A beautifully blooming flower garden is not a product of chance. Only when location factors and flower selection harmonize perfectly will the dream of a picturesque sea of flowers become reality. This guide highlights important maxims for the skilful design of a flower bed with a planting plan as food for thought.
How to design a flower garden?
To design a flower garden successfully, choose the location, plan leading, companion and filler perennials as well as bulb flowers. Consider light, temperature and soil conditions and use plants suitable for local conditions.
Selection of location and planning set the course – this is how it works
The key to a lavishly blooming flower garden is the informed choice of location. Determine the light and temperature conditions as well as the condition of the soil in advance. Based on these criteria, you create a true-to-scale plan sketch. Here's how to design it like a pro:
- Select leading perennials as scaffolding in the background and center, such as majestic delphinium (Delphinium)
- Identify companion plants that visually harmonize with the floral protagonists, such as yarrow (Achillea Filipendulina)
- Plan filler perennials to close gaps, such as cranesbill (Geranium) or purple bells (Heuchera)
- Don't forget bulb flowers for an early start in the flower garden, like snowdrops and daffodils
- Distribution: 10-15% leading plants, 30-40% accompanying perennials and 50-60% gap fillers
Only include plants in the design plan that are suitable for the local conditions. A sun worshiper keeps his flowers under wraps in the shade, just like a shade bloomer in a sun-drenched location.
How to create a sunny flower bed from 9 plants
The following planting plan shows how you can transform a small area of 2 square meters in a sunny location into a summer flower dream with just a few plants. A wintergreen ornamental grass completes the flower ensemble and ensures that there is no boredom even in the cold season:
- Bush mallow (Lafathera Olbia hybrid 'Barnsley') as a leading plant in the background; 150 to 200 cm height
- White candlestick (Gaura lindheimeri) with a long flowering period from June to October; 60 to 80 cm height
- Feather bristle grass (Pennisetum) as a companion perennial with a decorative winter aspect; 30 to 60 cm
- Yellow girl's eye (Coreopsis verticillata) as a filler perennial with flowering time until the first frost; 40 to 45 cm
- Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) with blue summer flowers; 50 to 60 cm
- Ornamental sage (Salvia nemorosa) as a blue-flowering counterpart to lavender; 70 to 80 cm
Long-flowering ground cover plants add floral richness to the flower bed. Prime examples are candytuft (Iberis sempervirens), cushion phlox (Phlox subulata) and blue cushion (Aubrieta).
Tip
Do you want to enjoy your flower garden without being exposed to prying eyes? Then round off the design plan with the right privacy plants. In sunny locations, a flower hedge made of butterfly lilac (Buddleja davidii) protects your privacy. Around the semi-shady to shady location, a hedge of purple dogwood (Cornus alba sibirica) fulfills this task brilliantly.
