Be certain that your flower garden receives enough sun. Many blooms require full exposure for optimal blooming. Spend some time watching where you plan to plant for several days so that you can judge how much light each area receives during the day.
Consider both the soil quality and background of your garden when making design choices, along with factors such as color, shape and texture as a basis of decision making.
1. Think About the Light
At the core of any successful flower garden design lies understanding light conditions available. Once this information is understood, you can plan around any restrictions or capitalize on opportunities presented.
Perennial plants tend to thrive best in full sun (6 hours of direct sunlight per day), yet will quickly wilt if planted in shaded flower beds. Conversely, some shade-loving blooms may thrive when exposed to brighter sunrays.
Consider how the plantings will appear from different vantage points; using symmetry will add formality while asymmetrical arrangements create more dynamic looks. Experimenting with plant heights, textures, and colors will further make your garden interesting and engaging.
Consider how the transition will flow between lawn and garden areas or between garden spaces themselves – adding a fence with vines draped along its length can define an entrance, mark the division between public and private areas, or serve as a focal point.
2. Consider the Temperature
Flower garden plants need the right conditions in addition to sun and soil conditions in order to flourish, including temperature. The Old Farmer’s Almanac website lets you check when the last frost date for your region was, which will determine when most perennial flowers can be planted.
Understanding how each flower variety blooms throughout the season is also key, and when its peak should occur. While perennials like peonies and tulips appear early spring before slowly declining over time, dahlias and cannas bloom at their most prolific in midsummer and autumn.
Once you know how your blooms perform, consider the overall aesthetic you wish to achieve with your flower garden. Repetition can add continuity and cohesion throughout a space: having several core colors, shapes and species repeated will bring coherence and consistency.
3. Choose the Right Plants
Flower gardens should fit seamlessly into their surrounding environments, just as a shade tree or bluestone patio does. Placing colorful beds in inappropriate spots looks disorganized at best and potentially distracting at worst.
Finding the ideal flowers starts with learning which species thrive in your location. From there, select some core colors, shapes, and species that you will use throughout your space to ensure cohesion within each bed. But this doesn’t mean the garden needs to look dull!
Considerations should also be given to each plant’s bloom time when selecting plants for use in garden designs. Hydrangeas and roses require full sun while some flowers such as peonies require part sunlight for optimal performance. Experienced garden designers take these factors into account when selecting which flowers to include in their plans.
4. Think About the Background
Backgrounds in flower gardens add color and interest, drawing the eye toward the blooms themselves. When planning beds, it’s essential to keep this in mind as different backgrounds may produce dramatically different results.
A trellis, fence or other structure provides an ideal frame to make your flowers pop in the yard and create focal points in their beds. Other backdrops might include landscape elements such as pavers or bricks which define their edges.
Another key consideration is plant height. Experienced flower garden designers know the value of layering plants to achieve an appealing flower bed design, placing tallest ones at the back and shorter ones in front. This approach creates a dynamic effect not possible with just one type of bloom; plus it keeps blooms from competing for attention with each other.