How to Create a Terraced Flower Bed
A terraced flowerbed will give a yard an interesting and engaging focal point. The flower colors can tie-in with your favorite colors or blend in with nature's backdrop. Incorporate various heights to create a natural sense of privacy. Make the overall design one that can be appreciated from different vantage points, both indoors and outdoors. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Layout
- Soil test
- Flowers
- Retainer wall
- Drainage system
- Garden statuary and accents
Instructions
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Examine the garden space. Identify the area where you will create the flowerbeds and execute a terraced space layout. Decide whether the flowerbeds will be raised, sunken or tiered. Identify needs for drainage and areas that will require retainer walls to prevent soil erosion. Take pictures and measure the width and depth of the spaces for flowerbeds. Make notes about specific conditions such as rocks, length of sunshine, and permanent structures like trees.
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Choose a theme for the garden. Perhaps you can create a terraced garden that includes all native perennial plants. Alternatively, you could create a flowerbed that mixes perennials with annuals to give the garden vibrant pops of color. You could even select a spot to incorporate herbs and edible flowers or define your garden with old-fashioned English cottage flowers and plantings.
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Select your flowers. Once you know your soil and sunlight conditions you can begin the fun part -- selecting the flowers. Think about color, light requirements and height. Select flowers that will cohabitate well together within the bed on each level of the terrace. Group flowers by colors that will complement each level and thrive in the soil and sunlight conditions.
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Visualize where to place statuary and garden accents. Save space in the garden and in your car for those surprise finds you'll stumble upon during trips to the garden center and nursery. This will add visual interest to the flower beds and lend opportunities to play-off the colors and heights of plantings. Imagine where you'll place a whimsical garden gnomes, Grecian statue, reflective mirror ball, birdbath or water feature.
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Conduct a soil test. It is important to know what your soil conditions are, such as whether the soil is alkaline, acidic or neutral. Flowers and plants thrive in different conditions.
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Make soil amendments, if necessary so that the beds create a healthy environment for each flower variety to thrive. Study the habitat and cultivation requirements for your favorites and make sure that any special needs are accounted for in terms of materials such as compost and manure to bring the soil to the appropriate pH level and fertilizers to enrich the soil and protect the flowers from pests.
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Plant your flowers. Take before, middle and after pictures and create a gardener's scrapbook to record memories of your terraced flower garden project.
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Keep a gardener's journal. Record notes about which flowers thrive and things you had to do give them a bit of help for reference. In the following season, you will have a record of what is working and how to incorporate new ideas to make your garden grow in beauty with each passing season.
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References
- Photo Credit Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
