Flowers require much care and maintenance in order to look their best, including staking or netting to support the blooms from falling over, as well as cutting them while their stems remain firm.
Select a site for your flower garden that enjoys full sun. Remove grass, weeds and debris before adding a generous dose of compost to help support the roots of your flowers.
Preparation
Flower gardens add curb appeal and welcome habitat for pollinators, but before you can plant, the bed must first be properly prepared – soil preparation helps your flowers bloom more freely while decreasing water usage requirements.
Flowers prefer loamy, well-draining soil. If your yard features clay or sandy soils, amend them with compost and organic matter by working it into the top 6-8 inches where most flowers and shrub roots grow. If using existing beds as flowerbeds, simply remove any grass with a shovel or rototiller before loosening up the soil using tools like shovels or rototillers before loosening it using tools or shovels.
Before beginning to dig your flower garden, it’s advisable to have the soil tested. This will enable you to determine which nutrients already exist in the soil and any amendments or additions that might be necessary. In addition, adding mulch will retain moisture while suppressing weeds – be sure to choose an area with lots of sun that’s easy access for watering and weeding purposes! Finally, select a location within easy reach of a water hose so weeding and watering tasks don’t become overwhelming chores!
Planting
At the core of flower gardening lies selecting an ideal location. Your garden could range from something as small as a container on a patio to an entire raised bed in your yard; find one with full sunlight as this allows more vibrant blooming flowers to flourish than those requiring indirect lighting alone.
Clear out any existing grass or weeds in the area before devising a plan for how your garden will take shape. If planting a foundation bed or border bed, tall plants should go in the center with shorter ones on its edges.
Choose a combination of perennials and annuals to keep your flower garden at its best throughout its growing season, taking into account factors like color, fragrance, show-stopping focal points and drought tolerance as well as bonus features like bees, butterflies and hummingbirds attractors. Aim for three-season blooming gardens from spring until early frost.
Care
Once you’ve selected your garden location, observe how much sunlight the area receives daily as well as the quality of the soil. Most flowers need rich, well-draining soil. Before planting begins, improve it with organic matter and balanced fertilizers; work the soil only when dry – doing otherwise can harm its structure and hinder plant growth.
Include flowers that bloom at various times to keep your garden vibrant from spring through fall, as well as shrubs with twisty bark or fruit for four-season interest and texture. Evergreens provide the most dramatic show, with twisty bark or fruit giving the four seasons plenty of colour!
Mixing heights, colors and textures gives your flower garden an organic appearance that stands out from a sea of uniform plants. Repetition of certain key shapes or colors also provides continuity from one part of the garden to the next. Choose native flowers as pollinators-attracting plants; these typically thrive well in our climate with less need for irrigation and care than exotic species.
Maintenance
Flower gardening requires continual care beyond planting seeds or transplanting existing plants, including regular watering, nutrients and pest control to stay healthy and produce an abundance of blooms.
Start by researching each type of flower’s needs, according to Cowan. This means reading plant tags that come with transplants and containers as well as perusing seed packets and flower catalogs to locate varieties suitable for your space.
Know your soil well – most flowering plants thrive in loamy, well-draining soil amended with compost or organic material, such as compost. A soil test will help determine what changes need to be made.
Weeds can deprive your flowers of sunlight, nutrients and water; be vigilant in pulling weeds frequently. Rotating flower beds also proves useful; like farmers do with crops. Rotation prevents weeds from building up and spoiling the soil while strengthening and improving overall plant health in each bed.