How do I create a flower garden around a tree? I am a beginner in gardening and planting?

I have an old tree in front of my home. I like to add a flower bed around the tree, but I am new to planting and gardening. Also, my lawn needs a lot of care. Last year my husband tilled part of our lawn and we replanted new grass, but our lawn looks very unhealty with a lot of try, burned like spots. What can I do to have a healthy lawn, and how do I go about creating my flower bed around the tree. I like to put a border around the tree like a small wall maybe. I want the flower bed be higher than the actual lawn. We have mostly clay dirt. Can you give me some advice and/or help. Thanks.

How do I create a flower garden around a tree? I am a beginner in gardening and planting?
Two words: Container Gardening.
Reply:first, if your lawn has any burn spots, it sounds like he put too much fertilizer on it, %26amp; not enough water, %26amp; never do this during the day, the sun will make the fertilizer hot, %26amp; burn whatever it is on. Water your lawn in the morning, not at night, %26amp; not during the middle of the day either.( it'll burn it %26amp; at night, it brings bugs)


If you want the flower garden higher then the lawn, first, put a border around the tree, as far out as you want the flower garden to be, then build it up with some good potting soil, %26amp; perlite, then, before you add any flowers to it, water it first, slowly, %26amp; when you plant your flowers , do not crowd them when you, %26amp; bury the flowers just about up to the where the bottom leaves start.


If you have mostly clay dirt, try to keep your flowers just in the potting soil mix. You can feed them "not on top of the flowers" around the stems, with Miracle-gro for flowers, about once a month, or what it tells you on the side of the box,( when you plant your flowers, try to do this "after" the sun is going down" because the sun will burn the roots of the flowers.) %26amp; Good Luck !!!
Reply:A raised bed is probably beast around the tree as you don't want to till down and distub the roots. As best you can try to keep the deepest portion of the raised bed out at the drip line of the tree again so as not to interfere with the roots of the tree.