, Establishment and Maintenance
• Making Up Your Flower Bed (PDF)

Also on Gardening in a Minute

• Annual Flowers
• Creating a Flower Bed
• Landscape Borders
• Summer Bedding Plants
• Winter Annuals

Other Sites

• Flower Bed Planning--North Dakota State University Extension Service
• Planning the Flower Bed--University of Arizona Cooperative Extension