No matter if it’s a window box, porch container, or brand new bed alongside your house, there are a few basic tips you should keep in mind when planting flower gardens. Begin by determining its location and watching how sunlight affects its surroundings throughout the day.
Dig into your hands to prepare and prep the soil. Next, plant perennials with staggered bloom times before filling out with colorful annuals for added interest.
Location
Flower gardens make an elegant addition to any yard, drawing in pollinators, deterring pests and providing shade to other plants – but to get one started successfully requires finding the ideal location and soil conditions.
Location for your flower garden depends upon the types of blooms you plan on cultivating; some thrive best under full sunlight while others prefer partial shade. It is wise to conduct research into your USDA growing zone to ensure the blooms you choose can withstand your climate.
Once you find an ideal location for your garden, clear away any grassy layers and prepare the site. If possible, lay down a weed barrier to minimize future issues before digging up and prepping the soil for planting by loosening and mixing in compost where needed. Be sure your flower garden is within easy reach of a water source to make watering simpler; this will prevent it from drying out or wilting quickly when watered!
Soil
An effective flower garden starts with well-prepared soil. Loosen the ground to a spade’s depth, dig out any weeds and add well-rotted manure or compost before planting begins if possible. Prepare the area early, as doing so makes planting much simpler!
Read through your seed packets and plant tags carefully in order to gain information regarding soil type, sunlight requirements, planting time and recommended spacing needs for an attractive garden that also thrives. This will allow you to create one with lasting beauty!
Mix annuals and perennials together for maximum garden impact from spring through fall. Add quick-blooming flowers like petunias and geraniums for instant color, as well as flowering trees and shrubs for texture and contrast in your landscape design. Also keep an eye out for native species which provide bee-, butterfly- and hummingbird-friendly habitats as well as drought tolerance and resistance against pests; many of these native varieties cost significantly less than exotic options and require much lower maintenance.
Water
Watering a flower garden requires finding water that allows its roots to absorb it easily, without standing or pooling water as this could drown flower stems and damage their petals. A nearby faucet or hose connection makes watering easier as well.
Before planting, ensure the site’s soil is prepared by using an all-purpose balanced fertilizer like Pennington UltraGreen All Purpose Plant Food 10-10-10 and adding 6 to 8 inches of organic matter as a top dressing. Never disturb wet soil as this can deteriorate its structure and diminish nutrient levels.
Know your USDA growing zone before selecting flowers that will thrive in your yard. Think perennials – long-blooming perennials that return each year – as well as bright annuals to add splashes of color. Stagger the bloom times of perennials so something is always blooming; mass plant annuals rather than scatter them throughout your landscape for neat and tidy gardening results.
Plants
If you don’t have time to cultivate flowers from seeds, many are available as transplants from garden centres and nurseries. Choose those which will thrive in your location and soil conditions while avoiding those requiring extra attention (like being grown indoors for several weeks before transplanting outdoors).
Plant your garden as soon as all risk of frost has passed, by digging and loosening the soil before planting. Add well-rotted manure or garden compost to enhance its structure, while layering mulch helps retain soil moisture and control weed growth.
Consider adding perennials with long bloom times to your flower garden such as Echinacea, Coreopsis and Coneflower; annuals like Petunias and Geraniums offer quick color. Or opt for mass planting of single flowers – bees prefer feeding more efficiently when foraging in large blocks and the uniform look is more pleasing on the eye!