Do you stare out at your backyard and wish you could create a stunning flower garden that you could treasure year after year? If so, now is the perfect time to start planning. All you need to have is a vision and a plan, and you’ll quickly see all of your hard work come together before your eyes.
Here are a few tips on getting started with creating an old-fashioned garden retreat in your very own backyard:
Preparing the Ground
One of the first things you’ll need to do before you create your garden space is plan it out. Starting with a piece of paper and measuring tape, you’ll need to measure out the areas in which you want your plants. From there, you’ll need to decide how much sunlight each of these areas gets per day. Plants need either full-sun, partial sun or full shade. At this point, it’s a good idea to get your soil tested. Soil with a high pH can affect the way your plants thrive. You will also want to incorporate a lot of organic material into your soil to bring the pH levels into a normal range, boost nutrient levels and make the material easier to work with. You should start by digging up any crabgrass or tough ground and working it into a siftable material that will easily overturn with a rototiller or shovel. From there, you may wish to incorporate a combination of manure, topsoil, and sand. Once that’s done, you’ll be ready for planting.
You can also get the expert garden service from Fort Worth arborists and have them professionally prepare the soil for you before planting anything.
Getting the Right Perennials
An old-fashioned garden exemplifies a variety of colorful, sturdy plants that captivate and demand a second look in the garden. To get the right perennials you’ll need, you either have to order your plants online or visit your local nursery to browse through their selection. Perennials come either bare root, bulb, rhizome or with a full plant. They may not reach their full size until three to five years after being planted, and you should always use extreme care during their first planting and winterize them properly. If you are unsure exactly what to do, it is easy to get information online on how to take care of mums and other perennials. Some ever popular plants that provide long-lasting color or foliage, demand full sun and come back each year include:
- Hollyhock
- Delphinium
- Foxglove
- Love in a mist
Some shade-loving perennials include:
- Hostas
- Lily of the Valley
- Astilbe
- Heuchera
You can mix and match all of these plants and place them to accent each other with the equal balance of foliage and flowers. You can also accent with things like Ivy or English rose bushes that will fill up a wall or trellis with bountiful full colors and scents that will last throughout the summer. If you want a field of a variety of continuous blooming and cutting flowers, look for wildflower seeds for sale to create a long-lasting splash of color throughout your yard and garden.
Instant Color with Bright and Robust Annuals
While perennials come back year after year and create a beautiful backdrop for an old-fashioned garden setting, you can add instant color with annual flowers that will bloom right away. Annuals are popular in the springtime and can be found at most home and garden center retailers. The good thing about them is that they are easy to work with and only require a little work and care to make them bloom to their full potential. Selecting some bright pink wave petunias to fill a gap in between smaller perennials can really make a difference on the appearance of your garden.
You can also add drought-tolerant plants that will accent your flowering perennials, such as flowering kale that provides colorful white, green and purple foliage straight until the first hard frost. Sweet william, moss rose and impatiens are all plants that are hardy against drought, easy to plant and beautiful to watch bloom all summer long in your garden. Keep in mind that flowers and garden tools create the perfect garden gift. Make someone’s day special by giving them a gift card to their favorite garden center to stock up on their own garden flowers and supplies!
Accent with Old-fashioned Pieces
Creating a thriving soil base for your plants is important for optimal growth. Once you have your garden planted in the right soil and it’s established, you can accent it with old-fashioned flair. This starts with a fence or backdrop that will accentuate the tall plants in the back. For a vintage effect, try incorporating things like birdhouses, an antique trellis, birdbath and paver brick walk through the garden. This creates a sense of ambiance and serves as a focal point for your garden flowers as well.
Pairing your flower garden with an herb or vegetable garden is an additional step in taking your space one step further. An old-fashioned garden should evoke the nostalgia of days gone by and allow you to enjoy and entertain guests throughout the spring, summer and fall months.
