Flower gardens add vibrant hues and contrast to any landscape, plus are easy to care for and make for a welcoming presence in any home.
Flowers attract beneficial insects while discouraging pests from pestering your crops. A mixture of annuals and perennials ensures blooms throughout the season – make sure it gets plenty of sun! Choose a location with good sun exposure.
Choose a Good Location
Flower gardens add beauty and vibrance to the landscape, so the first step should be determining where you would like the flowers to go – rectangular beds in front of your home, long beds lining walkways or entranceways, or rows along your property lines are common options for placement of the blooms.
Once you’ve selected a location, assess how much sunlight the area receives. Certain flowering plants prefer shade while others, like hydrangeas and sunflowers, thrive under direct sunlight.
Experienced flower garden designers always select a diverse selection of plants to ensure year-round appeal in the garden, including those with staggered bloom times so the garden remains vibrant throughout summer, spring and autumn. When selecting plants look for colors that complement each other and flower shapes that stand out – such as purple and red on the color wheel can create a pleasing contrast; foliage adds structure and textural interest that reduces pruning needs.
Prepare the Soil
Flower gardens rely heavily on the quality of their soil for success, including eliminating weeds, improving the structure and providing ample nutrition.
Begin by clearing away weeds and rocks from the area. This makes your job simpler and promotes healthier plantings. In addition, clearing allows you to evaluate how the soil drains; oversaturated soil may lead to root rot.
Consider adding organic matter to the soil in order to lighten heavy clay soil and increase aeration. Such materials could include compost, grass clippings, shredded leaves and manure which you can make yourself or purchase at local home and garden centers.
To loosen the soil, work it with a spade or shovel. Rototilling too frequently can damage soil structure and destroy its texture; for best results if you have heavy clay soils that tend to compact together you may need to dig by hand to break apart hard clumps of dirt.
Plant the Plants
Flower gardens are easy to create and can bring vibrant color into any yard. From annuals for instantaneous blooms to long-lived perennials, it is important to carefully consider where and how your garden should be maintained before beginning this endeavor.
As the foundation for any successful flower garden, clearing away grass and weeds and prepping the bed are the initial steps toward success. Apply plenty of compost to improve soil quality and provide extra nutrition to the flowers. Dig the area where each plant belongs according to label instructions: for seeds sow according to sowing directions; nursery plants remove carefully by loosening roots before taking out of containers.
Donna Hackman, a retired garden designer, advises keeping plants’ mature height in mind in order to ensure they won’t overtake nearby plants or come within reach of the mower’s blade. She suggests including shrubs in flower gardens for year-round structure and color.
Water the Plants
As soon as you plant a flower garden, be sure to water it regularly as its roots become established. This helps ensure healthy and robust flower growth while keeping them from becoming leggy or overgrown. Be wary not to overwater as this may damage roots or cause soil rot if done too frequently.
Consider maintenance requirements and bloom times when selecting plants for your flower garden, to create one with year-round color. Experienced garden designers often pair plants with similar maintenance needs together – drought-tolerant varieties with water-wise varieties or perennials providing summer color alongside flowering annuals to extend blooming into fall.
Before planting flowers in your flower bed, ensure it’s clear of grass, weeds and debris. Also ensure it’s within easy reach of a hose for watering as needed; and consider creating a path around it so as not to step on any plants or trample on buds while walking through.