Flower gardens can be great fun. But in order to achieve maximum enjoyment from them, it is crucial to develop a plan which matches both the type of flowers you intend to plant and soil conditions where they’ll reside.
Start with areas that receive full sun, as perennial flowers and many shrubs require this in order to thrive. From there, start making changes.
Space
Flower gardens come in all sizes and forms, from expansive beds lining your front yard walkways to small corner flowers. Whatever space limitations exist in your garden space, choose plants that will be colorful yet easy to maintain, adding accents such as trellises, birdbaths and benches for added interest. Consider including roses or perennial plants like Heuchera geraniums that bloom for extended periods such as heuchera and geraniums for longer blooming cycles.
When selecting plants to grow, be mindful of their mature height and width. This will enable you to plan how tall the plants will grow while avoiding blocking windows or doors; also consider their spread as they could eventually overrun their surroundings.
Expert flower garden designers typically arrange plants in odd numbers such as threes, fives or sevens for an asymmetrical and dynamic aesthetic. Be sure to include some plants with different foliage textures like gladiolus with its sword-shaped leaves and bleeding heart’s delicate lacy surface for extra visual impact.
Soil
Flowers thrive in various soil conditions, though most bloom best in well-draining loam soil. Conducting a soil test will allow you to assess what additions may be necessary to increase drainage in your garden if drainage issues exist.
Before planting flowers in your flower bed, prepare it by clearing away grass and any vegetation – an effective technique is cutting through sod with a shovel, pulling chunks out, then disposing of them – then amend the soil with compost or organic matter for optimal conditions for blooms.
Knowledge of your USDA growing zone is also key, in order to avoid selecting plants that won’t thrive in your climate and may not return the following year. Familiarizing yourself with first and last frost dates will also prove useful as these dates indicate when you can safely plant your flower garden. Furthermore, grouping together flowers that require similar water or sunlight requirements makes their care more straightforward.
Sunlight
Tulips and daffodils require full sun to produce their best blooms; however, many perennials like roses, lilies, iris and catmint can thrive even with partial or less-than-full sunlight. Aim for placing taller plants in the middle third and shorter ones in the front third for an effortless garden that also helps disguise utility boxes and HVAC units.
Make sure to monitor the amount of direct, unfiltered sunlight a flower bed receives on a daily basis, as its placement varies with sun movement and shade from nearby trees and buildings. Track this with notes in your planting journal or by tracking on a map – this knowledge will come in especially handy when shopping at nurseries or retail stores, where beautiful blooms that don’t do well in your climate may tempt you away from making smart choices. It may also be worthwhile adding evergreen shrubs and small trees into the mix for year-round color, texture and wildlife habitat purposes.