Summer Flower Bed Design

Design a colorful summer flowerbed.

In the spring, gardeners usually begin their summer flowerbed design. When designing your summer flowerbed, give thought to the location and purpose of your design, as well as preparation and maintenance needs. To get ideas, thumb through the pages of a home and garden magazine. When selecting flowers, seek the help of professionals at your local garden shop.

Types

Some gardeners like to have a summer flowerbed that borders the walkway or driveway to their home, welcoming visitors with a showy display of happy flowers such as marigolds, zinnias and petunias. Others concentrate on areas in their back yard, where they can enjoy their designs in privacy with friends and family. For a shaded area, include impatiens, begonias or pansies in your flowerbed designs. If the area gets a lot of sun, consider planting flowers like roses and geraniums. Add romantic appeal to your summer flower design by covering a trellis, wall or tree with flowering vines such as morning glory, clematis and climbing roses.

Signifigance

Summer flowerbeds provide color and interest to landscaping. Many flowers also attract butterflies. Some people design summer flowerbeds because they like the way the summer air carries the fragrance of scented roses and wildflowers into their open windows. If you plan to cut flowers from your summer gardens, plant flowers that will continue to grow new blooms, like roses, carnations, dahlias and asters.

Preparation

Before executing your summer flowerbed design, prepare the area by using a garden hoe to turn over the soil, removing any existing weeds, chunks of grass and rocks. Adding compost or manure 3 to 4 inches deep to the beds will make them more favorable for strong, healthy plant growth.

Maintenance

To keep a summer flowerbed design looking well manicured, the grower must regularly remove by hand any weeds that might choke the roots of the plant. Water the flowerbed regularly so that the hot days of summer do not take a toll. Adding mulch to the summer flowerbed not only discourages weeds from growing and provides moisture, but the rich color adds depth and interest to your design and makes the flowerbed look healthy and lush. As the summer progresses, encourage new blooms to grow by pinching off the faded blooms.

Considerations

Many gardeners plant plenty of annual plants in their summer flowerbeds for quick, lush color, but you can combine them with perennial plants that will provide a green backdrop for a smooth transition into the fall. When contemplating your design, reserve tall plants for the background of the flowerbed, medium-height plants for the middle and low-growing edging flowers for the border of the flowerbed.

References

• Garden Guides: Summer Flower Bed Designs
• Pesticide.org: Managing Weeds in Shrugs and Flowerbeds