As an avid gardener, you’re no doubt keen to make the most of your garden. And the key to this is achieving a perfectly balanced flower bed. Yet planning your garden can seem daunting, especially when you look at the magnificence achieved by professional gardeners. Nevertheless you too can have the garden you’ve always dreamed of.
Be inspired and plan your perfect flower bed by following the below five tips and tricks of professional gardeners.
How to Achieve a Balanced Flower Bed
1. Think about size
The first thing to consider when planning your flower bed is size. Wider beds are always more attractive, so opt for a bed size that’s at least five to six feet wide and that can easily accommodate flowering plants such as rhododendrons.
Next, consider the height of your plants. Smaller plants are excellent for edging and should be planted at the front of the flower bed. In contrast, your tallest plants (as well as any perennials) should be planted at the rear. Plants of medium height are wonderful fillers and are best located in the middle of your flower bed.
2. The importance of line
When designing how you will plant your flower bed, think about the lines you’re creating and their potential impact. Horizontal or vertical, curved or straight, each type of line will create a different impression for your flower bed and garden. If you want to create a more informal flower bed, opt for a curved line.
If you prefer an ordered, formal and neat effect, plant strong straight lines. And if you’re dreaming of a more harmonious and serene feeling in your garden, consider incorporating horizontal lines rather than vertical lines, which will instead create a stronger more powerful atmosphere. Whatever you do, avoid wiggly and ambiguous lines and ensure your lines are clean and obvious.
3. Finding balance
All gardeners hope to achieve balance in their garden design and designing flower beds are no exception. You can create two different types of balance within your design: symmetrical and asymmetrical. Symmetrical balance creates a more formal garden layout and is achieved by mirroring your plants on either side of a central focal point such as a tree, gate or well.
Asymmetrical balance on the other hand produces a more informal garden style. You can balance a tall domineering plant on one side, with a number of smaller ones on the other. The key is deciding upon one approach, then focusing on achieving this through your design and imagination.
4. Light and bright
Embrace the beauty of light and bring your plants to life. Think about where natural light falls in your garden and use light and shade to make the most of your plants’ colours. Artificial light is another option and low voltage light fixtures can be used to create stunning effects.
Create gorgeous silhouettes by backlighting a tree or a sculpture. Produce a more dynamic dramatic effect by highlighting and frontlighting a particular dark area and feature.
Regardless of whether it’s natural or artificial, one thing’s for sure: light can really transform the feel of your garden and your flowerbed.
5. Design a unified and harmonious garden
Finally, aim to create a unified and harmonious whole when designing your garden and flower bed. Think about the relationship of your plants and their colours to one another. Opt for complementary colours that blend well together or group plants in similar or related plant types.
You could also create a sense of wholeness by focusing upon a strong focal point that pulls everything else together. For example, use the same plant as an edger around your flower bed or relate your flowerbed design to a common strong backdrop such as your garden hedge. The idea is to create a sense of relation and completeness in your design and structure.
Ideally, you want to experience your flower bed and your garden as a complete, unified whole.
For more information and inspiration on creating the garden of your dreams, call us at Minster Paving on 01865 300252 or contact us online.