Decorating the front of your house with a beautiful flower bed can really enhance your home’s curb appeal. When designing a front yard flower bed, there are many factors to consider, like sunlight exposure, soil type, seasonal interest, and coordination with the style of your home. Taking the time to properly prepare the flower bed and select the right plants will result in a gorgeous, lush flower bed that you can enjoy all season long.
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Where to Locate the Flower Bed
One of the first decisions to make is where to position the flower bed in your front yard. Here are some tips for choosing the best location:
- Sunlight – Most flowering plants need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. Be sure to observe how the sunlight hits different areas of your yard throughout the day before choosing a spot.
- Focal Point – Situate the flower bed where it can act as a focal point, drawing the eye to your front door or the most attractive architectural feature on your home.
- Curb Appeal – Placing flower beds along the front foundation of the home helps soften the view from the street.
- Utility Areas – Use flower beds to mask ugly utility areas like AC units or electrical boxes.
- Slope – Avoid steeply sloped areas which can lead to soil erosion. But take advantage of gentle slopes to show off the flowers.
Also consider leaving enough space for people to get in and out of vehicles if your flower bed will be alongside a driveway.
Measuring and Designing the Bed
Once you’ve selected the location, it’s time to map out the size and shape. Here are some tips:
- Mark outlines with a garden hose or spray paint to visualize size and shape options.
- Draw bubbly, curved lines for an informal cottage garden look.
- Use geometric shapes like rectangles, triangles and circles for a more formal, structured look.
- Make sure the bed is proportional to your yard and home. A bed that is too small may get lost, while one too large may look out of place.
- Incorporate at least some soft curves and avoid only using hard corners and straight lines for visual interest.
The shape and size possibilities are endless. Just be creative and choose something that complements your home’s architecture.
Preparing the Soil
Prepping the soil is one of the most important steps for creating a thriving flower bed. Here’s how to prepare the soil properly:
- Eliminate grass or weeds – Remove all vegetation within the bed outline. Cover with cardboard or plastic sheets to smother for several weeks.
- Dig down – Excavate the top 12 inches of soil to reduce compaction and allow for deep root growth.
- Mix in compost – Blend 3-4 inches of compost or other organic matter into the soil to enrich it with nutrients.
- Check drainage – Ensure water drains well by digging a hole 12″ deep, filling with water, and observing if it drains fully within 12 hours.
- Improve poor soils – Blend in peat moss for moisture retention or sand for drainage if needed.
- Add fertilizer – Mix in a 2-4 inch layer of granular balanced fertilizer like 10-10-10 over the bed.
Improving the soil will reward you with vigorous, healthy plants that put on an outstanding floral display.
Selecting the Right Flowers
Choosing flower varieties suited to your climate and the growing conditions in your yard is key to success. Consider these factors when selecting flowers:
- Sunlight – Choose sun-lovers, shade-lovers or combination based on the bed’s sunlight exposure.
- Bloom time – Pick a mix of early, mid and late-blooming flowers to extend color from spring through fall frost.
- Height – Combine tall, medium and short flowers for visual interest. Place taller in back, short in front.
- Colors – Include several colors for contrast. Repeat some hues for cohesion. Consider complementary colors like orange and blue.
- Hardiness Zone – Make sure all selections are rated for your USDA zone to withstand winter lows.
- Maintenance – Mix high and low maintenance plants. Save time with carefree perennials.
Some top performers for front yard flower beds include petunias, marigolds, zinnias, begonias, impatiens, and flowering shrubs like hydrangeas, lilacs, forsythia, and spirea.
Sample Planting Plans
The following are two sample planting plans showcasing flower bed ideas for different sunlight conditions:
Sunny Flower Bed Plan
| Type | Variety |
|---|---|
| Tall Backdrop Plants | Daylily, Russian Sage, Garden Phlox |
| Medium Height Focal Point Plants | Coneflower, Coral Bells, Tickseed |
| Low Edge Plants | Dianthus, Verbena, Golden Sedum |
| Vining Plants | Morning Glory, Hyacinth Bean, Scarlet Runner Bean |
Shady Flower Bed Plan
| Type | Variety |
|---|---|
| Tall Backdrop Plants | Astilbe, Fern, Large Hosta |
| Medium Height Focal Point Plants | Toad Lily, Allegheny Spurge, Foamflower |
| Low Edge Plants | Sweet Woodruff, Creeping Phlox, Violets |
| Vining Plants | Clematis, Honeysuckle, Climbing Hydrangea |
Arranging the Plants
Now it’s time for the fun part – planting! Follow these tips when arranging plants in your flower bed:
- Place taller plants in back, shorter in front for visibility.
- Plant in clusters or drifts of 3, 5 or 7 rather than individual specimens for impact.
- Repeat colors throughout the bed for cohesion.
- Use thriller, filler, spiller method: Thriller tall focal points, filler medium plants for body, spiller low edge plants.
- Don’t overcrowd. Allow each plant enough room to reach mature size.
- Plant perennials and shrubs first. Then fill in spaces with annuals.
Step back periodically to evaluate the arrangement. Make adjustments to achieve a balanced, cohesive display.
Caring for the Flower Bed
Once planted, be sure to care for your flower bed properly to keep it looking fabulous:
- Water thoroughly after planting and provide 1 inch of water per week for best growth.
- Apply a 2-4 inch layer of mulch like bark chips or pine straw to conserve moisture and inhibit weeds.
- Fertilize plants with a balanced flower fertilizer every 4-6 weeks during the growing season.
- Prune spent blooms to encourage more flowering. Remove faded annuals in fall.
- Weed weekly to prevent competition for water and nutrients.
- Check for pests like aphids and treat promptly to avoid damage if needed.
- Cut back perennials in winter and mulch beds for cold protection.
Taking great care of your flower bed will keep it looking fabulous year after year.
Overwintering the Flower Bed
Properly preparing the flower bed for winter dormancy will get it off to a great start again next spring:
- Cut down dead foliage and stems of perennials after several hard frosts.
- Dig up spent annuals and replace with cool weather options like pansies, ornamental kale or snapdragons.
- Apply fresh layer of mulch over soil for insulation from cold temps.
- Wrap shrubs with burlap or plexiglass barriers if susceptible to wind or salt damage.
- Stop fertilizing 6-8 weeks before typical first frost date.
- Keep watering until ground freezes to prevent winterkill.
- Scatter slug and snail bait to prevent early spring damage.
Proper overwintering care will lead to a healthy, vigorous flower bed that bursts with blooms again next year.
Conclusion
Creating a beautiful front yard flower bed takes thoughtfulness in planning, plant selection, design, ongoing care and winter preparation. But the effort pays off many times over in the joy you’ll feel admiring the eye-catching floral display right outside your front door. With the tips above for choosing the optimal location, arranging gorgeous plant combinations suited to the site, and providing proper care through all seasons, you’ll be sure to create and maintain a showstopping flower bed that makes your home more inviting.