DIY flower garden landscaping for year-round color in any size

DIY flower garden landscaping for year-round color in any size space

Gardening is one of the most popular hobbies in America. There's something uniquely satisfying in growing plants. Some gardening enthusiasts approach flower garden landscaping design with great enthusiasm, but without an overall plan as to how the garden plantings will take shape over time. You may go to the nursery and snap up a flat of flower starts that you figure will certainly fit in somewhere. You're carried away by the beauty of the particular flower, regardless of how that flower may fit in to your total flower garden landscaping design.

Let's see how to formulate a plan for your entire garden, no matter its size, before making a single purchase. The result will be an integrated, coordinated and beautiful flower garden and surrounding landscaping.

Let's start with the smallest of garden spaces, which includes balconies and condos. In both cases, the garden space you may claim as your own is confined. Apartment complexes and condos usually have the common areas landscaped. For these gardens, hanging and potted plants may be the entire garden. However, you can spread a lot of color in a small space.

Your plan should begin with an assessment of the sun exposure and the strength and direction of winds your flowers are subjected to in that location. Naturally, you'll want shade loving plants for a northern exposure and sun lovers for a western or southern exposure. You may be able to install potted plants on a west or south-facing balcony floor and thus gain a mix. In windy locations, be sure the plants you choose are sturdy and able to withstand occasional buffeting by wind. Your nursery can make recommendations for plants which will thrive in your situation.

Also consider the amount of time you have to maintain your garden. Some plants require frequent pruning, deadheading of flowers and such, so don't overestimate the time you need to keep your flower garden looking well kept.

Now that you have selected plants, you've got the basis for your flower garden landscaping design. A mix of complementary and contrasting colors and textures generally produces the most interesting overall design.

With a larger garden, the process is much the same, but requires more detailed planning. The height of mature flowers must also be considered, when planning beds. You may have several exposures and microclimates as well. Measure each side of your garden and section out areas with similar sun exposures, sketching it out on paper, or better yet, with flower garden landscaping software. Block out areas for beds, pathways, making note of hedges, existing trees and driplines.

Late winter and early spring bulbs, such as crocuses, do well under deciduous trees and make a nice early display. On the other hand, when planning your flower garden landscaping, gladiolas and other sun loving bulbs won't thrive under a shade tree.

Cutting gardens can provide lots of blooms for indoor vases. These are best situated in an out of the way location where the arrangement of the bed is not the objective. Just eight, eight-foot long rows of annuals and perennials will fill your vases all summer long.

If your existing garden is devoid of mature plantings, you may want to tackle this aspect first. Spring is a good time to plant trees and hedges, giving them a chance to 'settle in' and establish a healthy root system before winter. Depending on the current season, pencil in the proposed trees and hedges, allowing enough space around them in your flower garden landscaping design. For example, a pathway which winds around the tree or shrub can be edged with annuals outside the dripline. As the tree or shrub matures, your flower bed will still look attractive and work in your landscape plan.

As you're brainstorming ideas for your landscaping, consider all of the possibilities. Annuals, perennials, bulbs, ornamental grasses and ground covers are all good candidates. Go to the library or bookstore and browse through flower garden landscaping design books for ideas and combinations of flowers which please your eye.

Planning your flower garden landscaping before you start digging up the garden isn't only smart, but is guaranteed to produce an eye-catching result.

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