Gardening Ideas How To Plant Flowers By Steve Bender Steve Bender Steve Bender is an award-winning author, editor, columnist, and speaker with 38 years experience as Garden Editor, Senior Writer, and Editor-at-Large for Southern Living magazine. Known as The Grumpy Gardener, he shares his horticultural wisdom with with Southerners and garden enthusiasts across the country. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on March 10, 2017 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Ralph Anderson Get off to a good start in your garden. 01 of 04 Simple Methods Ralph Anderson Plant breeders still haven't developed flowers that plant themselves, so it's up to you. Follow these easy steps. Step 1:Set plants atop the ground before you plant so you can space them evenly. 02 of 04 Step 2 Ralph Anderson Soak the plants while they're still in their pots. 03 of 04 Step 3 Ralph Anderson Use your fingers or a pencil to gently pry apart matted roots so they'll spread into the soil, not remain in a ball. 04 of 04 Step 4 Ralph Anderson Add a couple of tablespoons of slow-release flower food to the bottom of each hole, and then stir with your trowel to mix it evenly into the soil before inserting plants. Read more on how to add flowers to your yard. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit