DIY: Flower Garden Layout

Have you ever driven by a home and wondered how did they come up with that flower garden layout? You don’t have to be a Master Gardener to have a beautiful and cohesive flower bed layout.

So, how do you determine what to put where? Do you just grab the first thing you see and plant it? No worries. This DIY guide will give you the blueprint for planning your own layout.

{RELATED POST: 7 Beginner Gardener Hacks for Growing Native Plants}

This post is all about a DIY flower garden layout to plan your new or revamped flower bed.

Spring is usually the time that most gardeners start planning a new flower bed or revamping an old one. In some cases, you may be moving into a completely new home and would like to design your own flower bed. Or, you may be moving into a previously owned home and you want to start the garden over. Either way, a little planning goes a long way with flower gardens.

1. Choosing the Right Space

If you are planting flowers in front of your home, then you don’t really have to find a space. You might decide to create a flower bed in the corner of your yard, alongside your home, or near a feature in the yard. When picking a space you need to consider a few things.

• Does this area get enough sunlight? If you are planting flowers that require full sun, it does not need to be in a shady area. Depending on which direction your chosen spot is in (north, south, east, west) this will also play a part in how much sun your yard gets per day. The Farmer’s Almanac is a great resource when determining sun levels for your garden. Your plant’s tag will also provide care instructions and how much sun your plant should get.
• What will this space look like in the Winter? If you are looking for color in your garden all year long including the Winter, then you may want to consider evergreen plants. Evergreens stay green all year long and give you some life and color during the dormant season for your other plants.
• Do you want something that is blooming every season? When people think of blooming flowers, they generally think of Spring. But, you can buy flowers that bloom at different times throughout the season. You may have marigolds that bloom in the Spring, periwinkle that bloom in the sedum and coleus will give you a pop of color in the Fall. You can strategically create a constantly blooming flower garden that is beautiful and easy with a little planning.

If you don’t want to water your garden all the time, now is the time to consider irrigation systems.

2. Prep Your Area

Now that you have gotten inspired and chose an area, let’s prep your area. Buy a can of spray paint so you can mark your chosen area. You want at least three spray-painted areas to mark tall, medium, and small plants. The taller plants go against the house or feature and layer them from tallest to the shortest plants with the shortest plants being in the front.

3. Layering

If you are planting in a corner, use 3-5 plants. Figure out your main focal point, and plant around that focal point. If you get something that grows fast and tall, you will have to prune it. If you don’t want to prune, you may consider a dwarf version of your chosen plant.

Layering your plants in different heights gives your garden great depth. Start with the tallest plants in the back, medium plants, and then the shortest plants in front. Layering your plants slow down the focus of the garden. It doesn’t seem quite as busy when layered properly.

4. Color

Now it’s time to think about color and variety! Pick a color scheme you would like to see in your garden before you start planting. Do you like warm colors? Bright? Purples? Reds? Monochromatic? You can always search for a color wheel or chart online. Paint sections in your local home improvement stores have color wheels and complementary color cards that have great suggestions.

5. Texture

You want to have 3 – 4 different texture plants in your flower garden. What is texture? Lets say you have some spiky grass like fountain grass that is a medium height. You wouldn’t want to plant it with silver grass since those are two spiky grass textures together. Try something grassy, spiky, leafy or any texture that would contrast each other to give it depth.

6. Repetition

Once you have made a decision about the color, texture, and type of plants you want, now you want to repeat this same theme throughout your flower bed. You don’t want to have 20 different plants in your flower bed because it creates a busy look. If you have multiple beds, repeat this theme throughout your flower bed.

7. Start Planting

Now its time to start using your layout! Purchase the plants you have chosen. Remember to choose plants in your growing zone! Start laying out your flowers in your marked areas. Do not take them out of the pot yet. Just do a quick layout. Play around with this for a while. Do three scenarios to see which one you like best. Pick the best layout for your space.

Now that you’ve found the best layout, let’s start planting. If you are planting near trees, keep in mind that this may cause extra shade. So, double-check those plant care tags to ensure this won’t hurt the performance of your plant. Topping off your area with mulch is not only attractive but will help your garden retain moisture.

You’re all set! Now you can sit back and watch your garden grow!

This post was all about DIY flower garden layout.