To properly prepare a flower garden for planting, it is first essential to clear away any grass occupying the area and dig into the soil, breaking up large clods while adding compost for additional enrichment of your soil.
Make sure that your flowers receive plenty of sun. Consider each plant’s mature size when placing them into your flower bed design.
Location
Step one in creating the ideal flower garden is selecting an appropriate spot. Consider how it will affect backyard play or patio dining activities as well as being part of your landscape design, and ensure there is enough sunlight so blooms will flourish freely.
Discover which flowers do best in your specific climate and soil conditions; for instance, lush hydrangeas thrive with morning sun and afternoon shade while sunflowers require full direct sunlight throughout the day.
Avoid overlooking shrubs and perennials when planning your garden design. Easy-to-repeat-blooming roses provide a lovely foundation, while hedges with twisty shapes or colorful bark add interest. Also try mixing in plants with different foliage textures from sword-like gladioli to bleeding heart with lacy textures to increase visual interest in your landscape design. Also experiment with different heights within your design for greater visual impact.
Soil
Soil quality in a flower garden is of utmost importance, since dirt alone won’t support flower blooming. Ask suppliers whether their soil has been tested for chemical contaminants that may harm plants or watercourses.
Mixing heights and shapes in your flower garden will create a more engaging and less regimented aesthetic. Consider including shrubs that provide structure and four-season interest such as repeat-blooming roses or evergreen hedging to give the garden variety.
Your location’s exposure to sun or shade will have an effect on what plants you can grow, with certain flowers such as sunflowers or drought-tolerant succulents requiring full direct sunlight throughout the day for optimal performance. If this isn’t feasible, try selecting plants which tolerate shade or heavy clay soil as an alternative option.
Plants
Your choice of flowers will determine the overall aesthetics and feel of your garden. When making your selection, take into account texture, color, size and scent as these factors should all play a part. Some flowers provide an eye-catching green backdrop while others act as focal flowers; filler plants such as Agastache Columbine Bee Balm provide structure while Clovers, Phacelia & Nasturtium flowers act as ground cover while improving soil quality.
As you plan your planting map, be mindful of each flower’s sunlight and water requirements as well as its mature height – tall plants can block windows or doors and prevent us from enjoying a vibrant garden. A mix of perennials and annuals ensures four-season blooms; planting peonies or tulips at the back, followed by dahlias or zinnias nearer the front will ensure an array of color for an entire season of enjoyment!
Maintenance
Effective flower garden maintenance starts with proper soil preparation. Begin by clearing away grass and weeds where you plan to plant, and amending with compost or well-rotted manure before adding flowers according to seed packet recommendations for spacing and fertilizing per pack of seeds. Finally, it’s also wise to follow any additional recommendations listed on each packet in terms of fertilization recommendations.
Make sure your landscape includes a range of colors, textures, heights and forms for the best effect. Be sure to add easy-repeat blooming shrubs for four-season interest as well as host plants for pollinators butterflies; sword-like gladioli or Iris Aureo-Variegata’ offers contrast while also creating contrast against brighter-flowered options; when choosing foliage plants such as gladioli sword-like gladioli provides contrast against brighter options while including plants with different shapes from broad leaves like Sedges/Lilyturf to delicate bleeding hearts/Irises create an overall more natural look than being over-curated or over-curated