Select the optimal spot for your flower garden, making sure that it receives at least six hours of daily sunlight.
Work With Shape: World-renowned garden designer Piet Oudolf suggests planting spires, plumes and daisies at the back of a flower bed while filling in with airy blooms like feverfew to achieve an eye-catching aesthetic.
Location
Location is of critical importance in creating a successful flower garden. Select a site with plenty of sunlight and closeness to water sources in order to make watering simpler, saving time by cutting back on hose drag time.
As part of your garden design plan, it is also crucial to take note of how much shade there will be in your space. Plants requiring full sunlight may struggle in a shadier setting. Therefore, grouping plants with similar lighting requirements together ensures each receives enough sunshine.
Experienced flower garden designers know the value of including an array of plants with staggered bloom times to provide year-round interest. Shrubs provide winter interest and spring blooms; perennials add summer color; while flowering annuals bring autumn hues. Your garden layout can be tailored specifically to fit your gardening skills and home’s architectural style.
Soil
Flower gardens begin with soil that is rich, loose, and well-draining; if yours falls short of these criteria, amend it with compost or organic matter to improve drainage and growth.
Your flower garden design depends on its purpose and style, the flowers you grow and its surroundings. A cottage-style garden may feature random bed shapes and paths while contemporary ones often utilize clear lines to define spaces.
To create a new flower bed, first remove any grass that covers the area using shovel and hammer to break up sod, which should then be added to a compost pile. When designing your garden design plan, incorporate hardscape elements like pergola draped with vines or trellis which add hardscape features that add interest and provide additional support for climbing plants. Also consider including pollinators-attracting flowers such as butterflies or bees into your design scheme for maximum appeal.
Sunlight
A well-planned flower garden should take full advantage of sunlight. Without sufficient light, plants don’t flourish and might not bloom. If early warning signs such as reduced color or gangly stems emerge, relocate the affected plants immediately – most are resilient enough to be transplanted elsewhere easily, notes Wiley.
Experienced flower garden designers know the key to creating year-round interest is planting with staggered bloom times – using shrubs for anchorage, perennials for summer flowers and annuals for fall/winter colors.
Garden designer Piet Oudolf suggests designing with shape in mind when planning any garden design project. Grouping flowers of similar shapes creates visual coherence and keeps the space looking organized, instead of disorganized. Add flower shapes like spires, plumes and daisies in groups or incorporate other foliage textures such as sword-like leaves of gladioli or lacy bleeding heart foliage textures for added interest in making the garden appear more dynamic.
Water
Water needs for your flower garden depend on its species of plants as well as size and location of its bed. If your soil drains quickly, consider mixing in compost, shredded leaves, well-rotted manure or coconut coir to increase its moisture-retaining abilities and hold onto moisture more effectively.
Before planting flowers, create a layout. This will ensure there is enough room for all your favorites while giving an idea of how your finished garden will look. When planning foundation or border gardens, taller plants should be placed towards the back to avoid blocking windows and doors.
Before beginning digging, first remove any existing grass from the area you want to plant in. Doing this allows you to gauge how much sunlight the spot gets, which will inform your plant selections. Also familiarize yourself with your USDA growing zone so you can ensure any plants selected can withstand both its initial and last frost dates.