Before planting a flower garden, be aware of your USDA growing zone and the start and end frost dates. Furthermore, avoid working in soil that has become dry as this can result in damage to plant roots.
Choose a location that receives full sunlight throughout the day; if your area is shaded, select shade-tolerant plants.
Preparation
Before planting a flower garden with annuals or perennials, proper planning must take place first. Read plant tags or packets of seeds carefully to discover what thrives best in your hardiness zone, then design one featuring different blooming species for four-season interest.
Select flowers that complement both your soil type and lighting needs, ideally selecting those suited to a rich, loamy soil to provide optimal conditions for growing flowers and their root systems.
To amend your soil, lay a layer of organic material like compost, leaf mold or peat over 6 to 8 inches of the top soil layer and work it in to enrich and reduce erosion. This improves conditions for growing flowers while simultaneously helping prevent erosion.
Make your flower garden more butterfly, bee and other pollinator friendly by planting pollinator-attracting flowers that produce nectar and pollen that supports local insect populations while also being less maintenance intensive than imported hybrids.
Digging
Flower gardening can bring vibrant color and life to your yard, yet newcomers might find the process difficult. Take it slowly if starting out – garden flowers do best in loose, well-draining soil that contains plenty of organic material.
An effective tool for this is a sharp shovel. Dig out the area where you plan to plant your flower garden and clear away any grass or weeds; they should all be removed by using this approach.
Add compost to the soil in order to improve its quality and make working easier, then choose plants suited for your climate zone.
Mix annuals and perennials into your garden to keep it blooming all season, according to garden designer Piet Oudolf’s advice, to maintain continuous flower blooming. Perennials bloom for longer but can become unruly after flowering is complete; annually blooming annuals provide bright spots of color during their short lives. Shrubs with colorful bark or twisty forms will provide structure. Repetition of shape and color also lends continuity and harmony in any garden space, according to Oudolf.
Planting
Flowers add beauty and delight to any outdoor space, be it seed form, cuttings, bulbs or fully grown. Flowers need ample sunlight and water in order to thrive successfully.
Once the site has been prepared, planting can begin. Dig holes of an appropriate size for each flower type – depending on its needs, however they should generally be planted at roughly equal depth as their container.
Fill holes with dirt, firming it gently around plants. Water well to rehydrate the soil and help it settle. Weed regularly as unattended weeds can steal nutrients away from flowers preventing them from reaching their full potential and blooming as intended. Deadhead flowers when necessary to promote new growth and prolong their lives- especially important with perennials.
Watering
Flowers help stabilize soil by taking in water and carbon dioxide via photosynthesis, helping to prevent erosion and improve drainage while simultaneously producing oxygen for our atmosphere. They’re an integral part of nature.
Flower gardens benefit from an abundance of colors and textures. Try experimenting with various color combinations in your garden until you discover your preferred combination(s). Use the color wheel as a guide; colors adjacent on the wheel (such as pink and purple) pair well together while those opposite (such as red and orange) tend to clash.
Select a mix of plants with staggered bloom times to add four-season interest. Flowers that produce nectar and pollen are important in feeding bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds; add shrubs for structure, winter interest and fruit production; keep in mind that colorful bark or twisty shapes add character and serve as focal points when other plants have faded in wintertime.