Start a flower garden easily with either ready-made plants or seeds, the latter of which offers more cost savings, easier growing methods and year-round colour – just snip faded blooms off when necessary to ensure new blooms pop up soon after!
Consider what type of light your location receives as this can have a major effect on what kinds of flowers can grow there, as well as any maintenance requirements your garden might need.
Choose Your Plants
As with any garden project, selecting plants is the first step to creating one. When selecting flowers for your flower garden, keep an open mind regarding different colors and textures – think small blooms with large ones as well as solid and variegated leaves! Also keep bloom time in mind; staggered growth allows you to enjoy your flowers longer while creating a more layered appearance.
As much as possible, when selecting flowers it is beneficial to choose native varieties for several reasons. Native flowers will thrive best in your region while supporting pollinators species like bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other creatures whose nectar and pollen they require for survival. Fancy hybrids may look beautiful but cannot provide adequate nectar and pollen supply needed by such animals.
Once you’ve selected your plants, it’s important to conduct a soil test in order to understand which amendments and nutrients your soil requires in order to become optimal for flower gardening. Once done, prepare the bed by clearing away grass/weeds/compost as you see fit and add any necessary compost.
Know Your Soil
Once you’ve acquired all of the gardening tools needed, it’s time to put them to use. Start by clearing away grass and other weeds before prepping the soil for planting using tools such as shovel, dirt rake and trowel; adding compost or well-rotted animal manure as an amendment can improve texture, aeration and water retention in your soil.
Make yourself familiar with your USDA Climate Zone as this will enable you to recognize which plants will naturally flourish year-round and reduce maintenance work for your flower garden.
Test the quality of your soil using scientific testing methods or a home kit available at most hardware stores, in order to gain valuable information such as pH levels and nutrient contents of the area you live. Once this data is available, an extensive soil amendment plan can be put together in order to address any potential issues with it.
Know Your Zone
Create your flower garden without digging by covering your lawn with multiple layers of overlapping newspaper. Over time, as the newspaper decomposes and adds nutrients back into the soil, your garden will become ready for planting.
Use landscape edging made of plastic, brick or wood to outline the area. A good edging helps eliminate weeds and protect flowers from being trampled upon during foot traffic.
Think carefully when selecting plants with different bloom times to provide four-season color. For instance, fall-planted bulbs (tulips, daffodils and alliums) bloom early each spring before perennial flowers emerge, while annuals such as zinnias, impatiens and cosmos add splashes of hue throughout summer and into fall.
Introduce yourself to your USDA growing zone so you understand which plants will thrive in your yard. Choose a location with full sunlight for flowering plants as they tend to wither quickly in shady environments. Furthermore, have easy access to water so your bed can be regularly watered as necessary.
Know Your Design
Once you understand your space and the type of flowers that will thrive therein, it’s time to start considering the layout and design of your garden. While its appearance depends on your personal vision and what statement you wish to make with your planting scheme, there are a few common principles which will help ensure it achieves what it was meant for.
Experienced flower garden designers tend to employ a mixture of heights, colors, and textures when designing natural-looking gardens. Plants with staggered bloom times will add color throughout the season while including shrubs in your design provides structure and four-season appeal.
Once you’ve chosen your flower garden location, remove any weeds or grass in the area before prepping the soil for plantings. Till the soil to loosen it up before adding plenty of compost for better planting results. Additionally, you could create an accessible path through your garden should that be desired.