A flower bed not only adds to the aesthetic of an area—greatly enhancing the curb appeal of your home—but also creates spaces that are essential for pollinators and butterflies. Even with all that in mind, starting a flower bed garden can seem overwhelming for many at first.
Don’t let fear and hesitancy get in the way of building a beautiful and colorful flower bed. It simply requires some planning, preparation, and physical work to make your vision come to fruition.
At FortSmith Landscaping, our team can help you with any phase of the construction–from inception to completion. Our customers often praise us for doing an excellent job in transforming their landscapes.
We proudly serve the Wake Forest area, providing top-notch landscaping and tree care services to local residents and businesses.
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At FortSmith Landscaping, we understand the importance of a well-manicured outdoor space in enhancing the beauty and value of your property. As a reputable landscaping company in Wake Forest, NC, we offer a wide range of landscaping services designed to meet the unique needs of our clients. From custom landscaping and landscape installation to lawn maintenance and flower bed creation, our team of skilled landscape architects is dedicated to delivering exceptional results that exceed your expectations.
Flower Bed And Garden Construction: Things to Consider
Raised Beds
Raised beds are a great idea if the soil in your yard isn't conducive to growing flowers. Granted, most soil needs enhancing to have the nutrients flowers require to look their best. But, if you are looking at a fairly large area for your garden, you may want to consider creating a raised bed.
Soil
Most flowering annuals and perennials do best in soil that is comprised of different proportions of clay, silt, and sand and that is easily crumbled. Performing a soil test is a good idea so you know what your dirt needs. Mixing compost into the soil improves it by adding nutrition and enhancing the structure.
Amount Of Sunlight
You should consider the amount of sunlight that the area is exposed to during the day. A space that is primarily shaded only allows certain flowering plants to thrive, there are fewer types of these plants so your choices will be more limited.
Most flowers need some sunlight during the day in order to live and reach their full potential.
High-Quality Flower Bed Design
The design of your flower bed, whether it is a raised bed or not, needs to fit in with the aesthetic of your home and yard. For example, if you have a border garden, it will look best with flowers that don't grow so tall that they overcome the house. Most of the time, a flower border is long and narrow instead of short and deep.
A border flower garden typically is arranged with taller plants (taller than 2 to 3 feet) placed in the back, mid-sized plants (10 inches to 2 to 3 feet tall) in the middle, and short plants (less than 10 inches) in the front of the planting bed. It is a good idea to use groupings of at least three of the same plant together. One plant won't have enough impact whereas a grouping of 3, 5, 7, or more have a strong impact.
Conversely, an island bed is usually round, square, rectangular, or undefined. An island bed doesn't lend itself to a long and narrow shape; instead, it needs to be proportional so that a longer bed is also wider. Island beds look great with an anchor that is the focal point such as a tree trunk or bird bath. Smaller island beds are popular around mailboxes.
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Flower Beds Built To Last
Flower beds play a significant role in enhancing the appearance of the front yard, making it more inviting and well-maintained. Here are some tips to help your stand the test of time.
Prepare the Soil and Dig Up the Existing Grass
Preparing the soil is the first crucial step in building a flower bed that lasts. You can build a flower garden using different ways to get the soil ready, removing the grass is the first step.
Remove the turf by wedging a shovel or a hoe under the edges of the grass. Then lift and peel the sod away. After the grass is removed, you can prepare the soil for planting.
Remove Grass Without Digging
This method is less work than digging up the grass but takes longer. Cover the area of the literal flower bed with overlapping sheets of newspaper, at least six pages deep. Next, cover the paper with several inches of rich soil or compost. Soak it in water. Over several months the covered grass dies and the newspaper will decompose and add nutrients to the soil. It is best to keep the area covered for a year before installing your flowering plants.
Build a Raised Bed
What exactly is a "raised garden bed?" When we use this term we are referring to a freestanding box or frame, without a top or bottom, that sits above ground in a sunny spot and is filled with good-quality soil. Raised beds usually are open on the bottom so the plant roots can grow down into the soil below the ground level and make use of the nutrients.
You can construct a raised bed in a couple of ways:
- Use wood boards that are cut to the desired length. This allows you to build any shape or size you want.
- Use a raised flower bed kit that supplies everything you need. The edges snap together so you don't need to saw or hammer. Most kits create fairly small squares or rectangles.
- Mound the soil 6 to 8 inches high with no frame.
Selecting the Plants for Your Flower Beds
After getting a flower bed design and preparing the soil, it's time to come up with flower bed ideas for your colorful flowers. For the backbone of your garden bed, use flowering perennials that you don't have to replace each year. Use annual flowers for pots or quick color for just one season. You should choose varieties that do well in your climate and are suited to the garden bed's exposure to sunlight. Most importantly, choose the flowers that you love.
Here are some ideas to get you started if you have plenty of sunlight in your garden:
Sunflowers (back of borders), Coneflowers (back of borders), Zinnias, Dianthus, Black-Eyed Susans, Amsonia, Baptisia, Anstrantia, Sedum, Daylily, Foxglove, Salvia, Lavender, Hellebore (blooms in the winter!), Aster, Irises (like the morning sun).
Here are ideas for a shady flower garden:
Astilbe, Bee Bal, Bleeding Hear, Foxglove, Hydrangea, Jacob's Ladder, Lamb's Ears, Lily of the Valley, Primroses, Violets.
Professionally Installed Flower Beds And Gardens
As you can see, there is quite a bit of work involved in creating a yard flower bed for your yard. Some people love to do it themselves and don’t mind the amount of time and effort that is required. However, you may not fit into this category.
Professionally installed flower beds and gardens can be the solution for you! Not only do the pros do all the work, but they can also save you money in the long run. A professional plan will have the correct plants for the area and take into consideration other aspects of the garden bed that you may not consider.
Landscaping companies like FortSmith Landscaping can do everything from creating a new design for your yard to installing sod, trees, bushes, and flowering shrubs as well as the right flowers to thrive for a long time.
Professional landscapers design flower beds to enhance your yard’s overall aesthetic and complement your home’s architecture.
Experts choose plants that thrive in your local climate and soil, ensuring long-lasting beauty with minimal maintenance.
A well-designed flower bed can significantly improve the appearance of your property, increasing its curb appeal and value.
Professionals ensure the soil is properly prepared and enriched, promoting healthy plant growth and vibrant blooms.
Installation includes measures to prevent weeds and pests, reducing the need for ongoing maintenance.
Professionals integrate efficient watering systems to ensure your plants receive the right amount of water without over- or under-watering.
A professionally installed flower bed saves you the time and effort of planning, designing, and installing it yourself.
High-quality materials and expert craftsmanship ensure that your flower bed is built to last, withstanding seasonal changes and environmental conditions.
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Contact Wake Forest's Most Trusted Landscaping Company
To get a professional crew to help you with a new or existing flower bed, contact FortSmith Landscaping in Wake Forest. Our team can take care of everything from start to finish. We can do the garden design, construction, planting, and maintenance for your flower beds, garden beds, and entire yard! Call us today at (919) 228-8495 or fill out our contact form to learn more about our flower bed landscaping services!
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