How to Design with Flowers

Designing your flower garden properly takes a little preparation and care.

Some gardeners tend to throw their flower gardens together haphazardly. Matching the flowers to the soil condition in the garden is a given, but choosing flowers carefully, pairing different colors and texture, can completely change the aesthetic appearance of the garden. It takes a bit of experience to get your flower garden just right, but there are a few guidelines you can follow to make the most out of your garden until you get a feel for what your personal preferences may be.

Instructions

1. Collect soil samples from the garden. Send the samples off to your local university extension for testing. Choose flowers that will survive in your soil quality.

2. Choose flowers for your garden that will survive in the sunlight available in the area. Choose low light flowers for shady areas and full-sun flowers where there is eight hours of sunlight or more.

3. Locate planting areas in the yard where the flowers will be fully visible.

4. Sketch a design on paper using color pencils to imagine how different colors will play off each other. Locate areas in the yard where new flower beds can be created.

5. Place brightly colored flowers in front of dull backgrounds such as rock walls, painted sheds or barns, or along fence lines.

6. Place plants in the garden according to the final size of the flower and plant. Plant larger flowers away from the house and plant progressively smaller flowers closer to the door of the home. This frames the home.

References

• Cornell University; Flower Garden Design Basics; 2006
• University of Illinois Extension: Designing Flower Beds
• "University of Vermont Extension System"; Perennial Flower Design; Leonard P. Perry