Before planting or digging up any flowers in your yard, be sure to be familiar with your hardiness zone and first and last frost dates – these details will determine which varieties thrive best there.
Clear out the area for your flower garden using a shovel, cutting up and removing grass and weeds as necessary. Consider where each mature-size plant should go when making this decision.
Location
When planning your flower garden, identify locations with optimal light conditions. While full sun is generally ideal for most flowers, others thrive better under some afternoon shade exposure. Avoid planting in areas that receive direct morning or evening sun – this can scorch them.
Consider your USDA growing zone, as well as your area’s first and last frost dates, when selecting plants to fill your yard. A mix of perennial and annual bloomers with staggered flowering times will ensure your garden remains vibrant year-round.
If your garden is subject to windy conditions, consider placing taller varieties at the center and lower-growing species around them. Also use the color wheel as a guide when choosing plants; colors that sit alongside each other on this wheel are complementary.
Soil
Flowers thrive when their ideal soil conditions are provided; most flower plants prefer loamy, well-draining soil. If the existing soil is poor quality, amendments such as compost and organic matter can help improve it. It is also wise to have your soil tested prior to digging so as to determine its nutrients as well as its pH level (which measures acidity/alkalinity levels).
To simplify care for your flower garden, select flowers with similar maintenance needs together. Shade-loving varieties should be planted alongside similar shades; drought-tolerant types with water-wise varieties; shrubs for added height and four-season interest as well as plants offering fruit or berries can attract birds into your garden. Finally, create pathways so as not to step on the flowers directly and compact their soil and decrease overall health.
Water
Once you’ve determined where and how large to place your flower garden, research the optimal spacing for each type of plant. Overcrowding could compromise their growth while making them susceptible to fungal infections.
Be mindful of both light and water requirements for each plant you cultivate, keeping in mind their respective sunlight requirements (6 hours or more of sunlight per day vs 3 to 6 hours for part shade plants).
To save water, soaker hoses with timers can be used to provide deep but infrequent irrigation (once or twice every week). Overhead sprinklers often lose half their volume through evaporation before reaching plant roots; early morning irrigation allows foliage time to dry by evening, helping prevent fungal disease outbreak.
Fertilizer
Flower gardens add beauty and curb appeal to your landscape while attracting pollinators. Choose eye-catching blooms as focal points and mix perennials and annuals together for year-round color, as well as shrubs for structure and four-season interest.
When selecting plants for planting, pay careful attention to the light conditions in your planting area and match plant needs with available sunlight. Otherwise, too little sun means your flowers won’t thrive as expected.
Fertilizing flowering plants with organic fertilizer provides their soil with essential nutrients, encouraging healthy growth. A natural and affordable choice that supports soil microorganisms while increasing flowering is blackstrap molasses – add it before planting your garden!
Deadheading
Deadheading not only looks nice, but it can help your flowers bloom even thicker and fuller, eliminating weeds from the soil while adding vital nutrition for future growth.
Find a garden location where the bed can be easily accessible to allow you to trim, fertilize and treat plants without accidentally treading on them. A path around the flower garden will also allow you to move through its blooms without inadvertently damaging any plants or leaving footprints behind.
Before planting flowers in your garden, research their individual light requirements. This will enable you to select the ideal spots. For instance, tulips and peonies require full sun to produce beautiful blooms; on the other hand, hydrangeas prefer morning sunlight with afternoon shade. Hummingbirds and pollinators appreciate tubular flowers which attract them; these types make great additions to wildflower gardens.