2018 Spring Home & Garden
Video Magazine

The "wow factor" flower garden
By Nila Smith

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[May 05, 2018]  It happens from time to time. You’re out and about and suddenly something catches your eye, a big bold beautiful flower garden. You can’t look away, because there is a lot to see and it is all attractive. For some people the concept behind their flower gardens could be labeled simply as “go big or go home.” It’s a matter of personal taste and is dictated only by the imagination and the size of the area available for flower gardening.

For other’s smaller is better, and dainty petite beds scattered about a lawn can have the same impact, maybe with a more subdued “wow factor’ but none-the-less the beds are still capable of getting attention, if they are put together well.

So, how does one do that? How do you “put together well” a bed that will grab the attention of the passersby?

Rule number one has to be plant what you like. If you are planting for show and don’t love the flowers you are planting, you won’t love the final outcome, you won’t care about caring for them, and soon the smack-in-the-face that the neighbors see is not a beautiful flower bed, but rather an unsightly mass of dead and dying plants. So, if some popular gardening show on television touts the textural beauty of Cone Flowers and you hear they are all the rage and something you have to have in your garden, but ... you don’t like them, then don’t plant them!

If you are a novice gardener, your next question may be “how do I know what I like?” Simple answer, what makes you smile?

Here are 10 happy plants that would like to make friends with you. These are all annuals, so as you ‘shop’ this video make note, do you want to change up your flower beds with new plants every year, then these are the plants that live one season.

VIDEO: Top 10 annuals to grow this summer

Now if you want something that comes up year after year, perennial, there are plenty to choose from. In the first year, they won’t be as full and lush as in the years to follow. One common mistake people make when planting perennials is that they plant too close and the plants don’t have room to grow to their full capacity in the second and third years.

For ideas on perennials, here’s a great picture show for you.

VIDEO:  15 favorite perennial flowers to beautify your garden

Your second step needs to be to decide where you want to plant your garden. Once you have a location in mind, then consider what is going on around that area. For example, if you want to plant along the front or sides of your home, then think about what the backdrop for the bed is going to be. A dark colored siding or brick wall will swallow up dark colored plants. Choose bright colors such as yellows, white, orange, and flame reds. On the other side of the coin white siding or light colored brick can take heavier more jewel toned colors such as deep purples, reds, oranges, and greens.



If you have a tree in the lawn that somehow looks out of place, then dressing it up with flower beds around the trunk may make it look more inviting. Be sure to choose shade loving plants for that area. Shade lovers include Impatiens, Begonia, and Fuchsia of the blooming varieties; and Coleus is a colorful non-bloomer that can still add texture and flash around the base of a tree.

Here are some other suggestions for growing a colorful garden in the shade. Remember, shady areas extend past the base of the tree, so watch your lawn and see when the sun shines in a particular patch and when it does not. Shade, for the sake of plants, means the area spends much of the time shaded from the sun, but will still have periods of at least partial sun.

VIDEO:  19 Colorful plants for shade gardens

Next, consider the proportions of your bed. To create the best eye appeal, you may not want to go with a “flat bed” where all the plants are basically the same height. While that approach can work in a large area where the garden can be viewed from a slightly elevated area, for the most part, flat beds will equal only the foreground plants offering eye appeal.

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Add height to the bed using taller growing plants. Depending on the area you are planting, these plants could be only slightly taller, then stair-stepping down to ground level plants, or you may want something very tall to fill a void in the background, and stagger plant heights downward throughout the bed.

Tall growing plants could include Cannas, Caster Bean, Angel Trumpet, or Elephant Ears. Typically these plants have the ability to grow very tall, and in the appropriate area, give you a great foundation for a flowering garden that is massive and at the same time somewhat compact.



You can also create that tall focal point area with props. Decide on a centerpiece for the garden that gives the desired height, then plant around it.

This video shows a few examples of how high and low plantings can go together, and also working with the home or a component of the home as the tall background for the garden. Some of the items in this video are really just for fun, so enjoy.

VIDEO:  50 amazing flower garden design decorations ideas

For some, flower beds may not be practical, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have big, bold, beautiful flowers in your lawn. Many plants love pots, such as petunia, begonia, impatiens, and more. Here are two fun to watch videos that may ‘plant’ some ideas for your garden

VIDEO:  38 creative container garden ideas

VIDEO:  100+ garden decoration ideas, potted plants, funny garden pots, pot gardening
(see if you can spot the fake flowers in this video)

Finally, when you get ready to buy, whether it be plants, bulbs, or seeds, read the packaging before you buy. The tag with each plant will tell you the height of the plant, the amount of sun needed, and how much watering it will take. If you have hours a week to tend to weeding and watering then don’t worry, but if you have limited time, look for plants that tell you they are low maintenance.

And remember, the real ‘wow’ factor is going to be how your garden makes you feel. If others enjoy it as well, that’s just a plus. Grow your garden because you enjoy it, and if it gets to the point that it feels like work, then you’ve gone too far. Back it off until it once again is something you enjoy, then do just that. Happy Summer!

Read all the articles in our new
2018 Spring Home & Garden Video Magazine

Title
CLICK ON TITLES TO GO TO PAGES
Page
Internet service is now a home essential 4
Inviting your laundry room up, out of the dark, dingy, scary basement 9
The "wow factor" flower garden 13
Smart technologies offer security while in and away from home 19
Beyond the basics in small kitchen appliances 26
Home saunas and hot tubs provide therapeutic stress relief 30
Rejuvenate your bathroom and add value to your home 36

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