Flowers you plant will determine what kind of maintenance is needed in your garden, while it’s helpful to know how much sun there will be in each location as this could change how and what flowers to select for planting.
Soil preparation is crucial to the success of any flower garden, and an ideal pH balance and well-drained soil is ideal.
Location
Location is of critical importance in creating the ideal flower garden experience, from selecting what flowers to grow to how much maintenance will be involved and its overall effect on your landscape. A sunny spot that receives full sun should provide optimal conditions for most types of blooms – just watch how the sun moves throughout the day to ensure at least 6 hours of direct sun each day is given to your bed!
Select plants with various bloom times so your garden remains vibrant all season long. Low-growing annuals such as sweet alyssum, lobelia and impatiens work perfectly alongside shorter perennials or tall flowers such as zinnias and cosmos.
Mixed heights, colors and textures add visual interest that rows of uniform flowers cannot. Integrate shrubs for year-round color and structure – be sure to select ones suitable to your climate as well as some with twisty branches or colorful bark if possible for winter interest!
Soil
Planning a flower garden involves one of the most crucial steps: prepping its soil. Soil is made up of minerals, dead and living organisms (organic matter), water and air which all interact together in various ways to shape plant growth.
As part of your soil preparation, add organic material and work it thoroughly. Avoid working too much moisture into the soil as this could damage its structure and decrease its ability to support flower and plant roots.
Be mindful of the maintenance needs for each plant you select before placing them in the ground. Flowers with similar needs (drought-tolerant or moisture-loving, for instance) work well together, enabling you to arrange them in ways that keep your flower garden looking amazing all season long.
Water
A garden requires ample amounts of water in order to thrive, with the amount depending on what kind of flowers you plant.
Flowering plants require full sun to thrive; the exact location varies depending on their species and variety. Full-sun perennials like hydrangeas and daisies do well in areas that receive bright, direct sun for most of the day; drought-tolerant succulents thrive under more indirect lighting conditions.
Before planting anything, become familiar with your USDA Growing Zone. Flowers grown outside this zone will not flourish and knowing first and last frost dates helps determine when is best to plant.
Experienced garden designers typically incorporate shrubs that provide four-season interest and staggered bloom times into their designs, adding height and color variations that give more appealing views than regimented rows. Incorporating paths allows easier trimming, fertilizing and treating of plants without accidentally treading on them.
Fertilizer
Flowers require fertilizer in order to thrive and produce seeds, and an ideal classic fertilizer would have the right balance of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium for their needs. Avoid fertilizers with high concentrations of nitrogen as these may overfertilize and cause foliage burn in your plants.
Water-soluble fertilizers should be applied when planting or in early spring. Granular fertilizers should be evenly spread on your garden soil using a spreader in order to minimize getting too much fertilizer on plant leaves.
Mix perennials and annuals together for season-long color, or add shrubs as accents in your flower beds to add texture and height. Arrange them according to their sun/water needs; additionally, focus on their foliage as its beauty will continue even after their flowers have died off.
Pruning
Flower gardens require regular maintenance that includes watering and weeding as well as deadheading spent flowers. The amount of work involved depends on what types and numbers of flowers you decide on for your garden.
Be sure the location you select receives sufficient sunlight; flowers tend to thrive under direct sunlight. Furthermore, select an area away from backyard activities like barbecues and playing as flowers can easily become crushed underfoot if placed too closely to these activities.
Once you’ve selected a site, create a diagram of your flower bed. Noting your USDA growing zone and each flower’s recommended spacing will help ensure plants that will thrive in your climate will be avoided. Once that step is completed, prepare the soil by forking in well-rotted manure or garden compost and forking it back out again to achieve smooth results.