How to Arrange Flower Beds

Arranging plants by size ensures each is easily visible.

Beds of brightly colored flowers add interest to your landscaping. Choosing the type of flowers is only one part of the design process. You must also arrange the plants so that they are shown off to their best potential while also receiving all the elements they need grow well. A well-designed flower bed provides color from spring through summer.

Instructions

1. Determine how much sunlight the bed receives throughout the day. Choose flowers that require a similar amount of daily sun for use in a single bed.

2. Choose flowers that do well in your soil type. Use plants with similar water and fertilizer requirements, otherwise some plants may end up overfed while others are underfed.

3. Plan on taller flowers near the back of the bed--against the wall of the home, a fence or in front of trees. Choose flowers with blossom colors that contrast with their background.

4. Place flowers of a medium height or lower-growing flowering shrubs in the middle section.

5. Small flowers and ground covers should be placed in the front section of the bed. Use one to two different varieties or colors that differ from the colors in the taller flowers.

6. Use a combination of early and late blooming flowers, interspersing the two throughout the bed. A combination helps ensure season-long color, as the foliage of the early bloomers provides a backdrop to the later blooming blossoms.

Tips & Warnings

• Combine both annuals and perennials in a single bed. Perennials tend to bloom for a short period of time but don't need replanting each year. Annuals often bloom all summer but must be replaced each spring.

References

• Cornell University Extension: Flower Garden Design Basics
• University of Illinois Extension: Designing Flower Beds