Before planting, take an objective view of your space and decide what statement you wish to make with your flowers. Consider your geographic area as well as lighting conditions as this can have an effect on which types of blooms thrive best in that space.
Get to know your USDA growing zone to select plants suitable for winter hardiness in your climate. Experienced flower garden designers always incorporate plants with staggered bloom times for year-round interest and stagger bloom times into their designs.
Location
Step one in planning a flower garden is selecting an optimal site. According to Shea, one key consideration in selecting such a site should be making sure it receives at least six to eight hours of sun per day as this ensures optimal blooming for each plant in your garden. Without enough light exposure, your blooms won’t bloom properly!
Other key considerations when designing a garden include its proximity to water sources and other landscape features, soil conditions, flower heights and incorporation of plants with various heights to give a full appearance and year-round interest.
Add pathways and access aisles to make the most out of your flower garden by creating paths and access aisles that not only maintain an orderly space but add visual interest as well. They provide easy access to plants while making gardening tasks much simpler.
Lighting Conditions
Flower garden plants require sunlight in varying degrees, however the general rule is that more sun means brighter and healthier flowers. Aim for full-sun exposure (at least six hours of direct sunlight per day) when selecting flower garden plants.
Stagger your plantings so something is always blooming – this strategy is known as successful planting and works well for vegetables as well.
Design your flower gardens using an array of plant colors, shapes, and foliage textures. Repetition is key when it comes to floral design – three, five or seven of any given type of plant tend to look more pleasing to the eye than even ones. This visual trick creates an illusion of balance and proportion that gives your garden more polish rather than looking random.
Soil Conditions
Choose a flower garden location with optimal soil conditions for the flowers you plan to plant, such as sunny spots. They’re easier to care for but it is important to remember the amount of direct sunlight a particular area receives each day as different flowers have different light requirements.
Floral cultivation thrives best when plants are placed in well-draining, loamy soil with moderate to high fertility levels. Examine its pH level and nutrient content to assess whether any amendments need to be made.
Use garden edging to clearly mark your flower garden boundaries, preventing grass or other plants from invading it. Mix perennials and annuals together for season-long color.
Bloom Times
Flowers require constant care to thrive, including watering, weeding and pruning. Select plants with similar water and sunlight requirements in order to minimize work required of each group of plants.
Before beginning any new flower garden project, first ensure that you prepare the soil by clearing away grass and weeds from it. Add plenty of compost to improve its quality as a home for your plants.
Add shrubs for structure and four-season interest in your flower garden. Dwarf conifers, hedges and shrubs with colorful bark or twisty shapes provide visual contrast when flowers have faded, as can flowering shrubs with repeat blooming blooming throughout the season. Finally, consider flowering shrubs which repeat bloom throughout the season to provide constant bursts of color throughout. Furthermore, add bee-, butterfly- and hummingbird-friendly native perennials as pollinator support plants in order to create a biodiverse habitat which supports pollinators pollination.
Focal Point
A garden’s focal point should draw the eye, such as an eye-catching group of plants or flowers that stand out, an outlier bloom that doesn’t appear elsewhere, or even permanent features like birdbaths and garden furniture.
No matter its size, when planning a garden it’s essential to strike a balance between colors, shapes, heights and textures of plants when creating visual interest and keeping the garden looking beautiful year round.
Before choosing any plants for your flower garden, it is wise to take their full mature size into account when making selections. This will prevent them from crowding each other out or overtaking their surroundings, creating depth by placing taller plants towards the back while shorter ones nearer to the front of the bed.