When it comes to making your garden look fantastic, it’s all about the planning. Regardless of how big your outside space is, with a little bit of thought you can really bring it to life.
With the celebrated Chelsea Flower Show taking place in May, and with summer around the corner, now is the perfect time to plan your flower garden, research the perfect plant pairings that will create a carnival of colour in your garden, and find out what to plant now.
Never just pick one plant on its own merit
It is so easy, when browsing for plants, to simply wander around your local garden centre and pick ones that look colourful and interesting.
However, if you really want your garden to look its best you need to think about how plants will look next to each other, and utilise every inch of your outside space to ensure each plant, shrub, tree and flower you choose is next to another that makes it really stand out.
Choose contrasting colours and textures
The best flower gardens are full of bright, contrasting colours and a variety of textures which really bring it to life.
Gardens should be interesting with plenty to look at and investigate. Everything from the walls fences and hedges that create your garden’s border, to the pots that you select to grow your chosen plants in should be picked specifically to create a vibrant and exciting look.
Think about the seasons
Now that spring is definitely upon us there is a whole range of fantastic flowering plants, trees and shrubs that are ready for planting and will blossom and bloom throughout the warmer months.
However, when summer is over it doesn’t mean that you need to neglect your garden – it can look fantastic all year round, even if that means you are admiring it from inside your cosy home as opposed to lazing outside in the sunshine!
It’s not just about the look
Plenty of plants have gorgeous scents that can make stepping into your flower garden truly delightful. So it’s important to pick ones whose fragrances blend sweetly together.
Take the climbing rose Etoile d’Hollande, for example, not only do the striking red flowers give any garden a romantic and elegant look, but the fragrance is truly sublime.
Combine with delicate honeysuckle and you’ll not only create a beautiful wall of contrasting colour, but the wonderful scent is something you’ll appreciate every time you set foot outside.
Jasmine and Lavender also work wonderfully together. Jasmine is an excellent climber, and will look great creeping up stone walls or curling prettily around fences and hedges. Big bushy pots of purple lavender provide the perfect variance and the sweet, floral, herbal fragrance is lovely too.
Think big
Even in smaller gardens if you have space for one large tree, make it a great one!
A small cherry tree will provide a fantastic focal point and the stunning pink and white blossoms that appear in late March and early April are wonderful for injecting some spring colour into your garden, and will work well with more hardy shrubs and leafy green plants too.
Think about the foliage
Flower colours should also be chosen with foliage in mind. Take the Eleagnus Gilt Edge – a medium sized evergreen shrub with sturdy, waxy green and yellow leaves.
This is a garden staple and a great space filler. Intersperse with a deep blue clematis such as Polish Spirit for a striking colour contrast that is sure to delight.
Work in other materials
A beautiful garden doesn’t simply have to be about plants. Let your imagination run wild and think about the contrasting materials you can bring in too.
Decorative stones look fantastic and create the illusion of space, as well as separating larger gardens into district areas. Garden furniture, wooden benches, and water features all create texture and movement too.
Dare to be brave
There is no harm in experimenting when it comes to plant pairings, so be brave and daring and you’ll soon see what works and what doesn’t when it comes to creating a fantastic flowering garden.
The great thing about gardening that if something looks odd you can simply carefully dig it up, plant it elsewhere and start again!
Now that you have some ideas of what you can plant now to create a wonderful flower garden, make sure that you have fully prepared your garden before you start planting.
Get your soil in perfect condition by turning it over, using a soil conditioner and adding a layer of rich topsoil too. Composts and mulches are fantastic at naturally improving the quality of your soil too, so make sure you give your plants and flowers the best start by ensuring your soil is in the best condition before you start.
If you would like any help or advice on the best way to improve and prepare your garden for planting why not get in touch with the friendly team at Bury Hill today?