William N. Hopkins

Sometimes a garden is too much of a mess to be salvaged.

Here are the steps tobuilding a new bedorborder from scratch.

Step 1: Mark It Out

Make your new garden the best it can be.

Hand holding plant over soil

Credit:William N. Hopkins

Give it a fun shape with flowing curves, or use it to echo the lines of your house.

Get it just right by laying out a hose to outline your bed.

when you land the perfect shape, mark the edges with a line of sand or flour.

Marking outline of hose with flour

Credit:William N. Hopkins

Then, wait a couple of months for the grass to die.

Step 3: Dig the Garden Bed

Now comes the digging.

For how to dig a garden bed, start by removing any rocks, roots, or other debris.

Rolling out garden sod

Credit:William N. Hopkins

If you have poor soil, now’s also a great time toincorporate organic matter, such as compost.

Just dig it in while you work the ground.

Alternatively, sink an edging material around the perimeter of your garden.

Adding soil to garden bed

Credit:William N. Hopkins

This allows you to get the spacing right and ensure your plants look good next to each other.

If your mulch is dry, it may absorb some water before your plants can.

Soak dry mulch well to verify your plants get enough moisture.

Cutting garden edge with shovel

Credit:William N. Hopkins

Adding plants to garden bed

Credit:William N. Hopkins

Adding mulch to garden bed

Credit:William N. Hopkins

Watering garden seedlings

Credit:William N. Hopkins