Making a flower-bed
Mar 11, 2011
“GARDENS... should be like lovely, well-shaped girls: all curves, secret corners, unexpected deviations, seductive surprises and then still more curves.†H.E. Bates. A Love of Flowers
“GARDENS... should be like lovely, well-shaped girls: all curves, secret corners, unexpected deviations, seductive surprises and then still more curves.†H.E. Bates. A Love of Flowers
In the flower-beds of your garden grow bedding plants.
Bedding plants have one thing in common. Their flowers are bold in colour and the size of the plant is often small. They are usually planted in a bed en mass such that they create a harmonious effect.
Growing a group of the same plants together provides a stronger colour scheme that is visually appreciated.
Flowers are not the only source of colour, foliage can offer the same. Many plants have coloured stems and different leaf forms, which may be of considerable interest to a viewer. For example, the Hemigraphis plant with its purple leaves may be used as an edging plant around a flower-bed planted with yellow Golden shrimp plants.
Preparing a flower bed
The first most obvious thing to do is to select the area where you wish to have the flower-bed. This will be a determining factor of the plants you will grow.
Mark the area that is to be dug by placing wooden pegs (27cm tall) firmly into the ground around the bed.
Tie a sisal string at the highest level of the peg to clearly mark the border into the shape desired.
Dig from inside the string line ensuring that you keep a straight line.
Using a hoe remove the layer of grass on top, inside the bed placing it on the outside. Dig the ground (top soil) to a depth of 1ft removing all roots and unwanted substances.
Use a spade to pile the topsoil on the side.
Ensure that the surface of the bed at the end is sunk to about 1.5ft below the surface of the lawn. This enables water not to run off.
Dig up the entire area to soften and aerate the soil. At this stage it is advisable to bring in manure and have it thoroughly incorporated into the soil.
Return the black topsoil you had put on the side and add a heavy dressing of organic matter or humus thoroughly. Rake and wait for a week before planting.
There is nothing intimidating in growing flowering plants in beds en mass. You just need to learn the basic principles and follow them carefully.
When considering a flower-bed, first consider the size of the bed. This must be large enough to create a visual impact.
A good-sized flower-bed should be at least 12ft long and 3ft wide. Unless you are an experienced gardener its better to start with a small bed and over time build up the bed as you gain more confidence.
Secondly, the bed must be in the right position to be viewed, say from a sitting position on the patio or the lounge.
A flower-bed may be positioned almost anywhere in the garden except in the middle of a lawn as this interferes with the lawn setting. Choose areas on the edge of a lawn, on bends or below light shaded areas of grown trees.
Colour combination is an aspect that you should endeavour to get right if the flower-bed is to give a visual impact. We all have our preferences when it comes to colour, therefore there is no right or wrong colour on that basis. Usually yellows, deep pink and powder blue look well together. So do reds, silver green purple or mauve.
It is advisable that you plant similar species in clusters of about a metre long to give them boldness. You can also layer them in rows behind one another alternatively. If the garden is large you could make similar flower-beds at different angles to bring rhythm and continuity in your garden
Happy gardening!
winnieruk@hotmail.com.
In the flower-beds of your garden grow bedding plants.
Bedding plants have one thing in common. Their flowers are bold in colour and the size of the plant is often small. They are usually planted in a bed en mass such that they create a harmonious effect.
Growing a group of the same plants together provides a stronger colour scheme that is visually appreciated.
Flowers are not the only source of colour, foliage can offer the same. Many plants have coloured stems and different leaf forms, which may be of considerable interest to a viewer. For example, the Hemigraphis plant with its purple leaves may be used as an edging plant around a flower-bed planted with yellow Golden shrimp plants.
Preparing a flower bed
The first most obvious thing to do is to select the area where you wish to have the flower-bed. This will be a determining factor of the plants you will grow.
There is nothing intimidating in growing flowering plants in beds en mass. You just need to learn the basic principles and follow them carefully.
When considering a flower-bed, first consider the size of the bed. This must be large enough to create a visual impact.
A good-sized flower-bed should be at least 12ft long and 3ft wide. Unless you are an experienced gardener its better to start with a small bed and over time build up the bed as you gain more confidence.
Secondly, the bed must be in the right position to be viewed, say from a sitting position on the patio or the lounge.
A flower-bed may be positioned almost anywhere in the garden except in the middle of a lawn as this interferes with the lawn setting. Choose areas on the edge of a lawn, on bends or below light shaded areas of grown trees.
Colour combination is an aspect that you should endeavour to get right if the flower-bed is to give a visual impact. We all have our preferences when it comes to colour, therefore there is no right or wrong colour on that basis. Usually yellows, deep pink and powder blue look well together. So do reds, silver green purple or mauve.
It is advisable that you plant similar species in clusters of about a metre long to give them boldness. You can also layer them in rows behind one another alternatively. If the garden is large you could make similar flower-beds at different angles to bring rhythm and continuity in your garden
Happy gardening!
winnieruk@hotmail.com.