Planning your new garden requires many decisions and careful thought, from selecting an existing flower bed location to finding a spot just right.
Your flowers should be stored safely away from lawn mower blades and other activities that could potentially trample them, and it would be prudent to create paths between flower beds so you can easily navigate in and out without accidentally trampling any delicate plants.
Location
As with any garden project, finding the ideal spot for your flower garden depends on what kind of blooms you plan on cultivating. Before installing new beds or containers in the ground, do your research on all plants involved – their sun/shade requirements as well as any special considerations needed when placing new seeds or bulbs.
Hydrangeas thrive best in areas that receive morning sunshine and afternoon shade, while drought-resistant perennials like coreopsis and coneflower are best when given full sunlight throughout the day. To attract pollinators to your flower garden, select a warm sunny area away from mower blades.
Staggering bloom times creates an eye-catching garden, with perennials and annuals filling in where one fades out. Foliage provides texture and interest when flowers aren’t in full bloom – experiment with textures and sizes, mixing fine foliage (marigolds) with coarse foliage (canna lilies). Leaves of all shapes work, though globes and umbels pair nicely with bloom shapes that feature long, narrow or flat petals.
Soil
Success for any flower garden depends heavily on its soil type and climate, as well as careful placement to prevent your flowers being trampled on by people or lawnmowers.
If your garden boasts plenty of sunlight, start by choosing tall and fast-growing flowers like sunflowers and cosmos to serve as the foundation. Lower-growing perennials and annuals such as impatiens, cleome and zinnias can then be added in between larger blooms to fill any spaces between their larger blooms.
Flowers that attract pollinators tend to flourish best in partial shade or dappled light throughout the day, like Heuchera and Foxgloves. If this describes your flower beds, try pairing these plants with groundcovers that hide anything like utility boxes or trash cans; and remember curved lines help guide the eye through a landscape more naturally than straight ones!
Water
As many regions experience water restrictions, keeping vibrant flower gardens can be more challenging. Therefore, when selecting plants that require less water it is crucial to do your research on how best to utilize what limited resources you have.
Strive for a natural garden by mixing plant heights, shapes and colors. Perennials like phlox, foxglove and daisies make excellent choices; daylilies, yarrow and coreopsis may rebloom several times each season too! Incorporating shrubs such as heuchera, loropetalum or nandina into the design can add evergreen color while anchoring it all.
Do not work the soil when it is too wet; overly saturated ground compacts and is inhospitable to plant roots. A good rule of thumb is that if when you squeeze the soil it does not crumble it may be too wet for planting; give it some extra drying time before using your tools if possible; this will ensure your flowers and shrubs flourish!
Pruning
Pruning flower gardens regularly is key to keeping them looking their best and can prevent unruly plants from taking over, thus maintaining its appeal and creating an appealing space.
Pruned flowering plants are less vulnerable to fungal diseases like powdery mildew when properly maintained. Removing faded foliage helps the plants remain healthier, encourage rebloom and decrease waste.
Before planting a flower garden, conduct extensive research on its plants. Make sure they will thrive in your growing zone and observe first and last frost dates to plan a planting schedule.
Experienced flower garden designers make sure their gardens look appealing year-round by using plants with varied bloom times, such as shrubs for spring color, perennials for summertime blooms and annuals for fall/winter color. Mixing plant heights also adds visual interest.