Flower gardens add color, fragrance and pollinator-attracting plants to any landscape. If you’re new to gardening, here are a few essentials that will help ensure its success:
Before beginning any planting efforts on your site, walk it thoroughly to assess its sunlight exposure and surface conditions – such as whether or not there’s flat terrain or uneven areas.
World-renowned garden designer Piet Oudolf suggests mixing heights, shapes, colors and textures in order to keep a flower garden looking vibrant and dynamic.
Location
Flower beds are an enjoyable sight, especially when they’re filled with lush perennials and vibrant annuals. From rectangular beds beneath home windows to long rows of flowering bushes along the front walkway or private garden areas behind houses – flower beds bring life and color into our surroundings!
Location for a flower garden depends on both its content and your yard conditions. For instance, when planting drought-tolerant or pollinator-attracting species such as drought-resistant varieties of perennial flowers that thrive under full sun all day, look for spots that receive continuous sun.
Flower gardens must be within easy reach of a garden hose for watering; otherwise it could become difficult to keep blooms looking their best. When ready to plant, clear away grass from the site and prepare the soil by adding all-purpose balanced fertilizer with organic matter amendment. Never work your soil when it’s too wet as doing so compromises its structure and reduces its nutritional availability.
Soil
Flowers add vibrant hues and visual interest to your landscaping, improving curb appeal while drawing in butterflies and hummingbirds which help with pollination efforts.
When beginning your flower garden, select its location with care. Do a walk-around of your yard to identify which spots provide adequate sunlight for different kinds of blooms.
Prepare the site for planting by digging a 3- to 4-foot-deep bed that allows you to reach arm’s length into it to cut flowers or water plants, without having to step on it, which compacts soil and prevents roots from growing freely.
Most flowers prefer loamy, well-draining soil with plenty of organic matter and high levels of nutrition. When searching for soil to plant in, dark brown color is usually indicative of abundance in this regard. Peat-based soil may not provide ideal drainage or nutrition levels. In order to be sure of success with planting your new blooms successfully, consider getting a soil test done prior to starting out on your journey.
Sunlight
Flower gardens add color and scent to any yard while also increasing home values, according to studies.
Selecting the ideal flowers for your garden is essential to its success. Certain blooms require full sun while others prefer partial shade conditions; as more sunlight penetrates, your flower garden will appear more vibrant.
Step one is assessing how much sunlight hits your yard. Many homeowners opt to supplement their natural topsoil with store-bought, nutrient-rich soil to enhance planting sites and ensure optimal performance.
Once you have a vision for your flower garden, remove any grass and prepare the soil by tilling, raking, removing large clumps of dirt and layering with rich topsoil. Now it’s time to plant! Mix low-growing annuals such as sweet alyssum and lobelia with tall plants such as hollyhocks, sunflowers and marigolds so bees can find food more quickly while simultaneously keeping your garden neat and tidy.
Water
No matter whether you are starting from seed or beginning with established plants, nutrient-rich and well-draining soil is key to cultivating beautiful flower gardens. Such soil contains essential elements like nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus while providing sufficient space for roots to spread freely – an integral factor for both health and beauty of your blooms.
Examine the area where you plan to place your flower garden, and take note of how much sunlight it gets. Different flowers require different amounts of sun exposure; others need shade as well.
Remove grass in your area using a shovel or tiller, or rent one to break up dirt. If your garden will replace an existing lawn, add compost to the topsoil before digging; this helps prevent weeds. After prepping the site, use a rake to break up any large clumps of dirt; adding mulch provides both decorative flair and retains moisture for maximum results.