by Olivia Gregory

Created on: February 19, 2010   Last Updated: March 16, 2010

For many people, planting and maintaining a beautiful flower garden is a task that seems best left to professionals or those with many years of gardening experience. However, with a few basic tips and some hard work, anyone can enjoy the benefits of a summer flower garden.

To begin, pick an area in your yard where you would like to place your garden. You might pick the areas in the front yard or back yard where the grass refuses to grow. You must determine whether the area you have picked gets a lot of sunlight or a little in order to assess which kinds of flowers will thrive there. If your yard gets bathed in the sun all summer long, you will need plants that love the sun and are drought resistant. Some excellent choices of plants that love the sun are zinnias, lantana, lamb's ear, and black-eyed Susans. If your garden will be mostly in the shade, you might pick petunias,

hostas, and impatiens. Picking the right type of plant will save you time and effort in the long run and give you the most success as you maintain your garden.

 In order to get the most bang for you buck in terms of eye appeal, try picking two or three types of flowers of similar color mixed with one type of greenery. An example of this would be using orange-toned zinnias, black-eyed Susan's, and lantana mixed with lamb's ear. The fact that the flowers all have a similar color will automatically give you consistency, and the different textures and sizes of the flowers will give you variety. Buy as many of each kind as you can to fit in your garden space, keeping in mind that most will expand as they grow.

 The hardest part of planting a flower garden is prepping the ground, digging the holes, and spreading some kind of mulch or pine straw as ground cover. We have found that these jobs are best done when the ground is slightly moist after a rain, and when there are many hands available to help! Children love to dig in the dirt, and they usually enjoy digging the holes when directed to the right location. They can also add a bit of potting soil with fertilizer to each hole that is dug. Once the prep work is done, plant the flowers in a pattern that will appear pleasing to your eye. If you like symmetry, rows and patterns look great. If you like the look of spontaneity, a more random placement might be just the thing.

 After your garden is in the ground, be sure to water frequently in the first few weeks. After that, if you have picked the right plants for the space, they should be able to take off on their own with much less coaxing from you. You might notice that bees, butterflies, and even hummingbirds will begin to visit your garden, adding further to the beauty of your yard. Having a beautiful garden is an achievable goal that will provide its own rewards every time you look out the window. Enjoy!

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