Learning how to plan a flower garden requires accurate measurements and the selection of blooming species suitable for your soil type. Experienced designers take into account staggered bloom times for year-round beauty.
Consider plant height as well. Layering plants of various heights can make your bed appear fuller.
Decide on a Focal Point
A focal point draws the eye and directs visitors’ focus toward an area in your garden, be it an architectural structure, art piece or flower bed itself.
Focal points provide year-round appeal in garden design. Experienced flower garden designers take into account bloom time, foliage, bonus attributes, and color combinations when selecting plants as focal points.
Flowers make an effective focal point due to their symmetrical beauty; however, they also make for a lovely accent along a walkway or driveway. A trellis or pergola draped with vines adds height and movement while simultaneously adding height.
Consider a plant’s mature height when choosing your selections. Tall plants should go toward the back of a flower bed but should not block windows or block other landscape features in your yard. Also consider layering smaller plants behind taller ones so they won’t compete for visibility.
Consider the Background and Foreground
An inviting garden doesn’t happen by accident – it requires careful planning to ensure its design. A successful flower garden has three layers: background, middle ground and foreground. When creating this effect, consider color, shape and texture when placing plants such as marigolds near coarse foliage such as rosemary or sedum.
Experienced flower garden designers take great care to select plants with year-round interest and staggered bloom times for maximum visual appeal and integration into the overall landscape. Additionally, structures like trellises or pergolas may be added to further highlight the flowers in the garden and help ensure it fits seamlessly with its surroundings.
Another key element of design is arranging plants according to their height. As a general guideline, arrange taller plants at the back or center of an island bed (or nearer its edges), with shorter ones in front; try and use odd numbers rather than even ones as this makes the groupings more visually appealing.
Think About the Height of the Plants
An attractive garden not only looks lovely, it also helps its plants flourish. According to horticulturist Carol Bornstein, it is beneficial to review your soil and climate conditions prior to planning.
Another key consideration in plant height is flower maturity size; by taking this into account when selecting plant spacing arrangements, you can ensure that their presence won’t overwhelm their surroundings and create an overcrowded look.
Height plays an integral part in how much light can penetrate leaves and flowers, so to maximize light penetration renowned Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf suggests placing tall plants toward the back, medium-height ones in the middle, and shorter plants at the front so visitors can easily view all parts of a flower garden.
Think About the Colors
Color can make or break the beauty of any garden design, and understanding color theory – used by artists when mixing paint – will allow you to craft an original garden layout that speaks to you.
Analogous color schemes (colors next to each other on the color wheel) are very pleasing on the eye as they create an atmosphere of harmony without too much contrast.
Complementary color combinations (opposite colors on the color wheel) are visually engaging and can add drama to your garden. Try pairing orange and blue or red and purple as high-contrast combinations for maximum visual stimulation.
Do not overlook foliage as an integral color element! Experiment with textures both fine and coarse, mixing dainty flowers with chunkier blooms for an eye-catching display. If you want your flowerbed to remain lively throughout the season, include plants that bloom at different times so when one starts to fade another will be ready to step up and replace it.