Flower gardens bring great pleasure into any home. If you are starting your own flower garden, here are a few important points to keep in mind:
Select a sunny area. Most flowers require full sunlight in order to flourish fully and bloom at their best.
Cluster plants with similar requirements to minimize maintenance. For instance, moisture-loving and drought-tolerant species should be kept together, and perennials should go with moisture-lovers.
Choose Your Plants
As part of beginning your own flower garden, first select what types of blooms to plant. Next, find an area that gets at least six hours of direct sunlight each day; some plants require direct sun, while others thrive even in shaded conditions.
Consider both color scheme and texture when planning your garden design. For instance, colors adjacent on the color wheel – like pink and purple – tend to go well together, while plants with variegated leaves or short and long stems add visual interest once the blooms have faded away.
Once you’ve created your list, visit local nurseries and planters to select plants for your garden. Be mindful of each mature size plant to prevent overcrowding your space, as well as reading through space requirements on plant tags to prevent purchasing too many or too large plants that won’t fit their new homes.
Prepare the Soil
An essential component of a vibrant flower garden is great soil. Flowers thrive in rich, well-drained environments that support strong root systems while providing ample nutrients for their development. Before beginning planting, amend the soil by mixing all-purpose balanced fertilizer with organic matter into its uppermost 6 to 8 inches; work this solution into where most roots and shrubs exist. Work the soil only when dry enough; working wetter conditions could compromise its structure and decrease its availability of nutrients.
Before planting in any given garden area, it’s also essential to know when the first and last frost dates are in order to determine the ideal timing of your planting efforts. Flowers planted too early could be killed off by frost and may never come back next season. Once you know when it is safe to plant, remove grass, weeds and any existing plants such as shrubs from your designated garden area as soon as you establish this planting timeframe – whether those should stay or be moved accordingly.
Plan the Layout
Flower gardens make an immediate statement when designed correctly. Even as an absolute beginner, it’s possible to craft stunning bloom-filled gardens by following a few basic tips.
Be mindful of where you choose to place your flower garden when planning it, since an unwisely placed bed can look out of place and detract from other landscape elements. Also observe how much sun the site receives as this will determine which types of blooms can thrive there.
Make a decision on the shape and size of your flower beds before beginning design work. Experienced garden designers know to combine show-stopping focal flowers with eye-catching filler plants such as spikes and airy blooms that bloom from early spring to fall, taking into account mature height, year-round interest, and staggered bloom times of each plant to ensure your garden will never look barren or dead during wintertime.
Planting
Before planting in a garden bed, all debris such as grass, weeds, or debris must be cleared away. If necessary, add organic material if your soil lacks richness and drainage; additionally it would be wise to conduct a soil test to establish whether its pH level is acidic or alkaline.
Before planting, be sure that the area receives ample sunlight. Many flowers require full sun; therefore it would be prudent to monitor how much direct light arrives over a 24-hour period.
Consider pairing perennials and annuals together, along with flowering shrubs for four-season interest. Aim for a balanced mix of heights, colors and textures when designing your four-season garden, not forgetting foliage which will continue to provide texture and color when the flowers have faded. Deadheading dead flower heads is known as deadheading and will encourage new blooms while helping plants redirect energy toward healthy regrowth and renewal.