Bees relaxing on your flowers on a balmy summer’s day is one of gardening’s greatest pleasures, but before that can happen you must first start your garden.
First, start by reading each plant or seed packet carefully to gain an understanding of its needs. Take note of its ideal sunlight conditions (full sun is defined as 6 or more hours direct sunlight each day), and observe your site over an entire day.
Plan Your Garden
Flower gardens bring life and color to outdoor spaces. While some flowers make an eye-catching statement, others blend seamlessly into the background details of a garden and add texture and depth. You don’t need an extravagant design plan in order to achieve your ideal outdoor oasis – the right planning can do that easily for you.
Before planting, carefully assess both the site and soil conditions. Consider factors like sun exposure as well as any existing plants that could interfere with your plans.
Experts advise selecting a mix of shrubs, perennials and annuals when designing an island flower bed. Doing so creates visual harmony while making the garden more eye-catching after blooms have faded away. When designing such beds it is also essential to take into account mature height and space requirements as too close together plants could inhibit air circulation leading to fungal disease outbreaks.
Prepare the Soil
Beautiful flowers add both color and fragrance to outdoor spaces. Select native plants if you want a pollinator-friendly garden, as these will produce more pollen and nectar needed by pollinators species such as bees and butterflies. Add variety with plants of various heights and colors throughout the season so that visitors remain interested in your flower garden!
Prepare the soil for planting by loosening and enriching it with plenty of compost, while clearing away existing grass or weeds in your desired planting space. It is also wise to invest in an effective gardening tool which doubles as a weeder such as a garden knife or long-handled stirrup hoe to assist in this endeavor.
Make sure that you select a site that receives full sun. Most flowering plants need at least six hours of direct sunlight daily; observe your chosen site to ensure it receives this amount. Rake over the area smooth it before planting begins.
Plant Your Flowers
An attractive flower garden starts with healthy soil. At planting time, amend your planting site with all-purpose balanced fertilizer and organic matter mulch layer to improve soil structure and increase plant health. Be careful when working your soil when too wet as overworking will harm its structure and make it less conducive to flower growing.
Before planting a plant, always check its label to see its full height and spacing requirements so it fits your space perfectly. Also ensure it has appropriate sun and temperature conditions – this will help ensure success!
Fill any empty spots quickly with color by planting annuals such as petunias and geraniums that bloom, set seed, and die within one growing season; for year-round interest try perennials like lilies or dianthus that offer longer blooming periods like petunias and geraniums.
Care for Your Flowers
Your beautiful flower garden won’t reach its full potential without proper care. Be sure to water regularly – an inch every week either by rainwater or garden hose – while also feeding it with flower fertilizer designed specifically for its care.
If your soil is subpar, amend it before planting by mixing in compost or an all-purpose balanced fertilizer to improve it. Work it into the top 6-8 inches where most flower and shrub roots develop; avoid working wet soil as this damages its structure.
Once your show-stoppers have been planted, fill in around them with perennials with staggered bloom times and annuals for year-round color. Don’t forget foliage plants as an additional textural and depth element that serves as a backdrop for flowers. Target fragrance-producing blooms that attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and pollinators; taller ones should go towards the back while shorter ones should go nearer the front for optimal results.