Flower garden layout is an art that many gardeners strive to master. Whether creating a foundation garden at the front of your house, or an island bed that draws the eye outward from a patio or porch, there are a few key principles you should keep in mind for success.
Before selecting flowers for a bed, take into consideration their mature height when selecting plants. In general, taller blooms should go in the back row while shorter ones should occupy its front rows.
Visual Appeal
As part of your flower garden design, consider how the composition of your plantings affects visitors to your space. When looking for a focal point that will draw people in to visit, whether that means an impressive grouping of blooms or something more permanent such as a birdbath or piece of decor, look for one.
Balance is another crucial consideration when creating your flower bed design. By planting taller blooms at the back of the bed and transitioning towards mid-sized fillers and shorter blooms at its front edge, your design will feature depth and visual interest.
Repetition is another key visual design principle when creating a flower garden. Repetiting some core colors, shapes or plant species will help your flowerbed appear less disorganized and more harmonious. Try playing around with combinations of texture as well by pairing fine-leafed plants like marigolds with coarse foliage like canna lilies for contrast and interest. Finally, don’t forget about plant forms; flat daisy-type blossoms tend to blend in with foliage so add flowers with pointed spikes for added visual interest.
Focal Point
A focal point anchors any flower garden and keeps viewers moving around it. It can be anything from an individual bloom, shrub or grouping of plants to bird fountains, ornamental trees and other hardscaping features that add visual interest.
Flower colors and forms should also be carefully considered when creating landscape designs. Daisies-type blossoms look fine in most situations; however, adding some flowers with pointed spikes helps improve visual dynamics and balance out planting beds more effectively.
Once you know which flowers and beds to plant, and their sizes, it’s time to design. Your garden should conform to its surroundings while complementing its architectural style; modern gardens may include straight lines with clearly-defined beds while cottage-style gardens might encourage mix-and-match beds and meandering paths.
Background
Gardeners may be tempted to fill their flowerbeds with all of the colors of the rainbow, but limiting the variety helps achieve balance and visual harmony. A well-planned mix of blooms provides continuity from one area of their garden to another while repeating key shapes add visual interest.
Not all flowers bloom evenly in one environment, and light, soil and personal goals all play an essential role in how gardens are organized. However, general design principles can help create aesthetic improvements in any flower garden.
Flower gardens usually benefit from having an appropriate balance of foliage in the background and low-growing plants in front. This arrangement draws the eye directly towards the blooms before moving on to their leaves. Ornamental grasses also make an eye-catching background and add color in fall when at their best.
Foreground
If you want your flowers to bloom all year, the right location for your garden is essential. Certain species need full sun while others flourish under partial shade; gardens that receive ample sunshine will produce more colorful blooms than ones located in dark corners of your yard.
As part of flower garden design, selecting plants with colorful and unique forms that complement each other is crucial. Experienced garden designers know that odd numbers of the same plant in groups look more balanced than even ones, while repeating plants throughout a flowerbed offers visual continuity and makes the bed less disjointed. When selecting plants for your flowerbeds, take into account both their mature size and maturity – group together flowers of similar height to create an appealing, cohesive appearance; additionally choose those which thrive well with the drainage conditions and nutrient content of your soil to ensure success of flower beds success!