Imagine looking out your window at a bed full of beautiful and vibrant flowers, maybe even with a few vegetable plants mixed in. Even better, the garden you are admiring is one you created from scratch. You have walked around your neighborhood and admired the gardens for years and now you are ready to build one of your own. 

But you aren’t sure where to begin and feel a little overwhelmed with the idea of tilling the soil or digging up large areas of grass. The good news, turning your lawn into a garden is not as complicated or challenging as you might think. You do need to plan ahead and decide which method to use and what plants will do best in your climate. 

With a little help from your local gardening shop or hardware store and a bit of exercise out in the fresh air as you move mulch and dig up dirt, your lawn can transform into the garden of your dreams. Before you get too attached to one type of flower or plant, you will need to figure out the direction your garden will be facing in relation to the sun. 

You will also want to start thinking about whether you want perennial flowers that will come back each year or annuals that tend to have more blooms but are only in a garden for one season. But before you even get to the planting part, you need to prepare the soil and choose the best space for your garden to bloom. 

The Location of Your Garden on Your Lawn

Just like in real estate, a garden’s location is one of the most important aspects of its success. When planning a garden and the plants that will go in it, you need to think about where and when the sun hits that specific area. You also need to keep in mind where a water source will be so that you can maintain the garden once you are finished planting. 

If you have never gardened before, you will probably want to start with easy to maintain plants such as shrubs and hardy perennials and work your way up to more complicated and finicky flowers. Shrubs and large plants like hydrangeas or roses are a great starting point as they are perennials and come back year after year. 

Once you decide on the location of the garden in your lawn, then you need to map out the perimeter. As you have admired your neighbor’s yards, did you like the look of brick or rock borders better? Did you enjoy the raised bed look of a garden or prefer the in-ground garden style? Think about what you want as a border and start laying a perimeter with string in the shape you prefer. 

One option to consider if you are hesitant to commit to changing a large space of your lawn into a permanent garden is a raised bed garden. The materials for this type of garden are more expensive, but if you change your mind later it is much easier to remove than an in-ground garden. 

There are a lot of options out there for building raised flower beds so you can choose which option is best for your space if you decide to go that route. Assuming you want the in-ground option, the next step after choosing the location is to start preparing the soil. 

Preparing the Soil For Your Lawn Garden

Making sure the soil is ready for planting is one of the reasons people hesitate to start their own garden. But science has come a long way and taken a lot of the guesswork out of the nutrients and steps you will need to complete to help your garden thrive. You can get your soil tested, but it isn’t necessary as long as you add composted soil with nutrients. 

There is a technique called sheet-mulching which is a foolproof way to ensure the grass won’t grow back (this has also been referred to as the lasagna method because of the layers used). As you decide whether you want to do sheet mulching or a raised flower bed, you need to decide how patient and thrifty you want to be. 

If you are ready and anxious to plant right away, it is going to involve more heavy lifting with the raised flower bed. If you can wait a few weeks then you can let the grass stay as it is for the sheet mulching method. 

If you are going to start planting soon, you will want to use a hoe to cut through the grass and sod to get to the bottom layer of dirt. Hardware stores often let you rent a sod cutter if you are looking for a more efficient method. You can throw the dug up sod into a compost pile to use later. 

Whether you are going to wait it out or go ahead and hoe the ground now, both options will need to use composted soil as the base. This will help the roots of your new plants grow strong and healthy.

Step by Step Instructions for Sheet For Your Lawn Garden Mulching

When you start an in-ground garden the grass needs to be removed before anything else can happen. The first step is to mow the grass down to as short as possible. Once the grass is short, you can spread a light layer of composted dirt before you begin to lay down newspaper or cardboard. 

The middle layer of either cardboard or newspaper is the most important as this layer is what will help smother the grass. Using a biodegradable material ensures that it will eventually break down over time while also being able to keep grass and weeds from growing through. 

Once you have covered the area you plan to use, wet the cardboard. This step helps moisten the ground while also keeping weeds and the previous grass from taking over your flower bed. 

Now you are ready for the top layer. Using the same compost dirt you chose for the base layer, spread a two-inch thick layer on the top. Make sure the newspaper or cardboard layer is still moist first before doing this step. 

If you plan to wait to let the soil adapt, experts recommended waiting a minimum of six weeks to let the soil adjust.  If you plan to plant right away, you will want to add one more layer of potting soil. Potting soil tends to be rich in nutrients which will help your plants adapt to their new home. 

Finally, you want to add a layer of mulch or pine straw. Seasoned gardeners have different views and opinions on whether you should use mulch or pine straw, but ultimately it is up to your personal preference and whichever material you find more aesthetically pleasing. 

You’ve done the hard work of manual labor so now it’s time to observe. As you dug up some of the sod, did you notice if there were earthworms? If so, your soil can likely support a variety of plants. If your soil tended to be on the drier side with sand, you may want to look into adding more compost and potting soil. Once you determine the type of soil in your yard, you can then start planning which plants will do well in your new garden. 

The Fun Part: Choosing What to Plant In Your Garden

Now that you have prepared the soil, the fun part can begin: choosing what to plant. Depending on whether you are new to gardening or not, you may want to choose plants that are more hardy and low maintenance when you are first starting out. 

Regardless of your experience level, you will want to do some research to decide whether or not you want more perennials or annuals. Most gardens tend to have some staple perennials such as gardenia bushes or rose bushes mixed in with the annuals. Remember annuals don’t come back the next year, but they do add a lot of color and depth to a garden as many annuals tend to have luscious blooms for a season. 

Once you start planning out your dream garden, you also want to keep in mind the type of soil that is already naturally occurring in your space as well as what climate you live in. One of the best ways to plant a successful garden is to observe what plants and flowers do well in your neighborhood. Walk around the gardens near your home and ask more seasoned gardeners for advice on what they have found to be successful. 

Plants are an investment and you want to make sure you invest well so that they come back year after year or so that they can thrive during the season. You need to determine which direction your garden is facing. If you have a south-facing garden you will want to plant flowers that are heat tolerant. If your garden is shady, you want to invest in plants that can tolerate less sun. 

As you search through the different flower options, keep in mind what native plants grow in your area. Starting with native plants ensures you will have successful blooms. It is also helpful to choose plants that bloom at different times so that pollination can happen as well as having blooms for a longer period of time. 

After you have chosen your established perennials, have some fun, and choose blooms that you enjoy clipping to have in your home. You can also buy inexpensive packets of seeds to experiment with. There is nothing more satisfying as a gardener than growing a plant from a seed to bloom. 

Whatever you choose to plant, know that you will learn more as a gardener the more you practice. Most gardeners love talking about their garden so don’t be afraid to ask the experts questions. You’ll likely learn a few tips and tricks from those that have spent countless seasons cultivating various plants.

Maintaining Your New Lawn Garden

You took time to research and plan and did quite a bit of manual labor. After all of that, you now have a beautiful garden which will provide beauty and color in your front yard, congratulations! Since you put so much work into making the garden, you will want to make sure to continue to take care of it as time goes on. 

Depending on what you planted and how ambitious you were, you may be able to get away with only having to water once or twice a week depending on where you live. The rule of thumb is that when you first plant a new flower you want to water it every day for seven to ten days to help the roots become established. 

As you continue to work to maintain your garden, notice what plants do well and which plants seem to struggle. Many gardeners suggest making a blueprint of your garden for each season so as plants go dormant for the winter you can remember what plants were located where for the spring. 

If you notice that the grass is trying to grow back or weeds are popping through the soil, you may want to invest in some weed killer to help combat peskier weeds. Or you can use the old fashioned method of pulling them up from the root. Just remember that some weeds can become invasive quickly so once you notice a problem you will want to address it right away. 

The longer you garden the more you will learn about the plants and which flowers do well in which conditions. Spend time visiting your local botanical gardens to note the native flowers and to learn more about all of the varieties available to grow in your own garden. You’ve done the hard part, now it’s time to enjoy the beauty of the blooms and admire the fact that you turned a blank canvas into a work of art.