Flowers are an easy and colorful way to bring life and excitement to any yard or garden bed, providing color and visual interest throughout.
Flowers need specific nutrients and water sources in order to thrive, so it is crucial that you plan in advance in order to provide what your blooms require.
Location
When selecting a location for your flower garden, it is important to take into account aspects such as sun/shade exposure and visual appeal – both can impact both its size and shape.
Flower gardens should ideally be situated on flat ground to allow water to seep into the soil and reach their roots easily. Avoid placing it on slopes or areas receiving inadequate amounts of rainfall as this could quickly turn soggy, damaging plants’ roots in no time at all.
No matter the size or shape of your garden, selecting plants with year-round appeal and staggered bloom times is key to maintaining its beauty and preventing it from turning into a barren desert when certain blooms wilt away.
Soil
Flower gardens provide your backyard with color and fragrance all summer long. In just a few steps you can start your own flower garden and have blooming flowers throughout summertime.
First, choose an ideal site for your flower bed. Your ideal site should have well-draining soil that receives sufficient sunlight to support a wide range of plants. In addition, become familiar with your area’s hardiness zone and frost dates to avoid surprises during spring planting!
Check your soil pH to understand which types of plants will thrive there, as this will dictate which will do best. Some thrive best with acidic soil while others need a more neutral foundation for growth.
For optimal results, combine rich loam or sandy loam soils with organic and inorganic amendments for improved drainage and aeration, which in turn increases plant growth as well as increasing bloom sizes and numbers. This combination should give optimal results.
Nutrients
No matter if you are planting a garden in your backyard or container, fertilizers provide essential nutrients that help plants flourish. Fertilizer strengthens roots, promotes healthy growth and allows your flowers to produce larger blooms.
A balanced flower garden fertilizer will offer your plants all of the minerals and nutrients they require for healthy growth. As a general guideline, fertilizers should be applied at both the beginning of each growing season as well as before winter sets in.
Before planting your flowers, choose an area with adequate sunlight. Most species require at least six hours of direct sunlight each day in order to thrive and bloom beautifully.
Flower beds that receive less-than-ideal sun can dry out quickly, creating the ideal conditions for fungus to take hold and kill their plants. To reduce the chances of this happening, plant in areas with excellent drainage capabilities.
Water
Water is vital to plant life, providing soil with vital nutrients and oxygen for photosynthesis. It’s also key in creating an attractive flower garden.
Watering flowers appropriately is key to their health and vitality, whether in containers or the ground. For the best results, try not to sprinkle overhead but rather water deeply to promote downward root development. To maintain optimal flower health and vitality, avoid overhead spraying; deep irrigation promotes healthier roots.
As morning watering can help limit evaporation, morning irrigation of container gardens that tend to dry out rapidly is especially beneficial.
Add organic matter such as compost or shredded leaves to the soil in order to make watering more effective, enrich it with plant nutrients, improve drainage and stimulate microbial life that keeps the area moist. This approach may save water by making watering more cost effective.