Experts advise starting by creating a focal point and working outward to design a flower garden.
Keep an eye on the lighting conditions in your area–full sun, partial shade or some combination. Also familiarize yourself with your USDA growing zone to make sure your flowers can thrive in your yard.
Location
Flower gardens come in all shapes and sizes. Therefore, there is no universally ideal layout; factors like soil type, sun exposure and your goals all play an integral part in how to design them. That being said, there are some design principles all gardeners can abide by to produce beautiful results.
Flower gardens should be situated where they will be seen, such as at the front of your house or near a tree’s base. Furthermore, it should be accessible so you can trim and fertilize without trampling on delicate blossoms.
To extend the season of color in your garden, combine flower varieties with different bloom times. That way, when one batch fades away, another is ready to step up in its place. Also consider including flowering shrubs and foliage plants as four-season attractions that provide structure or four-season interest when other flowers have faded.
Focal Point
The centerpiece of any flower garden is an element that draws the most attention, establishing itself as the basis for further design elements and composition. This could range from an eye-catching plant or grouping of plants, such as an impressive display, to more permanent structures like statues or fountains.
Focal points can be enhanced by surrounding them with other plants – from flowers of similar color and height, or using plants with striking foliage, to adding seasonal interest through blooming flowers that bloom at various times, year-round interest or up lighting for an impressive evening effect.
Focal flowers should be placed at the back or middle of a flower bed, with filler flowers and ground cover being planted around them. Utilizing colors can add visual interest as well – try pairing shades of one hue together or exploring which plants sit adjacent on a color wheel like purple and red to add visual dimension.
Background
Flower gardens can offer many health advantages beyond aesthetic value; from helping reduce stress levels to encouraging pollinators growth.
For optimal garden performance, it’s essential that you understand how a well-designed flower bed should be laid out. Whether starting from scratch or adding on, use these tips for designing a stunning and functional garden layout.
As soon as you take a step back and view your flower beds with fresh eyes, you should ruthlessly weed out any plants that aren’t doing well–whether that means they don’t flourish under sun conditions in your area or flowers you simply don’t like. You may need to move some plants around; sometimes moving more established plants around could make more sense than forcing them into areas that are unsuited to them.
Color
Your garden’s appearance depends on the plants you select. Monochromatic color schemes – consisting of flowers of one shade such as pink or all-white gardens – may be an appealing choice, while pairing colors adjacent on the color wheel such as reds with oranges or purples with blues can create exciting contrasts in its beauty.
Attract attention with flowers by creating a complementary color triad, which consists of flowers opposite one another on the color wheel. This creates a bold look but may require additional planning than pairing complementary hues together.
Expert flower garden designers know to incorporate seasonal plants in their plans, to provide something striking for viewers at all times of year. This requires doing your research on each plant’s bloom time and foliage color changing with each season.