Flower gardens bring visual interest and color to any landscape, whether as single window boxes, raised beds or entire gardens. Select an area that receives full sunlight as perennial flowers are more likely to flourish under its light.
Create your flower bed by covering existing turf with paper, then adding planting soil. Next, work the soil using a cultivator or bow rake to catch roots and remove debris.
Location
Building and tending a flower garden requires careful design, preparation and attention from start to finish. Although starting a garden may be daunting for novices, its rewards can make it worthwhile.
Start by clearing away grass and preparing the soil before planting according to package or tag directions.
Flower gardens thrive best when placed in sunny spots with good drainage and 6 hours of direct sun per day; however, shaded locations with filtered sun also work effectively. Just ensure the area receives this amount of exposure in order for most blooming flowers to flourish fully.
Keep height in mind when placing plants in your garden. Tall flowers such as peonies or mums should be planted towards the back. However, shorter blooms such as sweet alyssum, lobelia and impatiens should be closer to the front but should not be shaded by taller species.
Soil
Flower gardens bring beauty and color into any yard, while providing an ideal way to start gardening. Following just a few easy steps will allow anyone to design an exquisite garden that will provide endless enjoyment over time.
Make sure that the location you choose for your garden suits the type of flowers that you intend to cultivate, such as how much sunlight it receives during the day or if there are any wind barriers nearby. For perennial plants, seek sites receiving at least six hours of sun each day; otherwise they’ll wither quickly in shaded environments.
Before planting, prepare the soil by removing grass and adding compost or organic material such as mulch to your flowerbeds’ soil. To facilitate watering needs more easily and maintainability, position flower beds near a hose connection for easier watering needs; larger flowerbeds may benefit from installing drip irrigation systems to minimize maintenance needs. Layers of mulch can help prevent weeds from sprouting while simultaneously conserving moisture levels in your soil.
Plants
Flower gardens bring vibrancy, fragrance, and beauty into any environment, as well as being an enjoyable gardening project that even beginners can tackle successfully. However, before diving in and planting your first flowers there are a few factors you need to keep in mind before diving in headfirst.
Prior to purchasing seeds for your garden, it is wise to spend some time becoming acquainted with all of the available plants and their respective care requirements. By doing this, it will help you decide what plants best suit your garden needs.
Consider that every plant has a set bloom time, so ensure to stagger perennial and annual flowering times to keep your flowerbed continuously blooming. Repetition in terms of shapes, colors and sizes gives your garden a more cohesive appearance rather than looking like a random collection of plants. Also try to incorporate different heights into your design for optimal results.
Water
Flower gardens add color and dimension to landscapes while offering shelter to pollinators, yet require careful planning in order to get the most out of them. A well-managed flower garden should boast year-round blooms as well as variety in terms of sizes, shapes, colors and fragrances that complement other plants in your landscape.
Start by researching the light requirements of the flowers you plan to cultivate. Some, like lush hydrangeas, prefer full sunlight throughout the day while other varieties like stunning sunflowers or drought-tolerant succulents may require less direct illumination.
Before planting, prepare the soil by mixing in compost or shredded leaves as a soil amendment. This organic matter provides essential plant nutrients as well as helping retain moisture by lowering temperature and surface evaporation. Compost should be worked into the top six to eight inches of the soil where flower and shrub roots typically reside; avoid working too wet soil as this harms its structure and makes it less welcoming for plant roots.