As in real estate, repetition is key when designing flower gardens. Experienced designers know this, so they repeat key colors, shapes and plant species throughout their garden to add visual cohesion.
Make an effort to group plants in odd numbers; they are more pleasing to the eye than even numbers. Also keep in mind that plants have different forms and behaviors: some form clumps while others stand upright with sharp spikes.
Location
Before making any flower garden layout decisions, it’s essential to think through what statement you want your garden to make. This could include anything from simply lining a walkway with explosions of color to creating an eye-catching focal point around a birdbath or piece of garden decor. Plant height and bloom time both play an integral role; shorter plants should be planted at the back while taller ones towards the front so their blooms won’t get blocked by shorter flowers as they grow taller; bloom times should also be staggered so as some fade and die off, other flowers come into bloom capturing everyone’s attention – this way everyone gets paid attention without ever feeling left out when bloom times start running out on other flowers who’ll keep catching people’s attention until bloom times start running out of breath before.
After considering the unique attributes of both soil and location, create a rough sketch of your flower garden to gain clarity on size and shape of planting area. Be mindful of any sunlight available as well as any obstacles like pathways or edging which must be factored into its design.
Soil
Flowers require healthy soil to flourish, so the more preparation work you can put into their planting site before beginning, the better it will turn out. Make sure the site is free from grass, weeds and debris while adding compost for additional nutrition and drainage improvements.
Plant your garden in sections for easy access with shovel or spade and hoe/long-handled stirrup hoe. Walking across flowerbeds compacts them and makes root penetration harder; try keeping feet out as much as possible!
Consider not only soil when designing your garden but also color and form of the plants you use in its design. Perennials come in all sorts of shapes from spires and plumes to daisies and buttons, and world-renowned garden designer Piet Oudolf suggests mixing them up for maximum visual interest and interesting textures in flower beds. Also don’t overlook foliage: plants with unique textures will keep it vibrant even once flowers fade from view.
Light
Flower gardens must be situated where they will receive sufficient light. Full-sun perennials that thrive in direct sunlight will quickly die when transplanted into shaded gardens; while flowers that prefer part sun or full shade perform best under conditions where the sun changes throughout the day and some protection is offered at noon.
Contrast in color can add visual interest and depth to the design of a flower bed. Colors adjacent on the color wheel, such as pink and purple, pair nicely together; similarly dark-leaved plants look attractive alongside bright blooms.
Garden beds that jut out into lawns or corners don’t always look natural, but creating an appealing design for a flower garden that fits seamlessly into its environment is simple. Outline the proposed border using string or garden hose before digging. Walk around it from all directions; check how it looks from all perspectives before purchasing drawing supplies such as compasses for drawing circles, sets of transparent tracing paper, and colored pencils.
Water
Many flower gardens require regular watering to reach their full potential, ideally early morning to allow time for absorption before sundown and evaporation occur.
Daylilies and roses that need to remain close to the ground — such as daylilies — often thrive best on level soil, while for sloped grounds you may require terraces or mat-forming groundcover such as ivy as erosion control measures to provide a stable planting site and prevent erosion.
World-renowned garden designer Piet Oudolf advises taking note of the form (also known as habit) of plants when designing your flower garden. He asserts that mixing different-shaped plants creates visual movement within a design while repetition of key forms adds calm. Furthermore, you could group flowers that share similar forms together to emphasize them further.