Steph 
Adding a flower bed does not have to be hard. After trial and error, I have found out in my experience there is a way that is superior. I find this method far easier while being healthier for your soil. There is no need to dig up all of your grass or start with bare earth. Your dirt will be far healthier, and your plants happier, if you don’t strip away existing life.
The way that has worked best for me is also what I consider the lazy way. This is great news for would-be gardeners because we really already have enough to do, don’t we? When I add a new garden bed for flowers I usually leave everything there. There are several steps to follow to maximize the success of your new bed.
Planning a new garden bed.
First I lay out the plants and figure out how I want to configure the bed. If you want a creative or curvy shape, you can also use a garden hose to lay out the shape of the bed. You should plan it out before you get started to avoid any accidental “I went too far” or “that’s a weird shape” situations.
Start digging holes for your new plants .
This is the hardest part of the whole thing. Gotta dig those holes deep and wide enough. Read the instructions on the plant to make sure you are digging the hole large enough. If you don’t do this your plants might not make it. I’ve lost some valuable plants to not properly preparing the hole. Making sure your hole is big enough is really one of the most important steps in planting. I know it’s a pain, especially when your soil is like mine, but it’s well worth it. Trust me.
Put the plants into the holes and backfill.
If you have a nice soil already, you are set. You just put your plants into the holes, backfill and water your new babies. If you have rocky clay soil like I do, you might want to consider digging the hole a little bigger so you give the plant a better start. I will amend the clay by putting a compost/vermiculite/peat moss mixture in the hole mixed with the soil I removed. I find that my plants tend to get wet feet and suffer or die if I just leave my clay in there. It’s more expensive than just popping back in the clay, but not as expensive as replacing nice plants because they can’t handle the existing soil.
Get rid of the stuff you dug up.
With the grass and remaining soil you had to dig up you don’t need to hassle and stress about getting rid of this like I used to. A constant battle I used to have with my husband was the disposal of everything dug up. He would just throw it into existing beds behind trees or in a pile where nothing else was. I had to find another solution. So I started flipping the grass chunks over and positioning them in the blank spaces of my beds. This makes your life so much easier, and it’s great for your garden beds. You can also use this to build up certain areas if you need to level the bed at all.
Cover the ground of the flower bed with cardboard or weed fabric.
Trust me. You don’t want to skip this step! You have to cover the ground with weed blockers or all of that grass or those weeds you covered will come right through and be a nightmare for you.
I like to use cardboard boxes but resort to weed fabric when I’m out. The cardboard box method is a fabulous way to hide evidence of your Amazon shopping spree. Use it to your advantage, it’s a win-win.
Install new mulch.
Don’t skip this step. Even if you decide to throw some topsoil or compost over the ground of the bed, mulch heavily. You really don’t want to spend all summer weeding do you? I know I’m not going to. I get very annoyed when I see weeds have popped up. Do this extra work in the beginning to save yourself tons of time and aggravation in the long run.
Make sure your flowers and plants are watered well after planting.
It seems obvious but sometimes we get busy and forget. You need to be sure your new transplants get water, or you risk them withering and dying before they even get started. I keep a close eye on new beds initially to make sure they are getting enough water and nothing is wilting. As the plants get established this is less of a concern.
Enjoy your new flower bed.
Following these steps will make adding a new flower bed pretty simple. While the job isn’t easy, it is much easier than some of the other methods. Do this as early in the growing season as possible so your plants get a great start before it gets cold again.
