When strolling through a park, you spot a spectacular garden and your heart whispers: "Those flowers are so perfect and so appealing, we've got to do this at home."

Garden after garden that heart of yours soars and sings - then your head pipes up with visions of weeding and hours of working. Do you really want to spend the summer in bed, even one built for flowers?

Caught between desire and reality, the only chance of getting that perfect garden is to go to the pros. City park experts know how to get eye-popping displays on a limited budget of time, money and manpower. Now their secrets are ours.

"The trick to getting a big mass of color is having plants touch each other when they get full-sized," said Larry Hurd, horticulturist with South Suburban Parks and Recreation. Check plant tags to see recommended spacing, measure your bed for square footage and grid the planting.

"It's a little math, but if you don't want to do that, planting charts are available at most garden centers to help you figure it out."

"Before you pop in the plants, make sure they'll do well in that location," says Hurd, 50. "Match the plant to the environment."

Is the exposure in full sun, shade, or a little of both? "Marigolds love sun, but impatiens fry in it, so choose your plants based on your site's conditions."

For drama, consider colors carefully. Hot colors of reds, oranges and yellow pull people's attention, a quality parks staffers use for people waiting at intersections, Hurd says.

"We don't want to distract them while driving, but it's nice to have something to look at when waiting for the green light."

Put cooler colors in places where people get close enough to see them. They have a calming effect, and go well near seating areas, around fountains or water.

"Design isn't in everybody's system, so it seems hard," says Michele Acklin, Denver Parks horticulturist. "Start with a space the size of an area rug (4 by 6 feet), because smaller than that lacks impact."

Acklin, 33, helps design a variety of plantings; from containers on the 16th Street Mall to the giant bed at Confluence Park. Use bright, showy colors with big flowers in plantings farther from where people walk. Where people are close by, use smaller, lighter-colored flowers and space them close together.

Choose plants based on how much care you're willing to give them, says Acklin, because some - like zinnias, dahlias and snapdragons - need regular maintenance. For a whimsical touch, border the bed with coleus and use clippers to prune it into a tiny hedge.

If you want a striking display but are limited to containers, Acklin suggests thinking big and bold.

"We want plants to look like they're bursting out, so plant thickly for impact, use large plants for drama and trailers to hide the edges."

Once you've selected your plants, soil preparation is the key to get them to take off, says Gary Douglas, Greenhouse Parks superintendent. "Very few places here have good soil. Amending it with compost is important before planting."

Douglas, 56, grows what Denver parks need each season in a 65,000-square-foot City Park greenhouse. Like a parent watching fledglings leave the nest, he's concerned for their well-being once they reach the gardens.

"Give your annuals one inch of water each week to get them established, then back off some so the flowers stay nice," he says. Plants will tell you when they need water by wilting slightly, and you'll quickly get a feel for their water needs.

Fertilizing twice a month makes an amazing difference in plant performance, so note on your calendar to feed your foliage. You can reduce that to once a month if using liquid fertilizers along with Osmocote, a timed-release fertilizer that can be applied two weeks after plants are popped in the ground.

Shop for next year by visiting parks and demonstration gardens to get ideas on plants or combinations you'd like in your garden, then start planning in January for spring. Your heart will thank you.

Carol O'Meara, a local gardening expert, may be reached at omearac@yahoo.com

Making the bed

Try these tips for the home garden, offered by horticulture specialists who work with Denver's Parks and Recreation departments.

* Turn or rototill in compost at least 3 to 4 inches deep. If it's a new flower bed, get a soil test to see what you need for organic matter or nutrients.

* Make your bed pop by using an edger to get a clean line between it and any turf.

* Pair plants from opposite sides of the color wheel for contrast, such as orange with blue, or go for cool tones with blues, violets and whites.

* Add in foliage plants with brightly colored hues. Many coleus give both color and textural interest.

* Place taller plants in the center, then step down heights toward the front.

* Knock down seedling weeds every week with a three- or four-tong cultivator to keep them from being a chore.