An addition of flowers can increase the value of your home while adding color, beauty and fragrance. Success of any garden depends upon several factors such as its growing zone, wind conditions and water availability.
Before planting, prepare the bed by clearing away the turf using either digging or other means that allow you to work the soil without digging.
Location
Flower gardens add beauty and fragrance to the landscape. You can create one using either perennial plants (like daylilies and pansies ) or annual ones that need to be replanted every year ( such as marigolds and impatiens ).
If you’re planting in an area covered in grass, before beginning you must first clear away all the sod. Retired garden designer Donna Hackman suggests using a shovel to dig up sod in chunks before placing in a compost bin for later disposal.
Your garden’s shape should serve as the cornerstone for its design. According to world-renowned Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf, planting with shape in mind — such as spires, plumes, daisies, buttons globes umbels and screens — can help reinforce its theme. Group together plants that share similar maintenance requirements: sun-lovers should combine with shade-tolerant species; drought tolerant ones with water wise varieties.
Soil
Flower gardens can add color and beauty to the front or backyard of any home, but creating one from scratch takes careful planning in order to ensure its success. First, determine where you would like your garden located while taking note of sun exposure and soil conditions. Next, select plants with similar growing requirements so that the most efficient use is made of your space – drought-tolerant flowers work great when combined with water-wise perennial plants which bloom longer than annual ones.
Integrate herbs or vegetables into your flower garden to provide healthy meals for you and your family. Just be sure to give each their own space as herbs need sun and water in abundance for success, and vegetables thrive best in full-sun gardens as they overshadow flowering plants, taking their share of sunlight and nutrients.
Sunlight
Your flower garden’s ideal conditions depend on what kinds of blooms you want to grow; some species like lush hydrangeas and drought-tolerant succulents prefer morning sun with afternoon shade while other flowers, like colorful sunflowers and heat-loving marigolds require full direct sun all day long.
A beautiful flower garden will provide constant color throughout the year. By mixing perennials (peonies, irises, tulips) with annuals (immpatiens, marigolds and zinnias) which must be replanted annually (such as impatiens marigolds zinnias), something will always be in bloom.
Piet Oudolf, an internationally-recognized garden designer, advocates using shape to add visual interest and depth to a flower garden. He suggests pairing spires with bellflowers and daisies or using different shapes like urn-shaped plants with button flowers and umbels, to achieve an organic flow for your landscape design. Please remember that taller plants should go at the back while shorter plants should go nearer the front for optimal effect.
Water
Flower gardens add beauty and fragrance to any landscape, and you can grow one yourself using seeds, transplants or container flowers. However, whether permanent or potted, both require regular care in order to thrive.
As an example, perennials requiring consistent watering such as hydrangeas perform best when they’re planted in soil that’s moist to the touch but not soggy, while for cut and dried bouquets it is crucial that their site receives full sunlight all day.
Before planting your flowers, install drip irrigation as it delivers water directly to the roots of each plant and restricts weed growth. Also remember to water your garden early in the morning or evening to reduce moisture storage and prevent fungal diseases (Gardening Know How). Finally, mulch your bed with compost or organic matter like mulched trees in order to minimize weeds while helping retain soil moisture levels.