Repetition is key when planning a flower garden, just as location is essential in real estate. By repeating key colors, shapes, and plants throughout your flower bed design you create visual unity while keeping things looking neat and well-kept.
Consider how much sunlight is reaching your flowerbed when selecting its location; most blooms require full exposure in order to reach their maximum bloom potential.
Sun/Shade
At its core, flower garden design requires understanding the amount of sun or shade an area receives and choosing flowers that thrive there. Gardeners sometimes make mistakes by planting in areas that receive too much or too little light and the plants may fail to thrive as expected or appear out-of-place.
Consider when planning your flower garden that the mature height of each plant can alter how they appear within it. Place taller ones toward the back while shorter ones in front, as desired.
Experienced garden designers often combine perennials and annuals in one bed so that blooms occur throughout the season, adding depth and interest even after summer-blooming perennials fade and fall-blooming annuals arrive. Aim for a balanced mix of colors and textures for added drama – adjacent colors on the color wheel such as pink and red look great together; similarly contrasting foliage colors and textures work too.
Composition
As with painting, flower garden composition is key to its overall success. No matter whether designing one bed or an entire landscape, the principles of garden design remain constant.
Color is an integral element of floral composition. For optimal results, an organic flow of colors should appear throughout your garden space – any clusters of one hue could create an overpowering monochromatic look and overshadow its surrounding space.
Height should also be taken into account when planning out your flowers. Try layering taller plants behind shorter ones to add depth and dimension to the garden.
Keep bloom times in mind when selecting plants, too. Selecting bloom-time-varying species will bring continual color throughout the year – even when other flowers begin fading or become tired-looking.
Focal Point
Start your flower garden off right by selecting an ideal location. A general guideline would be to plant in an area receiving at least six hours of daily sun. Also keep in mind existing landscape features like trees, shrubs and fences that might add interest.
Think carefully about how your flower garden will appear from inside or through windows of your home or other outdoor spaces. A beautiful garden adds curb appeal while providing an inviting entranceway into outdoor areas.
Once you’ve selected a location for your garden, use edging to clearly define its boundaries and keep grass and weeds at bay. Grouping together flowers that require similar levels of watering or sunlight will further simplify its care – this approach can save both time and money!
Background
Backgrounds can add structure, color and texture to a flower garden’s blooms, providing structure, color and visual interest to each bloom. When selecting the backdrop of your bed, take into account your soil conditions, weather forecast, objectives and location when making this decision. A sunny location would require heat-tolerant blooms such as daylilies or lilyturfs while shaded areas require hardy groundcovers that compete with tree roots for water and nutrients.
Repetition is key when designing a flower garden, creating a sense of harmony and cohesion between elements of your garden design. Aim to repeat certain colors, shapes or plant species across the space – not that this precludes adding variety; just that planting without planning can quickly look chaotic; regular weeding is another effective strategy against chaotic garden looks while using mulch in flower beds can prevent weed growth while keeping moisture within the bed; this feature is especially helpful in shaded areas of your garden. Additionally, knowing your region’s last frost date will help create an appropriate planting schedule to plant at your leisure!