Flower gardens make an aesthetically pleasing addition to any yard, but before beginning one of your own it’s wise to familiarize yourself with basic design principles first.
Search for an area that receives at least six hours of sunlight daily and observe how the sun moves during an average day to gauge how much of this light your garden will receive.
Location
Locate an area with at least six hours of direct sunlight each day – full-sun spots are often best for popular flowers that thrive more readily in full sun environments than shadier areas.
Choose local plants to support wildlife while decreasing synthetic fertilizer needs. Many native perennials and annuals thrive in most environments and offer attractive color from spring through fall.
Choose colors that coordinate well together to create an aesthetically pleasing garden scheme, and experiment with textures and sizes to add interest. Group tall blooms with cascading flowers such as bacopa, ivy geranium and moss rose for maximum impact. Having access to water sources nearby is also key; having one available saves both time and effort when watering plants, helping prevent diseases and pests spread to new locations more easily; using either a hose or rainwater barrel works great.
Soil
A stunning flower garden begins with healthy soil. Most flowering plants prefer loamy, well-draining soil with high organic matter levels for optimal growth; however, exact requirements may differ depending on species. Before digging a new bed it’s recommended that a soil test be conducted – its results can help identify which nutrients exist in your soil and provide insights on how best to amend it.
Establish clear borders using garden edging or rocks so you don’t accidentally plant flowers where they won’t thrive, as well as to stop grass and weeds from infiltrating flower beds – making maintenance simpler!
Professional garden designers advise including plants of various bloom times and sizes in any flower garden design to provide year-round color and interest. A combination of perennials, shrubs, annuals and pollinator attractants is one way to do this, as are bees, butterflies and hummingbirds that serve as beneficial pollinators.
Sunlight
Flower gardens should ideally be placed where they will receive full sun. If this is impossible, observe where sunlight moves throughout the day in that area of your yard before selecting varieties that thrive with that amount of light.
Low-growing annuals such as sweet alyssum, lobelia and impatiens make beautiful front-of-the-border flowers; tall perennials like sunflowers, hollyhocks or cosmos add drama at the back. Plant a mixture of these flowers so that their tallest ones don’t block doors or windows.
When cutting flowers, do so early in the morning or late in the evening when temperatures are lower to allow them to begin taking in water immediately and grow longer stems. Be sure to use sharp, clean gardening shears when cutting your blooms before placing them in a bucket or vase filled with cool water so as to keep them from drying out too soon.
Water
Flower gardens can be an enjoyable hobby that adds beauty to your home. However, before beginning one it’s essential that you know exactly how much maintenance will be necessary to ensure its success – this includes clearing away grass, weeds and debris in the area where you plan to plant; prepping soil; watering regularly; and removing dead blooms as soon as they appear.
Be sure to choose a location for your garden that receives ample sunlight throughout the day; most flowers need this for optimal bloom. When planting for pollinators habitat, remember to include plants native to your region to support local insect populations.
Consider including some color theory into your flower garden design as this can add visual interest. For instance, colors adjacent on the color wheel, such as purple and pink, look complementary. Grouping flowers that share similar shapes (spires or plumes) together also can help create an aesthetically pleasing design.