Flower gardens add vibrant colors and provide a relaxing place for you and your guests to spend time. Furthermore, it can serve as an excellent project for beginner gardeners.
No matter whether your plan is to grow flowers from seeds or already-established plants, proper soil preparation is key. Also keep an eye out for how much sun the site receives as this may dictate what types of flowers and plants can thrive there.
Soil
Flower gardens add vibrant color and provide essential habitat for birds, butterflies, bees and other pollinators in any yard. A few simple steps can help create a stunning garden that enhances curb appeal while providing seasonal interest in your landscape.
Start with a healthy soil. Your flower bed soil should be loose, well-drained and fertile – loose organic material like compost, decomposed manure or leaf mold as well as commercial soil conditioners will enrich it while improving drainage.
Next, decide where you would like your flower garden to go. Common locations include rectangular beds beneath windows or long beds along front entryway walkways; but feel free to get creative and add unique accents like chiseled cement pots or stone edging for an original design.
Plants
No matter if your garden specializes in wildflowers or natives, select flowers that thrive in your climate zone. Incorporate some shrubs with repeat-blooming potential as well as annuals to bring season-long color.
Consider how your flower beds will appear from both private outdoor spaces, like patios and decks, as well as how neighbors and passersby will view them when choosing colors, shapes, and textures for them. This can guide your choices when it comes to selecting colors, shapes and textures for flowerbeds.
Consider the location and amount of sunlight reaching each area where existing trees exist, as well as any plans you have for new plantings. Make plans for areas to receive full sun (6 hours or more per day), part sun (3-6 hours per day), or shade (3 or fewer hours). This will ensure your plants grow healthily and look their best, adding low ground cover as an layered look and evergreens for winter interest.
Hedge
Hedgerows provide an effective means of privacy, often made of evergreen plants that provide year-round screening and can easily be trimmed to maintain desired height and density. Hedgerows also help reduce noise, dust and chemical drift while offering shelter to wildlife.
An effective flower garden design includes native flowers that attract pollinators and beneficial insects, and are more resilient against disease than exotic varieties.
Begin by preparing the soil. Since most new gardens will replace existing lawns, you will likely need to remove old layers of grassy growth with a flat shovel – starting at one edge of your proposed flower bed and moving towards other ends in an outward motion.
Rocks
Rocks provide another layer of moisture retention and protection from weed growth while gradually adding nutrients back to the soil, while also being heavier than mulch for erosion control purposes.
Consider both color and texture when choosing stone materials for your garden, to make sure that they complement the flowers you plan to plant there. Also try mixing up sizes of stones to add interest and depth.
Dependent upon your climate, consider including cacti and succulents in the flower beds for added visual interest and to blend in well with rocks. They thrive well under dry conditions and add dimension.
Choose a plant mix with tall plants, medium height plants and low ground cover plants of various heights – and remember to choose flowers with different bloom times to keep the garden looking its best year-round! Lichens make an excellent addition to rock gardens as they grow quickly and effortlessly.
Paths
Your flower garden’s shape and size depend on both personal preferences and desired landscape design styles; formal gardens tend to feature clearly-defined beds with straight lines and angles while cottage-style gardens typically encourage mixed plantings that give more natural impression.
An attractive path is essential to any garden, especially if you plan to walk through it frequently. While grass paths may be hard on feet and knees, gravel or pavers offer beautiful alternatives that add character and add visual interest.
Plants like trailing sweet alyssum help blur the distinction between garden and path and are an irresistibly enjoyable treat for bare feet. Plus they help to keep it free of mud and grass clippings! You could also make a rustic-looking path from natural stones set into the soil that are dog-friendly!