Buttons not covered by BG image

MerchantRPGCSE2102/src/view/StartScreen.java

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package view;
 
+import java.awt.*;
 import java.awt.Color;
 import java.awt.GradientPaint;
 import java.awt.Image;
@@ -13,48 +14,83 @@
 import javax.swing.JButton;
 import javax.swing.JFrame;
 import javax.swing.JPanel;
+import javax.swing.*;
 
 public class StartScreen extends JFrame {
+
 	private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
+
 	JPanel startMenu = new JPanel();
 
+
+
 	public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException {
 		new StartScreen();
 	}
 
 	public StartScreen() throws IOException {
+
+
+
+
+
+		JLabel MainMenuBG = new JLabel(new ImageIcon("src/images/background.jpg"));
+		MainMenuBG.setVisible(true);
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
 		Image icon, background;
 		icon = loadIcon();
 		background = loadBackground();
 		BackgroundPanel panel = new BackgroundPanel(background, BackgroundPanel.ACTUAL, 1.0f, 0.5f);
 		this.setIconImage(icon);
+
 		this.setTitle("The Merchant RPG");
 		this.setSize(1500, 844);
 		this.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
 		this.setDefaultCloseOperation(EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
 		this.setResizable(false);
 		this.setVisible(true);
+
+
 		JButton start = new JButton("Start");
+		start.setVisible(true);
+
+
 		start.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
 			public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e){	
 				System.out.println("Game started");
 			}
 			});
+
 		JButton instructions = new JButton("Instructions");
+		instructions.setVisible(true);
+
+
+
 		instructions.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
 			public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e){	
 				System.out.println("Instructions opened");
 			}
+
 			});
+
 		this.getContentPane().setLayout(null);
 		start.setBounds(650, 382, 200, 80);
 		instructions.setBounds(650, 482, 200, 40);
 		panel.setBounds(0, 0, 1500, 844);
 		start.setBackground(null);
 		instructions.setBackground(null);
-		this.add(panel);
+
+
 		this.getContentPane().add(instructions);
 		this.getContentPane().add(start);
+
+		this.add(panel);
 	}
 
 	public BufferedImage loadIcon() throws IOException {