Successful Flower Garden Design

Most of us don’t truly consider flower garden design before planting. We usually buy some seeds in the Spring or head to the local garden store to see what looks good and then pop them into the ground here and there.

Then in our travels we see gardens that really draw interest and make us think, “Wow, that person must have a green thumb, or have lots of time to work on her garden!”

That person can be you. You will reach your goal most quickly and with the least expense and effort if you:

1. Assess where you stand
2. Decide what you want
3. Learn what factors will ensure success
4. Make a plan to follow

Assess Where You Stand

This step is critical to a thoughtful and balanced flower garden design. What you need is a blank sheet of paper, a pencil (you will erase and revise) and a little observation time. As in the example here, sketch your property, including major features, Sun and wind exposures, sloping or wet areas and the “views” from inside your house and from outside.

Since trees, shrubs, outbuildings and land features are typically the “anchor” landscape features, it is important to note their locations and types in the drawing. It may be that a thorny shrub simply needs to be removed to make way for a more pleasing flower bed. But if you are not in a position to do major landscaping work, then this diagram will help you prioritize where to focus your efforts in a given season.

Next you should print our garden design form so you can begin to fill in the first section, in pencil, as you gather information and begin listing priorities.

It is helpful at this stage of flower garden design to evaluate the needs of any plant currently on your property, particularly if it is not thriving. It may be possible to fertilize, prune back, or even transplant as you decide on an overall design.

For example, the azalea near the front door in our sketch could be moved to near the arbor vitae row in the back yard, as azaleas favor the acidic soil which conifers create. Then you can use that space in the front of the house for a mixed perennial/annual flower bed, which may not do as well near the acidic arbor vitae.

Test the pH of your soil using either a pH test kit or by sending one or more samples to your local cooperative extension office. Then enter this information into the garden design form.

Do not skip this step. All the flower garden design expertise you bring to your property will be to no avail if the conditions are not right for healthy growth.

Decide What You Want & Know What It Takes

The most important environmental factors for flowers are:

With these factors in mind, you have lots of freedom. Following are some flower garden design guidelines around which you should feel free to be creative.

1. View: plant with an eye toward visibility both from inside and outside.
2. Slope: flowers do best on flat or slightly sloping ground. You may have to terrace or consider creeping ground cover for steeper areas.
3. Trees: competition for nutrients and shading make the base of trees a poor siting choice for flowers. If you decide to do it, do not cover tree roots with more than 3 in./1.25 cm of topsoil (after settling) as this can damage roots.
4. Location: consider narrow border flower gardens or an island flower garden in the middle of a lawn area.
5. Shape: straight borders are more formal in appearance and are easier to maintain, while gently curved borders are less formal and give an illusion of larger size.
6. Form: the three dimensional shape of each flower, such as upright or spreading, height and width gives depth and interest. Do not mix too many in any one space or you risk a feeling of commotion. In more formal flower gardens row planting is preferred, while informal gardens favor clumps or elongated areas in which you plant groups of 3-5 of each type of flower.
7. Color: maximize your color throughout the growing season with these tips.

   Don’t forget to consider rocks, non-flowering plants such as ornamental grasses or small shrubs as part of a flower garden design. These provide fall and winter interest as well as texture all year.

Be sure to compare the flowers you select will survive the temperatures in your growing zone.


Make A Plan to Follow


At this point in your flower garden design process, you should have the garden planning form’s first section filled with your prioritized garden objectives, the physical characteristics of the flowers and other plants you would like to plant and the resources available to you to accomplish your plan.

With your property sketch and the garden planning form in hand, move to the second, or installation phase of the garden planning form.

Onto your original sketch you can now add your flower garden ideas. Sometimes it’s helpful to use rope, a garden hose or spray paint to outline in your yard where you envision placing flowers. Let this sink in for a few days as you look at it from different angles and in different light. This will allow you to make modifications before you dig.




Once you begin, it is easier to begin with larger or more permanent features such as rocks, shrubs, trees or man made structures. This would be your phase 1 on the form. Remember to allow yourself plenty of access so you don’t have to step over new plantings.

In phase 2, plant perennials and biennials. These you will eventually uproot every few years as they multiply so you can divide new growth, replant some and plant the divided portions elsewhere. Give these varieties space so they can grow and so you can get to them later. Finally, in phase 3 you should plant the annuals in areas to which you can have easy access each year for new planting.

Of course you will want to blend each of these types of plants and flowers so you have interesting variations in height, texture and season long—if not year round—color. Revisit the concepts of interplanting, double cropping and color maximization as you decide how to do this.



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