Flower gardens bring beauty, color, and fragrance into any yard, as well as serve as an enjoyable hobby for beginners.
Begin your flower garden by learning about its needs – for instance, hydrangeas need morning sun and afternoon shade while sunflowers require full direct sunlight throughout the day.
Pick a Location
An attractive flower garden will add curb appeal and provide habitat for essential pollinators. Before embarking on this endeavor, first determine what type of garden you want to create: do you prefer cutting flowers that last in arrangements or low maintenance native plants? Your answer to this question will determine the types of blooms to plant.
Understand your growing zone to ensure you plant flowers suitable for the climate in which you reside. You can do this by marking down the first and last frost dates on a calendar, or using an online tool.
Repetition is key when designing an eye-catching flower garden design. Recurring colors, shapes, and plant species create cohesion in any garden design; bloom times should also be taken into consideration as you’ll want your garden to remain colorful year-round. Filler flowers such as spike and airy plants make good options to divide space between focal flowers that require more room.
Prepare the Soil
An exquisite flower garden can add beauty and fragrance to your home, but proper preparation of the soil and care of your flowers are necessary in order to produce their full potential. This may involve fertilization, weeding and watering to guarantee maximum blooms.
Before beginning planting, it is a good idea to clear away any leaves, twigs and debris accumulated over winter. Not only will this improve the aesthetics of your yard but it can also prevent disease as well as promote good air circulation throughout your soil.
Most flowers prefer loamy, well-draining soil that’s rich in organic matter and easy to work, making a soil test invaluable in identifying amendments suitable for your garden. Avoid working overly wet soil as this may harm its structure and lead to compaction.
An analysis of your soil will give you the knowledge to select appropriate fertilizers and compost for your garden, then work them into the top 6-8 inches where most flower and shrub roots grow.
Plant the Flowers
Once spring has arrived, the real work starts: whether starting from seeds or adding plants to an existing garden, whether starting fresh from seed or expanding an existing one – roll up your sleeves and get down to work preparing the soil for planting with shovel, garden rake, trowel and well rotted manure or compost. A shovel, garden rake and trowel will work best when loosening up soil in preparation of planting; additional benefits of such additives as mulching will help your soil retain more moisture for longer lasting success!
As you plant, take into account each flower’s sun requirements and maintenance needs when choosing which to include in your garden. Some annuals bloom quickly while perennials can take more time. Mixing annuals and perennials ensures your flowers offer something for each season of blooming.
Be mindful when digging holes for flowers to follow the specific instructions found on their tags or seed packets for proper planting, being mindful not to overburden too deeply as this could result in death of the plant.
Take Care of the Flowers
Once your flowers have been planted, make sure they remain healthy with regular maintenance. Adequate watering during warm weather is key for maintaining an impressive garden; additionally, pests that could damage them must also be addressed using methods like using slug bait, spreading crushed eggshells across your garden and using copper tape around plants as protection measures.
When cutting flowers, always cut deep on the stems in a cool location (such as early morning). This encourages more blooming, keeps your flowers looking their best longer and keeps the stems from wilting. When arranging in a vase with cool water and adding flower food for maximum longevity.
Make sure you know your USDA growing zone to select flowers appropriate to your location. Most flowers require well-draining soil with at least 6-8 hours of daily sun and wind/rain protection as some tall blooms require extra protection in windy environments.