Flower gardens allow you to express your creativity. Select flowers that appeal to you in terms of color, shape and fragrance before mixing them with foliage that provides season-long interest while adding structure to the garden.
Make sure your garden site receives enough sunlight for the flowers you intend to cultivate. Remove weeds as needed and loosen soil by digging, then amending with compost for improved quality.
Choose Your Plants
Before planting your flower garden, carefully select which plants you would like to include. Consider year-round interest, bloom time, color combinations and fragrance as well as whether the flowers will attract butterflies or hummingbirds. Also include filler plants which will grow quickly for bouquets or crafts.
As you plan your flower garden with a diagram, be sure to include focal points like your home, driveway or walkways that could become focal points in the yard and should be framed by flowers. Also keep track of sun requirements as well as first/last frost dates in the area.
World-renowned garden designer Piet Oudolf suggests considering flower shapes when designing a bed. Roses often have symmetrical petals while “filler” flowers such as daisies or phlox have more rounded forms; mixing up these shapes gives the garden an organic appearance – the same goes for heights and colors!
Planting
Your flowers should last as long as possible, so select both perennial and annual species for maximum bloom time. Annuals provide bursts of color while perennials provide lasting beauty for years.
Consider including flowering shrubs in your landscape design to add structure, year-round interest and provide shelter for birds to hide in, according to garden designer Donna Hackman. Incorporating shrubs with vibrant berries or striking bark into winter landscape designs adds seasonal visual interest as well.
Diagram your garden to get an idea of the arrangement you’d like, then begin planting. Remove grass, weeds and any debris from the area you plan to garden in before beginning planting; if adding edging afterwards will make things simpler!
Good soil preparation is key for creating an idyllic flower garden, as each type of plant thrives best under specific soil conditions. Make sure your beds can support all of the chosen plants by adding compost, amending soil, and testing the pH balance of your soil.
Watering
Flower gardens can add beauty and enjoyment to your landscape, yet its success depends on proper care being provided for its plants. Watering needs must also be strictly managed.
As a general guideline, provide your flowers with one inch of water every week to promote healthy plant growth and blooming. While this may seem excessively water-intensive, it will promote overall plant health while simultaneously encouraging more blooming.
Understanding your soil type and needs of the specific flowers you select are also important components of gardening success. For instance, in sandy soil conditions a light layer of mulch will help retain moisture while also reducing compaction of the soil.
Create a year-round colorful garden by including plants with staggered bloom times in your landscape design. Experienced flower garden designers use shrubs for winter interest, perennials for summer color, and annuals as fillers in between blooming times. Hardscape features such as pergolas, trellises and arbors can further accentuate a flower garden, making maintenance simpler while adding height.
Pruning
Cultivating a flower garden is truly captivating and inspiring. Watching each bloom unfold into beauty brings immense satisfaction to every gardener who tends them.
Flower gardens come in all forms – from rectangular beds beneath your front window to long beds along your pathways – but whatever size, they must all be thoughtfully planned in order to provide an inviting entryway and landscape view from indoors.
Begin by researching soil conditions and types of flowers that will thrive in your climate zone, then prepare the bed by clearing away grassy layers from its surface.
World-renowned designer Piet Oudolf suggests designing your flower garden in layers, layering plants based on their shapes. This will prevent too many blooming blooms becoming too dense in your space while still allowing you to appreciate all their splendor when they bloom fully. Also consider mixing up plant heights.