Flowers bring beauty and joy to any garden. Their vibrant blooms can stop passersby in their tracks while fragrant herbs add zesty flare to meals.
Before beginning to plant your flower garden, take into account the needs of its plants. Most blooms prefer direct sunlight; therefore it would be best to locate your beds in an area where full sun can shine upon them.
Soil
Healthy garden soil provides the ideal conditions for flower roots to develop and access water, nutrients and air. It should be easy to dig, while still holding plants upright without becoming waterlogged or too wet; plus it should drain quickly without becoming waterlogged either too quickly or too slowly – plus be home for beneficial earthworms, microbes and other beneficial organisms that add life and diversity to its composition.
Improve your soil with organic matter, such as compost, rotted manure and shredded leaves. For best results, amending is best done during fall and spring seasons; aim to integrate compost to a depth of 10 to 12 inches into the soil.
To test the moisture of soil, squeeze a handful. If it remains intact after being squeezed, it may be too wet to work; otherwise if crumbles through your thumb it should be ready. For best results use mulch such as bark or wood chips over your bed to help control weeds while maintaining soil moisture levels; additionally you could edging flower beds so they look neater.
Water
As soon as you plant your flower garden, be sure to water the flowers frequently and thoroughly. This helps the soil retain moisture for proper flower development. Watering them first thing in the morning to limit evaporation is best, using either a watering can or hose equipped with a gentle spray nozzle is ideal.
Plant a combination of perennials and annuals in your flower garden to achieve year-round color. Perennials like irises, peonies and lily of the valley will grow year after year while annuals like petunias, zinnias and pansies offer quick-blooming hues in your bloombed.
Choose plants that require little attention and will flourish in your climate, like arbors, pergolas and trellises to add structure and create visual interest in your flower garden. Donna Hackman, an award-winning garden designer suggests installing rectangles of flagstone in front of flower beds as a deterrent against being trampled over by lawnmower blades.
Light
Sunlight is essential to most flower varieties; otherwise they risk either dying or growing leggy. Before planting a garden of any sort, carefully dig over and remove weeds before mixing in well-rotted manure and raking the ground to a fine tilth so the roots of flowers can easily penetrate it and absorb nutrients from it.
Keep an eye out on how the sun hits different areas in your yard throughout a typical day, keeping in mind that full sunlight is ideal for most flower varieties. If possible, choose a location free from shade from trees, fences or buildings nearby.
Once you’ve identified an ideal location, decide how you want your flower garden to make its statement. If the garden will be visible from a patio or deck, arrange taller plants at the back while shorter ones in front so as to achieve visual balance.
Temperature
Temperature of your garden’s planting site can have an enormous impact on its success. After having spent time growing inside a seedling tray or pot with constant temperatures and controlled lighting conditions, plants may experience shock when suddenly placed outdoors and this shock could result in their death.
Plant your flowers in areas that receive enough light throughout the day – for instance, full-sun perennials will die quickly in shaded garden beds while part-sun flowering shrubs could even burn under direct sunlight.
If you’re starting your garden from seeds or nursery-grown flowers, follow the directions on their tag for proper depth of planting and spacing. It may also be beneficial to conduct a soil test; this can help determine whether or not your soil requires amending with fertilizers and nutrients; the results can assist you in planning the best garden possible – including plants with year-round interest that bloom at different times so your yard won’t go completely bare in winter!