Starting a flower garden from scratch is an engaging project, whether your goal is to increase curb appeal or create an oasis in your own backyard. However, in order to be successful at it and complete this task successfully it takes careful planning and preparation before digging in the dirt.
Make sure that the site you select provides enough sun or shade for the plants you intend to cultivate – perennials prefer full sun environments while shade-loving flowers thrive in part-sun or shaded locations.
Choose the Right Place
Flower gardens can bring vibrant hues to any yard while simultaneously attracting pollinators. But for maximum success, careful planning and preparation must occur prior to starting any planting bed or selecting flowers for placement. Here are some helpful tips for getting started with your own garden!
To ensure the success of your flower garden, select hardy species suitable to your growing zone. This will reduce chances of plants succumbing to extreme cold weather conditions or overly hot soil conditions and dying prematurely.
Flower height is also an important consideration when creating a garden design, and should aim to incorporate different flower varieties with various bloom times or different textures into your design. You should also remember to incorporate foliage as it provides texture and color when the blooms have died back – using the color wheel is helpful when selecting floral selections to achieve optimal color combinations.
Select the Right Plants
Seed catalogs and local garden centers offer an abundance of flowers. Select a palette that speaks to you, while fitting into the type of garden you intend on growing – cutting garden for bouquets, low maintenance flowering shrub border or one that attracts pollinators?
Determine which maintenance tasks you are willing to undertake and consider the amount of sun or shade the area receives. Staggering bloom times with perennials and annual flowers that have similar care requirements will create a vibrant landscape throughout the season.
Before planting, conduct a soil test in the area you intend to sow flowers. If the results reveal that your soil has an acidity level below 7, amending it with compost or organic materials such as mulch can create optimal conditions for flower growth. In addition, any unwanted grass must also be cleared away before raking and prepping for planting.
Plan the Design
Flower garden designs offer many choices. When making decisions about design, keep your goals in mind: are you trying to create a grand focal point or more low-key meadow-like display? Perhaps flowers that offer year-round interest or attract pollinators would be of particular benefit.
Before planting your flower garden, it is a wise idea to sketch its design. This will enable you to assess how much space is available and where hardscape elements like pathways should go. Be sure to include both their full height and mature overall size when doing this step.
As you choose the flowers for your garden, keep their lighting needs in mind as well. If a plant receives less sun than necessary, its bloom may not come together beautifully – an often made mistake by new gardeners. To prevent this mistake, try matching up how much sunlight your garden receives with that needed by each of the plants you select.
Planting
Flower gardening can add color and visual interest to your garden, making it more visually appealing. From formal straight-edged beds to more naturalistic blooms in irregular clumps of flowers, if you want to start flower gardening today the key is having good soil prepped before selecting plants appropriate to the site.
Once you’ve selected your flower garden plants, it is wise to take time planning their layout. Think carefully about each plant’s height, spread and color before deciding where each will go in terms of space allocation. Also plant repeat-blooming shrubs for structure and four-season interest; don’t forget filler plants such as grasses, kale or arugula which add texture, movement and movement into your garden space. Alternatively, growing from seed may offer even more diversity when planning the layout – giving you plenty of choices when planning out their arrangement!