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Every summer resident dreams of a cozy flower corner, which not only pleases the eye, but also makes the site attractive. And it is quite possible to create it yourself, but for this you need to know how to choose the right combination of colors in a flower bed, what they are in general and the key rules in their design.
What are the flower beds
Depending on the location on the site, flower beds are central, for example, with roses, and side (may be with natural cereals). In accordance with this, their shape, size, framing are selected, and they also take into account how the flowers combine:
- Regular (have a regular geometric shape with patterns symmetrically converging to the center). To create them, undersized flowers are planted with the same height and flowering period. As a rule, they are combined with the style of a country house.
- Irregular (for example, with roses, formed from frost-resistant picturesque perennials planted in groups).
- Raised (flower arrangements are created in building envelopes
- Wooden, concrete, etc.). They also include a flowerpot.
- Vertical (use for flowers of a container that rises above the ground). The basis is liana-like plants.
- Monochrome (most often from one type of flowers of the same shade – for example, roses).
- Mixborders (have an irregular geometric shape, perennials side by side with annual plants). Continuous flowering throughout the season.
Video “Examples of how to pick flowers”
Demonstrative video with examples of the selection of flowers for a flower bed.
How to match flowers
Beautiful flower beds are a skill that takes into account all the components of the process of their creation: from the characteristics of the planted plants to how this or that flower is combined with others and in general with the style of the site. First of all, you need to decide what effect you want to achieve. For example, marigolds or nasturtiums will give sunshine to the flower garden, forget-me-nots will give tenderness, etc. With roses, the site will look solemn. If you are looking for sophistication, white lilies will help you.
To create a monochrome composition in a small flower garden with similar or contrasting shades in the color spectrum, you can choose several types of plants of different heights and shapes: for example, high phloxes – in the center, low pansies – at the edge, between them – hosta. The main thing is to correctly combine. A beautiful flower garden is obtained from one type of flowers of different shades. For example, the main element is irises that bloom in late spring. It is desirable not to combine anything else with roses. In addition, it should be borne in mind that yellow-red and orange shades (for example, marigolds) accentuate the flower garden, calm blue-blues and greens are the background for bright colors. Neutral white creates a transition by smoothing out contrasts.
When creating irregular beds, it is best to plant one or two attractive flowers that do not fade throughout the season, while other groups of plants will change. An example is this option: bergenia with wide green leaves that turn red in autumn, daylily, hosta. The border is a saxifrage. Contrasting compositions look unusual in large flowerbeds of clear shapes without borders. For example, pink and white geraniums are interestingly combined with a red polygon (hosta is also possible). The flower garden with roses looks exquisitely interspersed with tall ornamental cereals.
Consider a combination of the most popular types of plants. Lilies. Usually planted in groups: separate islands of lilies of different varieties. Often they are combined with other perennials. Different sorts of lilies, planted by one group in two or three tiers, look very beautiful.
For example, the foreground is stunted lilies that form a lush rug (“Asians”, blooming first). The next tiers are tall oriental lilies. It is advisable to divide the tiers with other plants (undersized). It is possible to combine lilies in a flower bed with peonies that bloom earlier and have lush foliage – the background. Moreover, lilies will look beautiful both in front of peonies and behind them. It is better not to plant lilies next to roses. Lilies should not coexist with tulips, as they are affected by the same diseases and pests.
Host. Perennial hosta beautifully decorates any flower bed. In addition to growing in any conditions, hosta coexists well with almost all plants. Most often, in the flower beds of the host, it plays a background role. Hosta harmonizes well with peonies, astilbes, as well as with small-leaved plants.
A medium-sized hosta with beautiful large leaves in the center of a carpet bed remains attractive for many years and can act as a “step” connecting the high and low tiers of the flower garden. For example, we plant a fern in the far row, on average there will be a host, and in the lower row – a petunia or other undersized perennial.
Roses. Self-sufficient beautiful flower. The main condition: roses must be combined with flowers and leaves of blue, blue, lilac, silver shades (delphinium, clematis, veronica, etc.). Standard roses are in harmony with summer flowers of calm shades (lobelia, gypsophila) and are not combined with bright summer flowers (salvia, geranium). You can make a flower bed where roses will coexist with phloxes – close shades (burgundy, pink) look especially good, but you can use contrasting ones.
Roses also look wonderful next to lavender and yarrow. Marigolds have a beneficial effect on roses, repelling pests. It is important to consider that roses are suitable for rectangular flower beds. In alliance with decorative cereals (fescue, evergreen oats, etc.), roses emphasize their grace. Of the bulbous roses, only the white lily is harmoniously combined.
Geranium. Geranium looks organically in mixborders. Some of its varieties grow very quickly, crowding out neighboring plants that do not differ in such a growth rate. Kills geraniums and weeds. Giving out a spicy aroma in the heat, geranium drives away pests from neighbors with the help of phytoncides.
On the flower bed effectively fills the space. Combines with many plants. There are such options for flower beds where geranium is used:
- ornamental onion, garden lupine, majestic geranium;
- geranium endris and hosta;
- in the center of the mixborder – wormwood with trimmed boxwood, further – groups of decorative onions, verbena, polyhull and yarrow, along the edge – geranium, cuff and cinquefoil;
- milky-flowered peony, soft cuff, geranium.
Irises. Irises with large flowers are wonderfully suited to create a monochrome flower bed, complemented by decorative cereals. For decorating flower beds, irises of one or more varieties of various colors are used. Blue or white irises and bright scarlet oriental poppy contrast beautifully. Irises and lilies of the same yellow shade, in combination with bergenia, look spectacular.
Irises ideally coexist with lavender, Rogersia. A bright composition will come out if the irises planted in groups are supplemented with phloxes, saxifrage, interspersing bulbs – daffodils, tulips, lilies. At the same time, the perennials used should not be higher than irises, otherwise they will shade them; they should not be planted with roses.
Marigold. Any types of flower beds will be decorated with marigolds that drive away all kinds of pests from their neighbors. Low-growing varieties are used in borders or in combination with tall ones in monochrome flower beds. In turn, tall marigolds look good as a medium or background.
An interesting combination in the planting of white-flowered (seaside lobularia, fragrant tobacco) and yellow-flowered plants (marigolds) with silvery leaves. And if you combine yellow zinnias, sunflowers, titonias, dahlias and marigolds, a very effective composition will come out. Against the background of purple flowers of powdery sage and heliotrope, marigolds “shine” with the sun. Marigolds perfectly coexist with phlox, asters, geraniums.
Key rules in the design of a flower garden
The flower garden is made out in accordance with certain rules:
- combine plants in color, leaf shape;
- they plant flowers that are different in shape and similar in color (large ones harmonize wonderfully with small and ornamental cereals);
- take into account the flowering time: select plants with different flowering periods so that there are no voids, flowers that bloom quickly, it is advisable to plant one at a time between other plants;
- pay attention to the height of plants: the center or background is high, the border is undersized or creeping;
- be aware of “spreading” perennials, which are given enough space, and annuals are planted in voids, given their growth rate;
- planting density: well-created flower beds – with a rare density of planting in the center and dense – along the edge, undersized flowers along the border should lay down with a “carpet”;
- correctly combine plants depending on the requirements for agricultural technology (irrigation, soil type, etc.): they must be identical in terms of their care;
- avoid planting many flowers of different types.
Flower planting scheme
There are several planting schemes:
- monochrome (use different shades of the same color, for example, roses in dark tones);
- contrasting (created by pure tones located opposite each other in the color wheel), for example, irises can contrast with peonies and lilies;
- close tones (most often it is a landing of 2-4 shades adjacent in the color wheel; the transition element is white).
Thinking over the design of the flower garden, taking into account the agro-features of the planted plants, their combinations with neighboring ones, plus imagination help to create unique flower beds.
Video “Original varieties of flowers”
Video selection of original varieties of flowering plants.
