Are you a complete beginner that wants to start your own flower garden? Then you have come to the right place! Many people get scared before they start trying to grow their garden. They might get scared by how much effort they have to put or how long they would have to wait for the flower to bloom. While there may be some truth to that, a good garden is nothing without some patience.
So how does one get to start a flower garden? The initial step is always the hardest step for some because of the all planning and preparation that has to be done. But don’t worry about all of that! It might sound like a lot of work but breaking them down into smaller pieces will help a lot! Especially for a beginner, having the work be divided will make sure that you are focusing on the correct areas and in no time you will be able to start your flower garden.
Key Takeaways
- The planning stage: where you find out what flowers you can grow in your area and how to design your garden so they get enough sun.
- Choosing your flowers and the specific soil preparation is important if you want to successfully grow the flower.
- Tools and tips that you will be using in the garden. As a beginner, you are bound to make mistakes but don’t give up!
Planning for Your Flower Garden
I will not lie; this might be the most important but boring part of your flower garden. For beginners, it is important to start with preparation because you don’t really know how to start! So let’s start with dividing the work so that you know where to put your focus on more.
Figuring out what you can grow
Before starting any sort of gardening, it is important what you can grow in your area. Different regions will have benefits for certain flowers and taking advantage of your climate will help the flower grow better. For example, if you are living in an area that is cold throughout the year, you will be hard-stuck finding a flower that will survive the winter. Luckily, flowers like snowdrops are great flowers for winter because they both like and can survive the cold!
Or you might want an indoor plant, and not all flowers can grow inside. They might need a lot of sunlight and you will be suffocating them inside your house. Remember, it’s okay to make mistakes as a beginner. That is why learning as much as you can beforehand save you from failure!
Mapping out the sun
This might be something you have never thought of; how much sun will my flower need? And how about if they need shade or direct sunlight to grow? Sunlight might be a friend to plants because they are providing the food that they need. But too much sun might end up drying out the plant and eventually ruining the plant. The same applies to flowers!
For example, the hibiscus flower loves the sun! And they grow best in full sunlight. Imagine you have it under some shade or inside your home. That flower will not be able to bloom properly at all! That is why mapping out how much sun your garden location will get is vital to the growth of the flower. Don’t forget to also check how much sun your home gets if you are thinking of indoor pot flowers.
Location and design
After getting to know which flowers grow best in your area and how much sun they might need, the next obvious choice will be the location. As I have mentioned a few times about indoor flowers, they are great for house decor! They also require a lot less maintenance so as a beginner that might be the best place to start!
Of course, this will limit your choices so carefully thinking about the sun and climate, you may choose to go for an outdoor flower garden. There the design will be important because of how it will look. And not just that, if your location is far from a water source, then you wouldn’t be able to water them properly. So when designing, you have to also consider all the necessities that a flower needs. From the water, food, nutrients, drainage, and the sun, you will have to consider all these and many more for your flower garden.
It might not be important to make a design for your garden, but it will be helpful to identify where you want the flowers to go. For example, the shorter stem flowers to the front of the garden bed while taller flowers like sunflowers at the back. Not only will look better in terms of design, but it will also benefit the flower!
And with that, your preparation can be completed. Now you can start actually preparing your garden!
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Soil Preparation for Your Garden
Soil preparation is key to growing a garden for beginners. They will serve as the base for your flowers to grow so checking the soil condition is vital for your flowers. Because flowers also have specific flower preparation, you will need to know how to prepare your flower bed for each type of flower. My advice for beginners, section off your flower beds so you know how much space you will have for your flowers. This way, when you are adding those complementing flowers, you are not overcrowding the flower bed and making common gardening mistakes!
As with any gardening, you have to pull out all the weeds and make sure the soil climate is perfect for your flower. For example, if your soil lacks nutrients or lacks the proper pH levels and compaction, then your flowers will not be able to grow! And think about how deep the root of the flower will be too. Too shallow and the roots won’t be able to form properly. Too deep, and you will never see the flower ever again! I suggest using compost from your kitchen scrapes to help give the soil some much-needed nutrients
Another way you can prepare the flower is by doing the germination inside under controlled conditions. In this way, you can control and ensure the germination of the seed and then later transplant the flower to your garden. Some flowers like the marigold are very difficult to grow outside without optimal conditions, so having them grown inside will ensure you have the plant!
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Choosing Which Flower to Grow
Choosing which flowers to grow is not only about the design and color palette they will be giving but also the type of flower they are.
Annuals and Perennials
For beginners, I highly suggest growing perennials and annuals type of flowers. These types of flowers will bear seed multiple times, where annuals grow once a year and perennials grow once every two to three years.
The annuals will die within the season that you grow and bloom but perennials will always bear flowers. In this way, you are ensuring that you will always have flowers in your garden. The annuals will need to be taken out and replanted to get newer flowers, while the perennials can always stay in your garden and produce flowers whenever they are ready.
Companion flowers
Another thing to note is that while color and design-wise some flowers look together; it is also important to make sure that they complement each other. Flowers like tulips and marigolds are a perfect combination. The marigold’s insect-repellent properties will help the tulip be protected. You can also interplant some greeneries like sage and thyme and they will not only make your flowers shine but also repel pests.
Height difference
The height difference is another factor to consider! Foxgloves and sunflowers are some of the tallest flowers out there. If you plant these in the front of your garden and plant lilies at the back, the lilies will not get a good amount of sunlight. They will be competing for nutrients and sunlight and not grow and bloom properly.
So when you are planting your flowers, make sure to give them good companions as they will make the other grow better. And a nice spread of annuals and perennials will give you the variety in your garden that you need. That way you can see the fruits of your labor all year round!
Tools for Your Flower Garden
So with all of that, let’s look at some tools that you need for your flower garden.
Gloves: this is to protect you from the thorns and dirt of the flower and flower bed. It is easier to work with gloves than without.
Pruning scissors: flowers need to be pruned to promote the growth of the stems and flowers.
Trowel: For any digging and shaping in and around the flower, a trowel is great because of its small size.
Spade: For the bigger digging, the spade will give you more versatility.
Hoe: This is to prepare the soil for planting.
Garden hose or water can: To water the plants.
Wheelbarrow: To carry any dirt and soil to and from your flower garden.
FAQs
Loose soil that has proper drainage will make sure that the flower will grow the best. Flowers can drown very easily in waterlogged areas so be careful about that.
Roses are very easy to grow and maintain as well. You will need a sunny area for them to get all that nice sunshine. Wear gloves so you aren’t pricked by their thorns.
Sunflowers, irises, marigolds, and petunias are some of the easiest-to-grow flowers out there. They are both fast growers and easy to maintain.
Final Thoughts
You might not be successful in your first adventures in flower gardens because they take a while to bloom and grow. But that shouldn’t discourage you from growing them. They are great ways to design your backyard and home and add color to your environment. Not to mention the sweet fragrance they will provide you. Make mistakes as a beginner because that is the way that you will be able to learn and grow as a flower gardener.
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