• Fill your garden with beautiful yellow forsythia.Forsythia Flowers image by Courtenay Smith from Fotolia.com
  
  Forsythia bushes produce a glorious display of tiny yellow flowers and are among the best plants for brightening up your garden and adding a vibrant splash of color in the spring. The bushes are deciduous, hardy and, once planted and established in your garden, they'll provide years of pleasure and blooms.
  
  

Selection

• Choose the variety of forsythia for your landscape carefully. There are several different types available. The variety you choose is determined by the planting location in the yard---whether it will be in shade or sun---and the area you live in, as some varieties may perform better than others in your specific locality. "Border Forsythia" is one of the most commonly planted forsythias. It grows 8 to 10 feet in height and can spread to 10 feet wide, making it an ideal choice to fill a large gap in your garden. Other popular varieties include "New Hampshire Gold," which grows well in colder areas and the adaptable "Northern Sun."
  
  

Location

• Decide on an appropriate location. The bush will grow to a considerable height and width. Choose an area that allows the forsythia to spread out and be comfortable. Don't squeeze it into existing plantings. Forsythia can fill a gap or provide screening in the landscape. Match the sunlight received in the planting location to the variety of forsythia you've chosen.
  
  

Soil Test

• Test the soil to make sure that it is right for your forsythia bush. Use a pH testing kit available from a garden center or home improvement store. Most forsythia bushes perform well in soil with a pH level of between 5.5 and 8.0. If your soil pH isn't at this level, then add lime if it's below 5.5 or peat if the reading is above 8.0, and dig it in well.
  
  

Planting

• Dig a large hole in the chosen spot. Dig a hole that is the same height as the root ball of the forsythia plant and at least twice the width of it, as this will ensure the plant has plenty of space to become established and grow. Place the forsythia in the hole, fill the edges in with soil and firmly push the plant into the ground. Water thoroughly. If there is little rain, water the plant well once a week. Use an all-purpose fertilizer at the beginning of each spring.