I don't know anything about gardening...help?

i am moving into a new house next week and along the steps that lead up to the house are these two bed of dirt.... so I thought it would be nicce to plant some flowers there....so i bought some texas bluebonnets, and some wild flowers, and now i have no idea what do with them.

1 is the dirt i have okay is there something i special i need to do to it? or can i just use as it is. wont i have to dig it out mix it or something



2 is there something i need to add to the dirt,beside the seeds..a speical plant food, something that will help it grow better



3 how do i place the seeds. with the blue bonnets...there arent very many of them so do i place each one in the dirt 1 by 1 a couple inches apart or place them all in one whole?



5 how deep do i plant them



6 it says that on the pack that it will take like a week to "germanate" what does that mean? and it said I would have to pull something out then, what is it?



and once i have planted them how often and when do i water them?

I don't know anything about gardening...help?
Till the soil (dig it up and turn it over with a shovel, and then rake it smooth with a steel rake).



Is it clumpy and sticky like clay? If so, get some gypsum powder from a nursery and sprinkle about 1/8 inch (like a light dusting of snow) onto the soil. Put a layer of organic compost over it to cover it, and then water it regularly for a week. Then another layer of gypsum and organic material. Water it for a few more days. Then till it again. It should have softened up quite a bit.



Is it sandy, with not much organic material in it? Add a soil amendment (a couple inches or so) and work that into the soil.



If it's already fluffy and dark, this is called a loamy soil. Don't add anything to it.



The seed package will tell you how to set the seeds. Sometimes you have to bury seeds about an inch deep into the soil (beans, for example). Others get sprinkled onto the soil and covered with about 1/4 inch of topsoil. It will also tell you how far apart to plant the seeds.



Germinate means to sprout. What they're probably having you do is plant a few seeds together in each spot you plant them. And, if more than one of the seeds germinates (sprouts) and they're a few inches high, you're supposed to select the strongest looking seedling and pluck all the others from around it, so there's only one plant per planting spot.



For seeds to germinate, they must be kept moist (a light sprinkling every day - twice a day for hot, dry conditions - for a couple minutes each day) until they sprout. Don't puddle the water up when you spray it. That might wash away the seeds, depending on how deep you had to plant them.



Once they're established, check the soil to determine if they need water. The soil should be allowed to get dry on the surface, but moist an inch or two down. Either stick your finger into the soil to check or use a hand trowel to dig a couple inches into the soil. Also, if the plants start to wilt, water immediately so they don't get damaged from the drought. You'll eventually get a good feel for how much to water them.



For fertilizer, a good "set it and forget it" product is Osmocote. These are little beads of fertilizer that you sprinkle around the plants every 3 months or so (read the directions on the package for how much to use). They're basically time-release pellets that provide the right amount of nutrients whenever you water.



One thing you should know, though, is that starting plants from seeds is a lot more complicated than buying established plants and transplanting them into your yard. You just get the soil right (tilling and amendments, as necessary), transplant the plants, fertilize, water, and enjoy. Plus you get the instant gratification of having a nice garden in just a day or two.
Reply:Your best bet is take a gardening class. The local high school adult education often offers this class. Many of the local nurseries have weekend and evening seminars for beginning gardeners. If you want heavy duty knowledge, your local agricultural extension offers a Master Gardener class but this is pretty intensive. If you dont want to be a gung ho gardener, go to a good nursery, (not those at walmart, lowe's etc.) and tell them your situation. Explain how much light the boxes get, etc and how much sun, etc. You will probably get some good advice and good plants. You might also bring them a soil sample. You might also want to hold off on planting and see if there are perennials in the dirt places that you think are just dirt. You might find that things will start coming up as the weather gets warmer. You mighthave "pre-existing plants" that have not yet emerged.
Reply:#1 Dig up and loosen the soil. Level it and break up clumps.

#2 Add compost and dig that into the soil.

#3-5 Follow directions on the seed package, which probably require you to cover the seeds about one quarter inch deep and four inches apart

#6 Germination is the process in which a seed begins actively growing. To germinate is to sprout.

They need rain or watering at least once a week. Twice a week when it gets hot.
Reply:It's impossible for me to tell you if the soil/dirt is okay. I would not start out planting seeds, though. That can be tricky. Buy some bedding plants - either annuals (last one season) or perennials (last a few years.) Look on the following website to see what hardiness zone you live in. Then buy plants that are only hardy to that zone.



http://arborday.org/treeinfo/zonelookup....



Do some research about plants on the Internet. Are the two flower beds in a shady or sunny area? There's lots to know.

Ask someone in a nearby landscape business for advice.