Before planning your flower garden, take note of its lighting conditions and watering needs – this will affect which species thrive best there.
Repetition serves the same function in flower gardens as it does for musicians: repeating key colors, shapes or species helps provide visual continuity within an otherwise disparate space.
Location
Location plays an integral role in creating and maintaining an attractive flower garden. Aim for sunny spots away from trees or structures which provide shade.
Take into consideration how your garden will appear from outdoor living spaces and other parts of your yard, as well as whether its flower bed will be within easy reach of a water source for easier watering. Keeping in mind all these details will result in a truly impressive garden!
Make sure your planting area has well-draining soil to ensure optimal flower performance and conduct a soil test to determine any amendments required in your particular garden space. Also take note of sun and shade requirements of any plants you’re considering for inclusion as this can influence how they fare over time.
Focal Point
Focus points are integral components of garden design. From breathtaking displays of blooms to striking sculptures, focal points draw the eye and draw visitors deeper into the space.
An effective way of drawing attention to your focal point is creating contrast with its surroundings. For instance, adding light colored paving or low growing plants along either side of a seating area will draw the eye in towards its focal point and draw people in closer.
Repetition of key colors, shapes or species in your flower garden design can add cohesion and create a cohesive appearance. However, Wiley warns against overusing this technique – too many dominant features could create an unorganized look; be selective and select long-season bloomers or those which thrive well under your garden conditions as your features of repetition.
Background
Garden beds provide the ideal canvas on which to create floral art. From basic foundation planting along the edge of a house to elaborate displays lining pathways or driveways, flower gardens come in all forms and can serve as works of floral art.
Consider bloom times when selecting plants for your flower garden to extend its beauty throughout the season. Expert garden designers use odd numbers of plants (three, five, seven or nine) rather than even ones to create more dynamic arrangements and avoid hodgepodge looks caused by uneven groupings of plants.
Impatiens and sedum are ideal shade-loving flowers to begin gardening with, as are plants with long blooming periods like hydrangeas and roses; or consider adding perennial shrubs for year-round color and texture.
Height
Height can add depth and visual interest to your flower beds, whether boldly or subtly. Plants of differing heights should be placed strategically around them for an eye-catching layering effect that draws the eye from all directions.
Consider setting off your flower gardens with garden edging, stones or other materials – such as garden edging – so as to give their beds structure while helping prevent grass or weeds from invading them. This can give your beds the look you’re after while providing protection from potential invaders such as grass or weeds.
Just as location is essential to real estate agents, repetition is vital when designing flower gardens. Repeated colors, shapes and plant species throughout will add cohesion to the space while keeping the number of different blooms to a minimum can help avoid visual clutter.
Color
Before planting your garden, the final step should be selecting the flowers to use in it. Repetition is key — repeating core colors, shapes and plant species throughout will create visual cohesion. Wiley suggests selecting plants with long blooming seasons that are easy to care for in your growing conditions as well as grouping them in odd numbers for maximum visual impact.
If you’re using one color as your primary motif, try working in tints and shades to achieve a gradient effect in your flower garden. This is an effective way of unifying its aesthetic without losing vibrancy through complementary hues. Another approach would be pairing flowers adjacent on the color wheel together for maximum visual impact.