Summer’s warm temperatures and longer days make the ideal conditions for designing an exquisite flower garden. From formal layout to more natural designs, there are numerous design solutions that suit both personal taste and gardening levels alike.
First, identify your USDA Growing Zone so you can identify plants adapted to the climate in which you reside. Next, find an area in your yard which receives adequate sunlight throughout the day.
Preparation
At first, select the location where you’d like your flower garden to go. Remove existing grass and weeds as well as any plants that might compete with flowers. If working with clay soil, amend it by mixing in compost and organic materials – this will increase drainage while providing nutrients for fast-growing flower varieties.
Most flowers need full sunlight, so find an area in your yard which receives at least six hours of daily sun exposure. Partial and shady spots will limit which types of flowers can grow there.
Research the different flowers you’re interested in growing to determine their bloom times and maintenance requirements. Knowing your USDA hardiness zone will also be useful, enabling you to choose plants suitable for your climate – this information can be obtained online or from nursery workers. You should also become acquainted with your region’s first and last frost dates so as not to waste your efforts or risk frost damage!
Planting
Before planting your flower garden, ensure the area has been cleaned of grass and weeds. Add compost as necessary to enhance soil quality if necessary.
Make sure that the flower bed location receives adequate sun. Take some time observing how sunlight hits and changes throughout the day at different spots on the site. If there is partial to full shade at certain spots, different kinds of flowers that tolerate low or partial light may need to be considered as alternatives.
Blend tall plants with short ones to add height and interest to the garden, as well as adding repeat-blooming roses for year-round structure and blooms.
Mark out an area for water sources – be they garden hose or faucet. This will prevent you from having to walk around in your beds, compacting soil and possibly harming delicate flowers. Also add a path through each flower bed with some shrubs planted along it for an aesthetically pleasing result.
Care
Once your plants have been planted in the ground, they require special attention. You should keep weeds at bay while adding compost and fertilizer to the soil and monitoring blooming flowers to ensure your flower garden thrives.
Choose flowers that work together harmoniously to create an appealing landscape, by mixing heights, colors and textures of the flowers together. Consider including native perennials in your flower garden to provide bee, butterfly and hummingbird-friendly habitat.
Monitor how much sunlight hits an area throughout a day to gauge what sort of light your flowers will receive. Also pay attention to drainage; if it contains clay soils, amending might be required for improved drainage.
Maintenance
Maintenance involves regular deadheading of flowers to maintain fresh appearances, encouraging plants to channel energy back towards bloom production and mitigating weed germination. Also adding some mulch will help decrease weed germination rates.
Water the garden regularly — without over-watering — but without flooding its soil with too much moisture. Keep a garden hose handy to make this easier, and ensure it gets enough sunlight; check how much light comes through each window of time from early morning until evening.
Mix heights and colors to add visual interest in your garden, whether by repeating plants or shapes that add continuity; adding shrubs with colorful bark or twisty shapes add four-season interest, too. Don’t forget native flowers either; bees visit them frequently to pollinate other flowers while they make for easy gardening for beginners. Over time you will discover what works best in your own garden at home!