A flower garden adds color and interest to any yard. If you are a beginning gardener, the thought of planning and planting a flower garden can be overwhelming. It may be easier than you imagine, and the time and effort you invest in your garden will reward you many times over.
Your Zone Matters
Growing zones in the United States vary in climate and humidity. Knowing the temperature range and amount of expected rainfall will help you to choose flowers and flowering plants that are best suited for where you live. For example, drought-resistant plants and flowering shrubs do well in many of the southern regions, where summers can be hot and dry. While some states have a much shorter growing season than others, you should be ready to start planting your flower garden after you are sure that the last killing frost has past. If you wish to plant flowers from seed, you will find the ideal growing zone written on the seed envelope.
Planning Your Flower Garden
Even a beginner can have a colorful and attractive garden with a little planning. Take a good look at your yard and choose an area that will have at least 5 hours of sun and is bright most of the day. Next, prepare the soil. You will have to dig out or till under the top layer of soil and enrich it with a thick layer of organic matter, which is really just a mix of decaying leaves, branches and fertile soil.
Seed catalogs are a great place to get ideas about which variety of flowers you want for your garden. You should decide whether you will plant seeds or small flowering plants from a local nursery. One advantage of starting from seed is that you can follow the progress of your flowers from the moment they are seedlings. Of course, if you buy plants from a nursery, your flower garden will be alive with color that much sooner.
As you plan your flower garden, think about the size. Small spaces are more attractive with one color or variety of flowers, while you can plant a mix of heights and flower sizes to cover a larger space. If you especially like a certain flower, set it apart by using decorative containers.
Keeping Your Flower Garden Healthy
When your plants are small, it can be easy to forget how big they grow. Make sure you leave enough space between each planting so that they do not have to compete for sun and soil. As flowers start to bloom and fade away, trimming the dying ones off (a practice called "dead-heading") will keep your plants healthy. The exception to this are the easy-to-care-for impatiens, a great choice for a shady spot in your garden because they bloom copiously all summer long and require little attention.
Water your flower garden in the early hours of the day, so that the sun's strong rays do not damage the leaves with water damage. Put down mulch or pebbles between widely spaced plants to discourage insects and weeds from growing. Whether your flower garden is small or large, you will not be a beginner for long.
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