Flowers planted straight into the ground can be just as stunning as a raised bed, especially once your native soil gets the right boost. Here's how to set your flower bed up for a season of blooms.

o Choose a sunny spot most flowering annuals and perennials want at least 6 hours of direct light a day, though some varieties tolerate partial shade. Clear the area of grass, weeds, and debris, and loosen the native soil to a depth of 8-12 inches with a shovel or garden fork.

o Choose one of these ways to work in your Planting Soil for Roses & Flowers: mix 2-3 inches of it into the top 4-6 inches of your native soil across the whole bed before planting or dig each planting hole twice as wide and deep as the root ball and backfill with equal parts Planting Soil for Roses & Flowers and the surrounding soil.

o Transplant your seedlings, sow your seeds, or plant your bulbs according to the package instructions, keeping the stem at the same height it was growing at in its original pot. As a general rule of thumb, bulbs should be planted about two to three times as deep as the bulb itself is tall. Tamp the soil gently and water thoroughly to help everything settle in.

o If you're growing taller or top-heavy flowers dahlias, zinnias, and sunflowers are common culprits consider staking them or adding simple support early on, so wind and heavy blooms don't snap the stems later in the season.

o Water regularly until your plants are established, then continue watering through dry stretches in-ground beds generally hold moisture longer than raised beds or containers, and a layer of mulch on top will help even more.

o Check on your plants regularly to monitor soil moisture and scout for early signs of pests or disease. Giving plants good airflow and avoiding overcrowding goes a long way toward preventing issues like powdery mildew.

o Deadhead spent blooms regularly snip them off just above a leaf node to encourage the plant to keep producing new flowers instead of going to seed.

o During the growing season, feed your plants with our Fertilizer for Roses & Flowers every 4-5 weeks.

o To keep your soil healthy year over year, reapply Planting Soil for Roses & Flowers each spring during bed prep, and again mid-season for a boost.

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