Janece Maze is Associate Editor at Country Living, where she covers DIY projects, gardening, and travel. When she’s not in the kitchen creating a new recipe with farm fresh ingredients, you can find her on the road heading to a music festival or browsing a local consignment shop. "},{"name":"Arricca Elin SanSone","url":"https://www.countryliving.com/author/2429/arricca-elin-sansone/","@type":"Person","description":"
Arricca Elin SanSone is a freelance writer, editor, and digital content developer. She specializes in lifestyle and interior design content with a focus on gardening. Arricca earned dual bachelor’s degrees summa cum laude in English and classics from Hiram College, as well as an MBA cum laude from Georgia Southern University. Before writing full-time, Arricca studied in Rome, traveled in Europe, and taught school in Asia. With over a decade of experience, Arricca has pitched, researched, and crafted fresh story ideas and content to appeal to national audiences. She has written thousands of articles for print and digital publications such as Country Living, Good Housekeeping, Prevention, House Beautiful, and more. She’s passionate about gardening, baking, reading, and spending time with the people and dogs she loves.","jobTitle":"Contributing Writer","image":"https://hips.hearstapps.com/rover/profile_photos/29dc1f78-ddae-4377-840a-1dba434b76d7_1525357351.file"}],"@context":"http://schema.org","about":{"@type":"ItemList","numberOfItems":33,"itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@type":"Thing","name":"Keep Gardening Tools Nearby","url":"https://www.countryliving.com/gardening/g41983209/flower-bed-ideas/#slide-1","description":"For stunning flower beds, you need the right tools. 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Read more: Why You Should Be Using More Stones In Your Garden","image":"https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/gettyimages-154046389-1668631099.jpg"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":6,"item":{"@type":"Thing","name":"Mix Annuals, Perennials and Shrubs in Flower Beds","url":"https://www.countryliving.com/gardening/g41983209/flower-bed-ideas/#slide-6","description":"The prettiest gardens show off color in all seasons, which you can accomplish by planting a mix of annuals, perennials and small shrubs. 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Read more: 55 Favorite Container Plants and Ideas","image":"https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/gettyimages-569008309-2-1668631208.jpg"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":8,"item":{"@type":"Thing","name":"Install a Retaining Wall","url":"https://www.countryliving.com/gardening/g41983209/flower-bed-ideas/#slide-8","description":"Consider adding a retaining wall to your new or existing garden space to give the area an upgrade. Building pretty and functional wall will give your greenery height and provide a solid foundation for adding elevated floral beds. 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According to the World Wildlife Federation, \"Native plants grow naturally in a given area and are therefore best adapted to that region’s typical weather patterns. This means they’ll survive with minimal maintenance and will not require excessive watering or care.\" This means plants will require less maintenance and watering versus the increased care needed to successfully grow nonnative plants.Read more: Native Wildflowers by Region","image":"https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/herb-vegetables-and-flower-garden-royalty-free-image-1712863554.jpg"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":11,"item":{"@type":"Thing","name":"Add Raised Beds","url":"https://www.countryliving.com/gardening/g41983209/flower-bed-ideas/#slide-11","description":"Raised beds allow you to plant in what may otherwise be unsuitable conditions, such as sandy, rocky or heavy clay soil—or where there's no soil at all! 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You even can incorporate edible flowers in your garden design!Read more: 12 Beautiful Edible Flowers for Decorating Your Dinner Plates","image":"https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/vegetable-garden-royalty-free-image-1668794431.jpg"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":13,"item":{"@type":"Thing","name":"Add Warmth with Welcoming Seating","url":"https://www.countryliving.com/gardening/g41983209/flower-bed-ideas/#slide-13","description":"A strategically placed lounging area can complete a untamed corner with tall bed of flowers with shrubs. A pair of classic Adirondack chairs in a muted blue tone will call you to spend afternoons in the garden.Shop Country Living's Garden Chairs at Polywood! ","image":"https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/garden-chairs-royalty-free-image-1712697808.jpg"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":14,"item":{"@type":"Thing","name":"Add Pollinator Plants","url":"https://www.countryliving.com/gardening/g41983209/flower-bed-ideas/#slide-14","description":"Tall flowering plants, like those found in meadows, are beautiful and support pollinator insects. While it's not practical to transform your entire yard into a meadow, you can convert a small portion, such as a narrow strip along the driveway or a small border area along your property line.Read more: How to Make a Pollinator Garden That Actually Works","image":"https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/pollinator-garden-royalty-free-image-1668794941.jpg"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":15,"item":{"@type":"Thing","name":"Make a Statement","url":"https://www.countryliving.com/gardening/g41983209/flower-bed-ideas/#slide-15","description":"Your flower garden is already colorful, but adding an accent piece in an eye-catching hue, such as this sunny-yellow Adirondack chair, puts your personal stamp on it.Read more: The Best Outdoor Furniture at Walmart","image":"https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/yellow-chair-surrounded-by-colorful-flowers-royalty-free-image-1668795076.jpg"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":16,"item":{"@type":"Thing","name":"Create Height","url":"https://www.countryliving.com/gardening/g41983209/flower-bed-ideas/#slide-16","description":"Place vertical accents throughout the garden. 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Or Make a Natural Stone Path","url":"https://www.countryliving.com/gardening/g41983209/flower-bed-ideas/#slide-18","description":"Don't want to bother with gravel? This path is even simpler to construct: Natural stones are sunk into mulch or lawn to create an attractive and wending path that makes you want to explore the garden.Read more: 18 Stone Walkways That Will Beautify Your Yard","image":"https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/landscape-design-with-flower-beds-and-path-in-home-royalty-free-image-1669671109.jpg"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":19,"item":{"@type":"Thing","name":"Shrink Your Lawn","url":"https://www.countryliving.com/gardening/g41983209/flower-bed-ideas/#slide-19","description":"Instead of a large lawn with a small edge of flowers, consider expanding your beds and leaving just a small portion of lawn to serve as a grass pathway. It looks beautiful, helps pollinators, and with the right blend of plants will actually reduce work: Perennial beds also don't need to be mowed like grass does!Read more: 27 Best Perennial Flowers and Plants to Make Any Yard Beautiful","image":"https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/flower-garden-in-summer-royalty-free-image-1669671244.jpg"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":20,"item":{"@type":"Thing","name":"Mount Window Boxes","url":"https://www.countryliving.com/gardening/g41983209/flower-bed-ideas/#slide-20","description":"Window boxes are another way to enhance your flower garden. They're also a great alternative if you don't have the space to plant in-ground. 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Or use a shepherd's hook so you can hang them anywhere you like.Read more: 16 Best Flowers to Grow in Your Hanging Basket","image":"https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/hanging-plant-royalty-free-image-1669676805.jpg"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":26,"item":{"@type":"Thing","name":"Provide Water and Shelter","url":"https://www.countryliving.com/gardening/g41983209/flower-bed-ideas/#slide-26","description":"These garden accents are not only adorable, but they also support local wildlife, including pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and birds. The idea isn't to clutter up the garden, but to use these as practical objects of beauty.Read more: 12 DIY Bird Feeders That Will Fill Your Garden with Songbirds","image":"https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/pocket-garden-royalty-free-image-1669821139.jpg"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":27,"item":{"@type":"Thing","name":"Create a Seating Area","url":"https://www.countryliving.com/gardening/g41983209/flower-bed-ideas/#slide-27","description":"Every flower garden, no matter how big or small, should have a seating area where you can stop to enjoy the view. 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Designing a garden is a lot like painting, only with flowers and garden tools instead of paints and brushes. Each creative decision you make influences how the landscape will finally look. And it can be helpful to work as a painter does: starting with a blank slate and then layering on colors and textures one flower at a time.
But unlike painting, a flower garden continues to evolve and change without you. Like all living things, your garden needs regular tending. Whether you are starting with brand-new flower beds or hoping to revitalize a more mature garden, we have plenty of ideas for designing a more attractive garden. Check out these smart flower bed ideas and build yourself a more attractive plot!
How to Start Planning a Garden Bed
When deciding where to place your garden, consider what kind of light you have. Watch your yard throughout the day and determine how much light different areas get each day. Most plants are labeled full sun (meaning they need 6 or more hours of direct sunlight every day) partial sun (about half that) or full shade (little or no direct sunlight).
This changes slightly throughout the growing season, of course. Sunny areas in spring may be shaded by deciduous trees later in the year, or may receive more sunlight as the days lengthen and the sun rises higher in the sky. Remember, too, that morning sun is more gentle while blazing afternoon sun is the most intense, and will burn plants that need more shade.
How to Select Your Garden Bed Flowers
Next, take the time to read information related to your desired plants' optimal growing conditions. Soil type and PH conditions will impact the health and development of your flower beds. Your local state gardening extension program should be able to do a soil test for you. Once you know your soil's ph and mix of basic nutrients, you can decide which fertilizer (if any) you need to add. Here's our guide to understanding fertilizer.
When choosing a garden plan, remember that you can—and should—think about how the space will look throughout all four seasons. One way to do that is by combining annual flowers that bloom at different times with perennials. (Here's more about the differences between annual and perennial plants.) Adding in shrubs and small trees can take your flower bed from average to show-stopping.
Don't forget to layer your plants, as well! Placing taller plants in back, shorter in front, will offer depth and privacy to your garden.
1
Keep Gardening Tools Nearby
Rick Lew//Getty Images
For stunning flower beds, you need the right tools. Spend less time on garden work and more time admiring your beautiful creation with the right gardening tools.
Get inspiration for adding or upgrading an existing garden shed. From whimsical cottages to crafting studios, these garden sheds will offer a space to store tools and make working in the garden easier.
This flower bed uses gentle curves to create a shape that naturally draws the eye to the entryway and makes the space feel more welcoming. To achieve this look, lay out a garden hose to outline the pattern first before digging the bed.
Garden beds should have some definition to stand out. This one uses hardscape pavers to create a curving form for a perennial bed. You also could use bricks or stones or pound-in edging.
This bed is accented with stacks of natural stone, which provide texture and structure. You don't necessarily have to build a wall; one or two well-placed rocks our small boulders add interest to any bed when artistically placed.
The prettiest gardens show off color in all seasons, which you can accomplish by planting a mix of annuals, perennials and small shrubs. Here, flowering azalea shrubs welcome late spring, while perennials such as irises are getting ready to bloom.
Placing containers in planting beds not only offers a splash of color, it provides height. The containers shown here overflow with annuals that can be changed out seasonally, such as pansies for spring or mums for fall.
Consider adding a retaining wall to your new or existing garden space to give the area an upgrade. Building pretty and functional wall will give your greenery height and provide a solid foundation for adding elevated floral beds.
A brightly-colored section of fence contrasts beautifully with these annuals, including geraniums and zinnias, and perennials, including heuchera and lilies.
If you're prone to missing a few days caring for garden beds, consider including native plants and wildflowers from your local area.
According to the World Wildlife Federation, "Native plants grow naturally in a given area and are therefore best adapted to that region’s typical weather patterns. This means they’ll survive with minimal maintenance and will not require excessive watering or care." This means plants will require less maintenance and watering versus the increased care needed to successfully grow nonnative plants.
Raised beds allow you to plant in what may otherwise be unsuitable conditions, such as sandy, rocky or heavy clay soil—or where there's no soil at all!
They can be a few inches to a few feet tall, which make gardening easier on the back, too.
You don't have to have a dedicated vegetable garden. Combine edibles and ornamentals in the same bed for a pretty and practical garden. Here, tomatoes tumble alongside annuals such as flossflower.
Flowers also attract and support pollinators, which is essential for some crops such as squash to form fruit. You even can incorporate edible flowers in your garden design!
A strategically placed lounging area can complete a untamed corner with tall bed of flowers with shrubs. A pair of classic Adirondack chairs in a muted blue tone will call you to spend afternoons in the garden.
Tall flowering plants, like those found in meadows, are beautiful and support pollinator insects. While it's not practical to transform your entire yard into a meadow, you can convert a small portion, such as a narrow strip along the driveway or a small border area along your property line.
Your flower garden is already colorful, but adding an accent piece in an eye-catching hue, such as this sunny-yellow Adirondack chair, puts your personal stamp on it.
Place vertical accents throughout the garden. A trellis, as shown here, obelisk, or other tall decorative piece will provide interest and a place for vining plants to climb.
Paths don't have to be expensive; even a simple gravel path adds personality to any flower garden setting. It's also a way to encourage visitors to wander through the flowers to enjoy the experience.
18
... Or Make a Natural Stone Path
Nuture//Getty Images
Don't want to bother with gravel? This path is even simpler to construct: Natural stones are sunk into mulch or lawn to create an attractive and wending path that makes you want to explore the garden.
Instead of a large lawn with a small edge of flowers, consider expanding your beds and leaving just a small portion of lawn to serve as a grass pathway. It looks beautiful, helps pollinators, and with the right blend of plants will actually reduce work: Perennial beds also don't need to be mowed like grass does!
Window boxes are another way to enhance your flower garden. They're also a great alternative if you don't have the space to plant in-ground. Match them to your home's style, as shown here with this picket fence-styled window box on a cottage window.
