ESTABLISHING AND CARING FOR SEASONAL FLOWERS
Works for establishing a flower bed include: determining the method of filling, that is, preparation of the project, plant preparation, soil preparation, planting and caring for plants.
The project may provide for a uniform filling, that is, a plant of one species, or varied, consisting of plants of several species or varieties. Flowerbeds from different plants require careful selection of the colors and height of the plants in order to create a harmonious whole.
The flowerbeds can be partially or fully planted with permanent plants hibernating in the ground or with plants changed annually.. Flowerbed plants can have decorative flowers or leaves.
The greatest decorative effect is obtained then, when fully flowering plants are planted in the flowerbed. Such plants require preparation in the inspection, most often in pots, and only at the time of flowering they are transferred and planted on the flowerbed. Maintaining a flower bed with continuously flowering plants requires at least three plant changes. This is, of course, associated with a very high cost and therefore flowerbeds of this type should be used to a very limited extent. You can reduce the cost of flower beds by combining seasonally planted plants with perennials or even using perennials only. Flower beds from some annual plants sown directly into the ground can be cheap and sufficiently decorative.
Preparation of the necessary number of plants for planting a flower bed depends on the designed planting density. If the plants are not sufficiently developed or planted in not very good conditions, it should be planted a little more densely. Too large spacing between plants reduces the decorative value of the flower bed. The period of closure of the plants should last 2–5 days. In the table 2 indicative planting intervals and quantities of the most frequently used flower beds are given.
Plants should be watered at least 2-3 hours before planting. The soil of the flowerbed should be carefully cultivated. Most flowerbed plants have high nutritional requirements and therefore need to be provided with an adequate amount of food in the soil. Some plants do not tolerate too much nitrogen in the soil, which causes excessive leaf growth, e.g.. at lobelia and zeniszka. An excess of nitrogen causes a reduction in flowering in almost all plants. Therefore, fertilizing the flowerbed must be very careful, and the amount of fertilizer is adjusted to actual needs.
It is best to feed the soil in flowerbeds before planting the plants with properly prepared mixtures of mineral fertilizers or with rotten and composted natural fertilizer..
The plane of the flowerbed, after careful digging and cleaning the soil, should be properly formed. The flowerbed can be placed on a slightly convex plane, flat or slightly concave. In addition, you can slightly tilt the flowerbed, e.g. towards the sidewalk, as a result, better visibility of the plants is achieved.
It is quite easy to determine where to plant plants on the surface of the flowerbed. It consists in determining the planting spacing and marking them on the edge of the flowerbed, and then on the marking of the line by pulling the string or stamping the batten. Lines on circular flowerbeds are drawn, similarly to a caliper, by means of a string attached in the center of the circle, and the plants are planted on them at appropriate distances.. Flowerbeds with a very complex pattern require detailed working drawings, in which the method of making a flower bed is specified.
Always plant the plants from the middle of the flowerbed to the edge. In order not to trample the ground and distort the prepared surface, on the surface of the flowerbed, you should move on properly arranged boards. At the time of planting, avoid leaving the planted plants in the sun or strong winds, especially if they are not in pots. In general, plants should not be allowed to wilt. Therefore, it is best to plant flower beds on cloudy days. If planting is done on a sunny day, better to do it in the afternoon. When planting, the vicinity of the plants should be carefully selected. If the plants are of different sizes, they should be properly arranged on the flowerbed. Plants should not be bent over or excessively squeezed with stems and leaves. Plants planted in this way make a bad impression and grow poorly. Also, do not put excessive pressure on the soil around the root ball. It is only like this, to fix the position of the plant. After planting, the soil around the plant should be leveled, and then water the plants. A very good procedure is to cover the ground around the plants with a thin layer of composted and slightly moist peat; the soil does not dry out and does not become crusted.
Nursing flowerbeds consists primarily in removing emerging weeds. It is unacceptable for weeds to grow above the plants. Pulling up overly large weeds can tear up the roots of flowerbeds. The emergence of couch grass, dandelion or other perennial weeds on the flowerbed testifies to careless preparation and inaccurate cleaning of the soil.
Flowerbeds in summer need watering, especially in cities and in not too wet positions. Watering the flowerbed is expedient, if the soil is soaked at least 5-10 cm deep. This requires 10-12 liters of water per 1 m2. This amount must be poured out by a diffuse stream, preferably through a strainer, and slowly, so that water does not collect and run off the surface, but gradually it soaked into the soil. Watering less water is generally pointless, even if such sprinkling is carried out frequently.
During growth, some plants may grow beyond the required height or width and then need to be trimmed accordingly. This treatment mainly concerns plants with decorative leaves, like for example. alternanter or gnafalium. Pruning of such plants is usually done with light scissors.