How to Design Large Flower Beds

Flower bed designs can be creative.

Designing a flower bed is easy when the flower bed is small because the space is limited. When the space is larger, the design becomes more challenging. Planting flowers at random will not make the best use of the larger space. The design is an important part of having a beautiful flower bed that can be appreciated and enjoyed for the entire season.

Things You'll Need

• Flower books
• Flowers
• Measuring tape
• Paper and pencil or pen

Instructions

1. Measure the size of the flower bed. Exact measurements will make it easier to design the flower bed and will make it easier to divide the area among various different flowers. Measure the area with a measuring tape, taking the length and width of the flower bed.

2. Get ideas from books and magazines that show different flower bed designs and give information about the different flowers and their particular needs. This will give an idea of which flowers are best for the climate, sunlight availability and exact size of the garden.

3. Pick flowers that will bloom in the conditions of the flower bed. If the flower bed has full sunlight for the entire day, great drainage and high pH levels, the flower choices will be different than a flower bed that only has half a day of sunlight, good drainage and low pH levels. Pick out the best flowers for the specific conditions of the flower bed.

4. Pick out flowers that work well together. This includes the appearance and the nutritional and watering needs of the plants. If the plants have different needs nutritionally, it can be challenging to ensure that the plants get the appropriate fertilization without over fertilizing the other plant next to it. Also make sure the colors of the flowers look appealing when planted next to each other.

5. Plant the flowers by size. Larger flowers that grow taller should be next to similar flowers while smaller flowers should be planted next to smaller flowers. This avoids accidentally killing some of the flowers due to too much shade and too little sunlight.

6. Draw and plan a design. The design should take the specific flowers and colors into account, but it should also appeal to personal preferences and taste.

References

• Improving Your World: Tips for Beautiful Flower Bed Design
• University of Illinois Gardeners Corner: Designing Flower Beds
• Kansas State University: A Perennial Flower Bed Design