Many gardeners aspire to design their own flower beds. There are certain essential requirements, including soil preparation and selecting plants suitable for the site, that must be fulfilled for a successful outcome.
Basic plant care practices and using proper planting techniques will ensure flowers bloom beautifully in any landscape setting. Blending different heights, sizes, colors and textures of plants adds interest and creates visual diversity within an ensemble setting.
Decide on a Layout
A carefully planned flower garden can add tremendous curb appeal and be more welcoming for passersby. To start designing one, first clearly define its boundaries using garden edging so grass and weeds don’t invade, followed by grouping plants with similar water needs and sunlight requirements together.
Experienced garden designers utilize various species that bloom at various times to keep the landscape vibrant throughout the year. Hardscape elements such as trellises or pergolas can add focal points and frame specific areas in your garden. Once this plan is established, plan how you’ll access your flower beds and whether a path may be required; sketch out your plans on paper then erase and redraw accordingly.
Determine the Space
Making decisions regarding how you organize and layout your growing space could be one of the most significant steps you take when planning a flower garden. A well-thought out bed creates an appealing, uniform appearance rather than looking like random collections of plants scattered about in an aesthetically dissonant landscape.
Before beginning to design your garden, it is essential that you first decide how large of an area you would like and the shape and style of beds that best meet your vision. Some gardeners favor straight edged beds planted in rows while others might prefer more natural forms like sweeping curves or irregular clusters of flowers.
Once you know the size and scope of your planting area, use this chart to calculate how many plants will be necessary for proper coverage. Enter the number of square feet for landscape beds in question before choosing an arrangement pattern to see the amount of plant spacing required.
Select Plants
Flower gardens should be an organic extension of your home’s architecture and landscape, not an afterthought or distraction. A flower bed tacked onto an existing lawn may appear out-of-place and unappealing; they should complement rather than detract from its overall design.
Once your space and layout have been determined, the next step in designing your new bed should be choosing flowers to use in it. Consult your White Flower Farm catalog or website as well as its cultural instructions booklet or label to determine their mature size and spacing requirements.
Layer flowers in your bed by selecting taller full shrubs as the backdrop, medium-sized perennials for the middle row, and low-growing annuals and perennials in front row as accent plants. Your goal should be achieving a pleasing arrangement which will bloom with color when all plants reach full maturity.
Prep the Bed
Flower gardens can be an endless source of creativity. However, in order to get started you must first address some basic concepts, including soil preparation and design.
Make a diagram of your space, paying particular attention to recommended spacing between plants. For instance, when creating a flower bed against your house you may only have room for four clusters of daylilies instead of an entire row; Michelangelo was limited with how much ceiling he could paint in Sistine Chapel either!
Remark on the shape (known as habit) and colors or textures you would like to include with each plant, including its habit and any desired colors or textures. Some perennials grow into soft mounds while others can grow upright and spiky; gardeners can group these diverse forms together for an interesting mix. Finally, lay down a layer of mulch to suppress weeds while maintaining soil moisture. Organic materials are popular choices such as shredded bark or wood chips, chopped leaves and compost; rocks or gravel are less desirable due to reflecting heat which could potentially burn flowers!
Planting
Establishing the perfect garden soil is key to growing beautiful flowers. Most flower varieties prefer loamy, well-draining soil. Therefore, having your soil tested prior to planting will allow you to determine which amendments may be necessary.
Start planting your flower garden at the optimal time. Aim to have most beds planted by late May (except if using perennials that take longer to establish).
Shea suggests familiarizing yourself with your USDA growing zone to avoid selecting plants outside it, which could stunt or kill their growth as they cannot tolerate the climate in your area. Also keep the first and last frost dates in mind when planning your garden.