Choosing which plants to use in your flower garden may be as important as using the right soil mix. Carefully researching and planning for the right size, color and care of each plant will save you many hours of frustration in the future. Doing your research will lead to many more hours of enjoyment in the garden.
The Plan
First, you must decide what sort of flower garden you want to plant. Will it be manicured, each and every petal color coordinated with straight lines and perfect pathways or will it be more cottage-like, with mixed flowers and herbs, winding pathways with a look of ordered disorder?
The local library or your home computer are great places to start your research. For an extensive list of plants and their needs, the USDA Plants Databaseis a great place to start. You will also want to check with your local nursery person. They know their business and should be willing to take the time with you to explain the growth habits and needs of the plants they sell.
There are many software programs available to help with the planning and layout of the garden. The 3D Garden Composer is only one of many programs available. There are a few free programs on the internet which can be found by doing a search for, 'free' landscape design tools. Utilize an old stand-by, pencil and paper. Draw out your plans and add flower names with a 'key' at the bottom.
Make it Visual
Cut photos from old seed catalogs and tape or paste them into your hand drawn plan. This will help to give you a more visual view of what will go where in your flower garden. You may also want to keep a folder of photographs, magazine/seed catalog cut outs along with names of plants you have heard, for reference. Keep it handy for that trip to the nursery. Sometimes, a picture will help the nursery professional better than an explanation such as, "It was pink with 6 no, maybe 8 petals and about this tall, or perhaps it was...".
Pick the Spot
You will want to pick the spot for your flower garden. Will it be near the foundation of the house? An island bed in the center of the yard? Perhaps you would like to create a private garden, screened by vines and shrubs. Check the area several times throughout the day. Is it mostly sunny or does it get some afternoon shade? Is it open to the winds? Is the area low/does water stand in it when it rains or is it dry and will need regular watering? If the soil needs amending, your nursery professional can help with that as well.
Plant Selections
Once you settle on the spot, you will have a better idea of which plants to choose. Choose plants that will work in the area you have chosen for your flower bed. A few selections are listed below. The variety is virtually endless.
Shade Lovers
- Begonia
- Caladium
- Coleus
- Hosta
- Impatiens
Sun Lovers
- Bee Balm
- Bellflower
- Liatris
- Mallow
- Peony
- Salvia
- Shasta Daisy
- Sunflower
- Sweet William
- Verbena
To Sum Up
- Decide what sort of flower garden you want
- Research
- Draw out the plan
- Make it visual
- Choose and prepare the 'spot'
- Select the plants
A garden of any size should be a place to relax. Creating a garden should also be a relaxing experience. Having fun planning and creating your garden is not difficult to do. The hardest part will be to stop with only one flower garden.
Jacqueline Cross - Ms. Cross is a freelance writer and when not writing or traveling and reading for research, she enjoys creating various gardens on her ...
