Plant a flower garden

My first experience growing flowers started with a paperwhite bulb in a drinking glass, perched on the windowsill of my San Francisco apartment. Skeptical about how easy growing a narcissus would be, I checked on my plant daily, wondering if it would bloom.

Sure enough, the bulb pushed up green leaves, then fragrant flowers. I was amazed; I even brought it into work for show-and-tell. That's when an editor ― perhaps inspired by my kindergarten-like excitement over the blossoms ― suggested that I plant a real flower plot in a sunny part of Sunset's test garden.

Thirty-two square feet to call my own! (My apartment was 168 square feet, so this was a serious amount of land.) It was April, so instead of bulbs I chose summer flowers ― easy ones that would bloom nearly nonstop.

First I made a list of flowers suggested by seasoned gardeners, or that I discovered on the Internet. I kept the color palette simple: white, orange, pink, and shades of green.

Then, because nurseries are foreign territory to me, I asked Sunset test garden coordinator Ryan Casey to help me shop for the plants. At the nursery, I chose a few medium-height flowers for cutting ― such as cosmos, echinacea (purple coneflower), and zinnias ― plus low-growing flowers like dusty miller, petunias, snow-in-summer, and sweet alyssum for neat edging. I also bought some Mexican feather grass because I liked its soft, breezy look. The trip to the nursery was fun ― what's not to love about a sea of colorful plants?

Casey helped me plant and maintain the garden, and he shared some advice for getting more blooms.

With his guidance and a good pair of clippers, I began harvesting cosmos and zinnias six weeks later. In fact, all summer long I couldn't make bouquets fast enough to keep up with my abundant harvest.

How to grow a bouquet garden from start to finish

Prepare the soil. Mix organic material such as compost and a complete fertilizer (follow package directions) into the soil.

Make a plan. Consider what flowers and colors you'll enjoy in your garden ― and in a vase. For impact, limit your palette to three or four colors. Measure your garden area, then figure out how many plants you'll need.

Shop. Buy plants in 4-inch pots or sixpacks. Avoid plants that are leggy, rootbound, or too big for their pots. Read labels to find flowers suited to your garden's sun exposure.

Position plants. With plants still in containers, arrange and rearrange them until you're happy with the garden layout. Place shorter plants in front and taller ones behind, where they won't block the sunlight. Do not crowd plants (check spacing recommendations on labels).

Dig in. Use a trowel to dig the hole. Knock plant gently from the pot, loosen any coiled roots, then set plant in the hole with rootball just above the surrounding soil. Fill in around the plant with more soil, then press soil lightly to firm. Water thoroughly.

Keep watch. Water the plants regularly, just enough to keep the soil moist; in warm weather, young seedlings may need water as often as once a day. During the growing season, clip off flowers as they fade.

Tip: Get more blooms

Right after planting annuals, clip off all flowers (not buds), suggests Sunset test garden coordinator Ryan Casey.

Cruel as it may sound ("What, deadhead my baby plants?"), clipping flowers that could soon set seed actually encourages more vigorous growth of plants and their roots.

Continue to remove flowers as they unfurl for the first week or two that the plant is in the ground.