If you want a beautiful flower garden, full of brightly coloured blooms and captivating smells (and let's be honest, who doesn't?), then you've come to the right place. In this blog, we are going to show you how to plant flowers so that you can create your own, very personal, flower garden - exactly how you like it.
We're going to look at how you can plan and prepare your garden, and then at the different ways to plant garden flowers, from the right soil structure to sowing seeds and planting bulbs. We'll also share help you decide which flowers would work best in different conditions, and share our popular flower range. Let's go!
Before you plant
Now I know you want to get out there straight away and make a start, but with a little bit of time and effort before you begin, you can create the perfect garden. It's this time, when you learn about what conditions you are dealing with, and have a think about what you want out of your garden, which will make or break all your effort out there with your spade.
Check your soil
The first thing you need to do is see what kind of soil you're working with - the soil structure may dictate what you can and can't plant, or at the very least, highlight some work that you need to do before you start work.
Grab a chunk of soil with your hand - what does it feel like? If it is sticky and muddy, you have clay soil. If it runs through your hands then you have sandy soil. Neither is better or worse than the other but a mid-point between the two is ideal. There are measures you can take to improve the quality:
If you have clay garden soil, add plenty of well rotted compost and fork it into your soil. This will help to break it up and improve the soil structure.
If you have sandy garden soil, you need to improve the fertility - which you can do by adding in plenty of well rotted compost!
Make a plan
Now you know what kind of soil you are dealing with, you can start planning your ideal flower garden. You can plan the layout, and you can pick flowers that might bloom at different parts of the year, giving you a garden bed that is always vibrant and exciting to look at. You'll find plenty that bloom in early spring, but see if you can find evergreen shrubs or winter blooms to keep the interest going through those dark and cold months.
With a bit of thought now, you could be looking out at beautiful blooms all year round. Just make sure you consider the best time to plant flowers that you've selected for - it may be that you add more gradually rather than all in one season.
How to plant potted plants
Most plants will work just as well in pots as they do in beds, and planting in pots gives you the option to move them around the garden, to keep them in the sun or under protection during cooler temperatures. Buying potted plants takes some of the work away from you, and you can start enjoying the bright colours right away!
To plant flowers in a pot, simply dig a hole with enough space to fit the pot that you bought it in, with a couple of centimetres extra around the edge. Then all you need to do is tease the plant out of the original pot, and give the roots a brush out to give them space to grow then place it in the hole. New roots will grow, so don't worry if you damage some during the transfer. Then just add in a bit of potting mix, and water well. Done!
Have a look through some of these perennial plants - you might find something you love.
Planting bare root shrubs
Planting shrubs from bare root is much simpler than people imagine. In fact, it's very similar to planting flowers in pots, so there is nothing to fear here.
All you need to do is dig a hole in your planting area, leaving plenty of extra space for it to grow. You'll be able to see how deep it had been planted before you bought it just from looking for a mark on the root. Aim for around that depth.
Add in some well rotted manure to your hole, and then place the bare root in there. Firm the soil around it, and then, as with newly planted flowers, water it well.
Planting flower bulbs
This is where flower planting starts to get really fun, but it does require a bit more planning. You can plant bulbs in a chain, almost stacked on top of each other, with later blooming flowers (like tulips, crocus, begonia) at the bottom, and early blooming flowers (like daffodils, snowdrops, bluebells) at the top. That way, when one blooms and dies back, you get another one right behind it!
This has become known as the 'lasagne' technique, and it's a great way to maximise the space in your flower bed.
In terms of the specifics, each bulb will have its own instructions in terms of soil type, planting depth, whether it needs full sun etc. Most garden centres (like ours) will have plenty of information on each one - so pick some outdoor flowers you like, and then plan how to make them all work together.
How to sow seeds
If you're looking to learn how to plant wild flowers in your garden - this is the section for you, but first we'll cover how to plant traditional flower seeds. Again, you will need to consult the individual seed packet to find exactly when to sow (and when to sow outdoors), but here is a quick one-paragraph guide on how to sow seeds.
Fill your seed tray with seed compost, and pat it down leaving a small indent where you are going to put your seed. Place a seed or two (again consult the seed packets), in the indent, and cover lightly with soil. Then water (without disrupting the soil), and cover with cling film. Then sit back while your seeds germinate.
To sow wildflower seeds, you don't need to be so precise. Simply prepare your soil by forking it, then sprinkle your wildflower seed packet over the area. Firm them down, and water with a firm spray. Then wait for the beautiful blooms!
Conclusion
There should be enough here to get you started - you can now plant flowers in your very own garden. There is a host of other information on our site, including a blog on how often to water garden flowers and much more. As ever, if you have any specific questions, don't hesitate to get in touch and our team will be more than happy to help you.
Don't forget to look through our incredible selection of garden plant mixes - we're sure you'll find plenty to liven up your garden bed.
