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Perennial flower beds serve as a decoration for any site. Their main advantage is the ability to get a functional flower garden for the next few years. When creating a composition, you need to take into account its location, shape, plant species and other nuances.
Fundamental rules
Before creating a flower bed with your own hands, you need to choose its location, type, color palette of plants, and also consider many other nuances.
The following tips will tell you how to arrange a flower bed of perennials:
- tall plants are placed in the center of the composition, while lower ones are planted at the edges;
- another option for placing high perennials are places near houses and fences;
- if flowers of different shades are selected, then tall representatives should remain brighter, while pale low plants will become a good background for them;
- ground cover perennials are used for edging and filling free space.
To know how to make a beautiful flower bed, you need to consider a number of parameters:
- the area of the plot for arrangement (usually up to 15% of the total area of the land plot is allocated for a flower garden);
- the shape of the flower garden (square, rectangular, round, complex, etc.);
- plant layout;
- color spectrum.
A drawing of the future flower garden is preliminarily made. The plan schematically indicates its shape and arrangement of flowers. When the sketch is ready, you need to transfer it to the site. You can mark the boundaries with lime or improvised means.
Varieties of flower beds
The shape and size of a do-it-yourself flower bed is selected depending on the area of uXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe site and the location of the buildings. If the house is located in the back of the courtyard, then a flower garden of a round, rectangular or complex shape will look good. If there are long paths, the flower garden is arranged along them.
Carpet bed
The composition of the carpet type allows you to create a flower carpet on the site with your own hands. This is a flower bed of undersized perennials, consisting of plants of the same species or variety. Due to this arrangement, individual sections do not stand out in height.
The simplest is the scheme in the form of a flower. This is a round flower bed in which perennials are planted in such a way that the outline of a flower is obtained.
A yellow aquilegia can be placed in the center of the flower garden, and pink phloxes can be planted around it. The role of the petals will be played by purple phloxes. The rest of the space will be filled with white phlox.
Figured flower bed
Flowerbeds of figured type are created from low or medium-sized perennials. If you use tall specimens, they will obscure the outlines of the flower garden. The design is made in the shape of a heart or a hexagon.
island flower bed
The composition in the form of an island does not require a clear execution, and the flowerbed scheme is distinguished by smooth lines. Its filling is monophonic or combining several types of perennials.
Island composition may include plants of different heights. The tallest perennials are usually planted in the center. If the composition is adjacent to a fence or building, then it is better to plant tall flowers closer to them.
border flower bed
You can decorate the paths and fences with the help of flower borders. A living fence can be formed by combining lilac aquilegia with phlox. The flowerbed with roses, complemented by Carpathian bells, looks original.
Yarrow can be planted along the edges of the garden bed, while daylily will fill its central part.
A variety of border design is a mixborder. It is made in the form of a strip along the house, fence or path. There are no requirements for its width and configuration. The result is a flower garden of a mixed type.
Modular flower beds
Modular type flower beds are obtained by repeating one element that has a certain geometric shape. It is best to fill a modular flower bed with flowers of the same kind. If several perennials are combined, then their number usually does not exceed six.
A modular flower bed of perennials is being carried out according to the scheme. To create a design, free space is divided into several sectors. A border up to 5 cm high will help to distinguish between sectors.
Solitary flower beds
Plants of the same group can be combined within the same composition. Then you get a flowerbed-solitary, consisting of plants of the same height, color, shape of inflorescences, etc.
Choice of colors
There are many perennial flowers. The choice of specific representatives for their composition is carried out taking into account the weather conditions of the region and the design of the site.
Therefore, in one flower bed you need to plant flowers that need similar care. Before planting, you need to learn how to properly care for plants. You can choose perennials for your flower garden according to the description and photo.
unpretentious plants
For the design of flower beds with perennials, unpretentious plants are most often chosen. This includes flowers that do not require special conditions. They are resistant to frost, drought, high humidity, diseases and pests. Therefore, such plants are able to grow in one place for several years.
The unpretentious include a wide group of plants:
- aconite;
- gentian;
- goldenrod;
- physiostegia;
- gelenium.
Moderately labor intensive flowers
Plants of this category do not need daily care, however, they are demanding on external conditions. It is recommended to repot them every three years to prolong their flowering period.
Some care is needed for the following colors:
- aquilegia;
- arabis;
- cornflower;
- cloves;
- iris;
- clematis;
- phlox;
- sage.
Difficult-to-care flowers
Certain perennials require complex care, certain soil quality and external factors. They are prone to diseases, sensitive to cold and pests.
Difficulties arise when planting any bulbous plants, as well as the following flowers:
- lilies;
- roses;
- gladioli;
- dahlias;
- begonia;
- chrysanthemum.
Examples of perennial flower beds
You can create a flower garden both according to ready-made planting schemes, and by developing your own flower beds. As an example, you can use ready-made solutions, supplement them or make your own adjustments.
Flower bed of long flowering
It is better for novice gardeners to use unpretentious perennials for flower beds. The next option includes plants that do not require special care. Their use allows you to get a composition of continuous flowering.
- Day-lily. Landing in the ground is carried out in the spring after fertilization. Flowering of one bush lasts for three or more weeks.
- Yarrow. Blooms in late May, prefers well-lit places.
- Iris. Begins to bloom in June, prefers a sunny place or partial shade.
- Sunflower. The first inflorescences appear in May, while the flowering process lasts up to four months.
- Chistets. It blooms in July and retains inflorescences until September.
- Thyme. The main flowering period covers the period from July to August.
Another example of a continuous flowering flower garden is shown in the photo.
Flowerbed for flowering in the first year
Many perennials begin flowering in the second year after planting. To get a flowering flower bed already in the first year after its arrangement, you need to carefully select plants for it:
- stock rose – a huge mallow, which is used next to fences or in the center of a flower bed;
- rudbeckia – to create bright accents;
- penstemon – prefers sunny places, then produces flowers in the form of bells;
- fragrant tobacco – a plant with large flowers and a pronounced aroma;
- coreopsis – undersized flower with yellow inflorescences;
- bell – unpretentious plant with bright flowers;
- gazania is a short representative of the aster family.
“Sky in the Clouds”
A beautiful flower bed with such a romantic name is formed from three types of perennials. The first row consists of gentian and Transcarpathian bellflower. The second row is formed from white phloxes.
Gentian has a pronounced blue color, which stands out against a snow-white background. Due to this combination, a beautiful flower bed of perennials got its name.
Flowerbed in the shape of a heart
A figured flower bed in the shape of a heart is made out of low perennials. To make a flower bed, peonies are planted along its edges. The combination of burgundy and pink peonies looks original.
Roses become the central part of the composition. For decoration, flowers of pink and red shades are selected.
Flower bed in pink colors
A bright accent in landscape design will be a composition decorated in pink and purple hues.
The following perennials are suitable for its formation:
- mountaineer – a large shrub with bluish leaves, blooming in a huge cloud;
- monarda – blooms large flowers with a pleasant aroma;
- astrantia – stands out with numerous inflorescences in the form of umbrellas of rich red color;
- saxifrage – produces paniculate inflorescences on long stems;
- phlox – herbaceous perennial with abundant inflorescences;
- geranium – to add red tones to the flower garden;
- bell – has purple inflorescences with a delicate aroma.
autumn flowerbed
In order for the landscape design of the site to please the eye until late autumn, plants that bloom until late autumn are chosen for it.
For a do-it-yourself autumn flower bed, the following plants are suitable:
- phlox paniculata (late varieties);
- goldenrod;
- rudbeckia;
- gelenium.
Badan, which can create dense thickets, will help add compositions of greenery. It is planted along the edges of a flower bed of perennials.
Tall asters are able to bloom until November. They withstand light frosts, and their bright flowers last until the first snow.
Soil preparation
After choosing the place and shape of the future flower bed, you need to prepare the soil for planting. First you need to remove weeds, leaves, stones and debris. Then the soil is dug up to a depth of 0,5 m.
Soil quality can be improved by adding special components:
- Clay soil will require humus, peat, organic fertilizers, sand. Additionally, you need to create a drainage layer 15 cm high from gravel and sand.
- Sandy soil requires a layer 10 cm high, consisting of manure, humus, peat and organic matter.
The height of the flower bed for perennials is up to 15 cm above ground level. Perennials grow well on sandy soils and light loam. The upper layer is loosened periodically to improve the air and water permeability of the soil.
Conclusion
A flower bed of perennials is selected based on the free area and site design. For its arrangement, plants are used that can grow in one place for several seasons. You can decorate the composition with any perennials, if you correctly combine them in height, colors and growth conditions. It can be adjacent to the house and the fence or remain an independent part of the decor.
