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Garden bed ideas for front of house


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(Image credit: Proven Winners)

These front yard flower bed ideas are a surefire way to get your garden noticed for all the right reasons and bring serious curb appeal to your front yard.

Not only can a fresh bunch of blooms work nicely with any size and style of yard, but they’re also bound to put a smile on you and your guests’ faces. 

Our curated choice of the best flower bed ideas for your front yard – from manicured lawns to whimsical arrangements – will be sure to spark inspiration if you've been pouring over front yard landscaping ideas.

Front yard flower bed ideas

There’s more than one way to add the best front yard flower bed ideas to your space. 

To help, we’ve gathered fresh front yard flower bed ideas to ensure your front yard is in bloom all year round.

1. Vary the height of your plantings

(Image credit: Proven Winners)

Just like when you're decorating a coffee table or bookshelf inside, creating an impactful flower display means ensuring that each element not only works together, but also gets a chance to shine. Choosing plants in different heights allows each flower to be seen, while also filling in vertical space.

'It's important to think about the height of your plants,' says Jeanine Standard of Proven Winners , one of the top plant brands in the U.S. 'If you're planting a flower bed along the front of your house, you want to make sure the taller plants are towards the back, near the house, and then add the perennials and annual plants as you come towards the front of the garden.'

2. Plant for year round color

(Image credit: The Fox Group)

To get the most out of your garden beds throughout the year, choose a variety of plants that will each shine in a different season, or opt for perennial varieties that offer year round color. 

'What you want to do is plan for year round color,' says Standard. 'Plant some perennials that bring in spring color, others that bring summer color, and some for fall. It takes some planning, so that everything isn’t in bloom at once, but it's worth it. On our website we have an information page for each plant we sell, and the bloom time is there for each one.'

Mixing in flowers that bloom in the early spring, with the best late summer flowers and fall bloomers will ensure your home exterior shines in all seasons. 

3. Add structure with shrubs

(Image credit: Proven Winners)

Start your front yard flower bed planning with shrubs, flowering bushes, and evergreens. These not only help define the boundaries of your garden, but they'll ensure your front yard has some interest no matter what the season. 

Once you've planted the best evergreen shrubs for your yard, you can fill in the rest of the flower bed with smaller annuals and perennials. 

4. Adjust flowers for the size of the garden beds

(Image credit: Proven Winners)

Scale plays a big role in the plants you chose for your flower beds. Just like you wouldn't put an oversized sofa in a studio apartment, you don't want to plant four-foot wide shrubs in a six-foot wide flower bed.  

'If you have a small flower bed, go for a smaller-sized plant. You don’t want something like a Denim-n Lace plant, which reaches 4’ wide, so adjust your plant size to the size of the bed,' Standard says. 

Another common mistake? Not understanding how big your plants will get. 'The worst thing to do is not anticipate that the plant will reach the full size,' says Standard. 

5. Know your exposure

(Image credit: Proven Winners)

Exposure, or how many hours a day your plants receive sun, is a key factor in deciding what garden ideas to choose for your flower beds.

'If your flowers beds get 6-8 hours a day of sun, you can go for full-sun shrubs, perennials and annuals that can take the heat of the day,' says Standard. 'The only way to know how much sun your front yard is getting is by watching that area - looking at it every two hours and recording how much time it’s actually in the sun.' 

6. Introduce a gated flower bed in your front yard

(Image credit: Carson McElheney)

Contrary to popular belief, a beautiful, blooming garden shouldn’t be confined to your backyard.

Landscape architect and designer Carson McElheney injected beautiful garden design into her front yard by placing the gated flower bed near the front of the home. 

A brick wall, iron gate, and statement-making planters round out the look, adding a 'wow' factor to these front yard flower bed ideas.

7. Add raised flower beds

(Image credit: Janelle Rendon)

Take your front yard to new heights with raised front flower beds – just as blogger Janelle Rendon has done by incorporating raised beds into her front yard walkway. 

'We love how our front yard landscaping project with Buds and Blossoms Cypress turned out,' she explains. 'We used both a retaining wall and a boulder to draw the eye to this flower bed lining our driveway.' 

Rendon filled the raised garden bed ideas with blue plumbago and white vinca, which brought beautiful spring and summertime color to the front yard.

8. Raise your home’s facade 

(Image credit: William Hefner)

William Hefner , on the other hand, prefers to place his raised front yard flower beds against a home’s facade.  

Here, the designer opted for raised front yard flower beds that matched the home’s color and material, creating the illusion of a larger, more grandiose space. For a stately finishing touch, Hefner added two thin hedges to right next to the front door. 

9. Follow the straight and narrow

(Image credit: Maydan Architects)

Looking for front yard flower bed ideas that are stylish and soothing in equal measure? Take a cue from Maydan Architects . 

Here, the firm opted for straight lines of manicured leafy greens. But, in order to give their front yard flower bed ideas a pop of welcome color, Maydan Architects peppered sweet, purple flowers near the walkway. 

The result: A sleek yard with an unexpected twist. 

10. Keep it simple

(Image credit: Mindy Gayer Design Co / Vanessa Lentine)

As this yard from KAA Design Group proves, less can be more when it comes to front yard flower bed ideas, especially if you opt for the best trees for front yards, combined with the best shrubs for the front of the house.  

Instead of featuring an eclectic mélange of blooms, this space keeps it simple with a predominately green yard and subtle pops of yellow. The pared-back front yard flower bed highlights the clean lines of the home’s facade, placing the property’s sleek architecture front and center.  

11. Think beyond the privacy gate

(Image credit: Maydan Architects)

When it comes to making your front yard design shine, a privacy gate can serve as a double-edged sword. On the one hand, having a barrier between your home and the street will keep wandering eyes out of sight; however, it feels virtually impossible to show off your front yard. 

California-based designer Mindy Gayer found the perfect balance with this chic garden gate idea, where a flower bed is planted in front of the privacy gate. 

When considering how to plant a flower bed, take inspiration from the full, white blooms Mindy has selected. They offer a jolt of curb appeal while bringing a welcoming spirit to the gate.  

12. Incorporate hedges in your front yard flower bed ideas

(Image credit: Fernando Wong)

Bring some decorum to your front yard flower bed ideas by surrounding each bed with short, manicured hedges. 

Not only can this design trick create a structurally soothing front yard, but it can also promote a logical transition from the flat, green grass to the buoyant blooms. 

Designer Fernando Wong gave this space a stately edge, thanks to the organized assortment of white blooms.

13. Take 'the more, the merrier' approach when it comes to front yard flower bed ideas

(Image credit: Grace Design Associates)

If a few rows of flower beds aren’t enough to satisfy your blooming dreams, why not add a few potted plants to the mix. 

Adding a few spare pots to the edge of your front yard flower beds can draw the eye upward, creating the illusion of a dimensional yard or even highlighting creative mailbox landscaping ideas. Let this space from Grace Design Associates show you how it’s done.  

14. Defy gravity with hanging planters

(Image credit: CLB Architects / Audrey Hall)

Looking for a way to incorporate flowers into your designs and front porch ideas? Juxtapose your flower beds with hanging planters, as seen in this setup from CLB Architects . 

The eclectic array of blooms seen here creates plenty of visual intrigue – not to mention gives this wooden barn a beautiful view from every angle.

15. Beautify with blooms

(Image credit: Ike Kligerman Barkley / Peter Aaron)

We love a manicured flower bed as much as the next design enthusiast, but there’s something about a wild, unkempt arrangement that transports us to the idyllic countryside. 

If you want to recreate this look in your own front yard flower bed ideas, variety is key. Here, American firm Ike Kilgerman Barkley juxtaposed a colorful assortment of blooms with a pretty stone walkway. 

How do I start a flower bed in my front yard?

Generous flower beds that can accommodate a good depth of planing will also allow you to think outside the box and have fun. For example, you could plant a lake of blue salvias and verbenas to create a safe ‘water’ feature and arrange stainless steel obelisks so they resemble fountains spurting up from fluttering depths.  

Sunlight should be the first consideration when positioning flower beds. It changes throughout the day and can have a dramatic effect on the way a border is seen. 

Ideally, this showpiece planting should be backlit with the sun filtering through the plants for a magical effect. To find which places are special can only be learnt by watching the light moving through the yard – taking photos and noting the time will help when planning.  

'Improving your plant knowledge, namely the shape and form a plant makes as well as the seasonal changes it undergoes, will be an asset, but to plant like a pro you also need to develop a keen eye for picking and mixing plants,' says Adrienne Wild, owner of Wild About Gardening. 

'You’ll only learn this skill by trial and error, and even the most experienced gardeners will tell you that great plant association often just happens. 
Don’t worry if you struggle with learning plant names, as choosing them for their form and color is more important.'

Kelsey Mulvey is a New York-born, San Francisco-based freelance journalist who covers lifestyle and design content. She started her writing career while studying magazine journalism at Boston University, where her work was syndicated by top digital publications like USA Today and MSN. Upon graduation, Kelsey covered lifestyle content The Wall Street Journal, Off Duty and Business Insider. In 2017, Kelsey started her freelance journalism career, where she contributes to design publications like AD PRO, Elle Decor, Wallpaper*, and more. W

With contributions from

19 Best Front of House Flower Bed Ideas That'll Bring Your Home to Life

Last Updated on March 7, 2022 by April

Well maintained grass lawns look great, but we all know it’s the flowers that impress. Adding color to your front yard can have a huge impact on the overall curb appeal of your home. Get creative with these front garden landscaping ideas. They’re bound to help you create the entryway landscaping you’ve always dreamed of!

Before we get started, be sure to check out these container garden ideas for unique ways to plant your garden. However, in case you’re looking to bring the outdoors into your home, try some of these indoor gardening DIYs. They work for small and big spaces alike because the right plants shape any size room. Now, we’re going outdoors, because it’s time to find your favorite flower bed idea!

Table of Contents

Front of House Flower Bed Ideas

Now that you have seen a few of the beautiful flower options you can add to your flower beds, it’s time to see the flower bed designs. These flower bed ideas for your front yard will certainly turn heads. If you make sure to include various annuals for different seasons, you can enjoy a colorful front yard on a regular basis.

Looking to create a stunning winter garden? Be sure to check out these winter flower garden plants that will survive the cold weather.

Without further ado, here are the flower bed ideas.

Tulip Flower Bed With Rock Edging

Framing your grass with loads of flowers is a great way to add interest to your landscaping. You can add many different flowers, as shown in the photo above, or you can keep it simple with one or two types. This option is perfect for those who want a little pop without the extra work of having the entire front landscaping of flowers.

Tidy Rows of Varying Colored Flowers

Crazy about flowers? If you can’t get enough of the beautiful color flowers provide, choose several colors of flowers that look nice together. For example, the photo above has flowers that go from pink to purple, to red, and then yellow. The pink, purple, and red flowers go together, with white as a buffer between the red and yellow flowers on the other side.

Tree Base Flower Bed

Place emphasis on your beautiful green trees by placing a bed of flowers at their base. Even if your bed of flowers ends up much small than the one in the photo above, it will make a dramatic difference. It is a good idea to make the bed of flowers proportional to your tree size.

Square Raised Flower Bed

Raised flower beds look great in both your front and backyard. Keep things looking need by being consistent with flower bed shapes. If you prefer square, use square raised beds for the entirety of your garden.

Round Flower Bed

Here is a great example of a round flower bed. The same idea applies here; be consistent with your raised flower bed shape.

Round Raised Flower Bed #2

Raised Rectangle Flower Bed

Hanging Tire Flower Bed

Hanging a tire planter (yes, with the garden gnome!) on one of the trees in your front yard can add quirk to your setup. I love creative garden ideas, and this one will surely turn your neighbors’ heads. If you were considering hanging baskets for your front yard garden, this is a great twist to try. Be sure to check out the tutorial from DIY Show Off.

DIY Vertical Flower Bed

If you happen to have a wall in front of your house that could use something extra, then try a DIY vertical flower bed. Try color coordinating the vertical garden with the rest of your flower garden for a cohesive look. To see the materials used, check out The Idea Room.

Violin Flower Bed

I’ve heard of singing and playing music for your plants, but how about potting them in an actual cello? Next time you find yourself with a repairable instrument, try making some use out of it. What was once trash can become a beautiful showpiece for your front lawn.

Stacked Tires

In case you don’t have a tree to hang tires from, consider layering them. I’d recommend placing these on your front porch. You can add a creative pop of color to your landscaping by painting your tires. I love the cute patterns on the painted tires above.

You can find more tire planter ideas from Birds and Bloom.

Potted Plants

This flower bed pot idea from Sequing Gardens is genius! Simply pot your flowers as you usually would and plant the pot into the ground. This way, it’s easier to replant your flowers when the time comes.

Glowing Planters

Allow your flower garden to show its beauty even late at night with a light-up vase. By using a glowing flower pot, you highlight the most appealing aspects of your yard.

Find out how to design a garden with Home Edit.

Flower Bed Pathway

Guide your guests to your front door with a beautiful pathway of flowers. To get this cottage-style flower bed, allow some greenery to grow between each stepping stone.

See more garden path ideas with stepping stones at The Garden Lover’s Club.

Log Planter

If only flowers like these naturally grew from logs! Since they don’t, we will just have to improvise. Please take note of the enormous, yet adorable faux ant climbing the tree stump.

This image is thanks to Hometalk.

Log Flower Bed #2

Tree Stump Planter

Don’t know what to do with that old stump in your front yard? Try one of my favorite front of house flower bed ideas.

Learn how to create a beautiful tree stump garden bed from Balcony Garden Web.

Simple Landscape

If you aren’t into the overgrown landscape concept, then try a minimalist approach. I love this simple idea because it incorporates dark brown mulch to create a clean look. It also works for those opting for a low maintenance approach.

See more photos at Garden Landscape Ideas.

Flower Wheel Barrow

This is a popular look for farmhouse style homes and gardens. If you love the grown in garden look, then you should try this idea for sure. There are plenty of ways to make a creative garden with this setup, and it’s low maintenance too!

Check it out at Kifissia Flower Show.

Mailbox Flower Bed

Give your mailman something cute to look at next time he delivers your mail. If you’re looking to change out your actual mailbox, then try making the mailbox the actual planter!

Check out more mailbox flower bed ideas at Country Living.

What Flowers Stay in Bloom All Year?

Annual flowers are a great way to give your front garden life for as much of the year as possible. By planting certain types of flowers for each season, you can enjoy blooms on a regular basis. Here are some annual favorites.

Petunias – Spring, but can also bloom during Summer and Fall

Petunias are beautiful flowers that are great for flower beds. They come in a variety of colors, and their flowers are large and showy. Petunias are easy to care for, and they will bloom all summer long.

Sweet Pea – Spring

Sweet peas are another beautiful flower that is great for flower beds. They are fragrant, and their flowers are delicate and sweet-looking. Sweet peas are easy to care for, and they will bloom all summer long.

Sweet Asylum – Summer and Fall

The sweet asylum flower is a beautiful addition to any flower bed. This flower is very easy to grow, and it blooms throughout the summer. It is a great choice for anyone who wants a beautiful, easy-to-grow flower for their garden.

Pansy – Spring and Early Summer

Pansy flowers come in a variety of colors, including yellow, blue, and purple. They are a great choice for flower beds because they produce lasting blooms.

Diascia – Fall, Winter, and Spring

Diascia flowers are a great choice for adding color to your flower bed. They come in a variety of colors, including pink, red, white, and purple. Diascia flowers are also very easy to grow, and they will bloom throughout the summer.

Euphorbia – Summer and Fall

The Euphorbia flower is a beautiful addition to any garden. The flowers come in a variety of colors, including red, yellow, orange, and pink. They are very easy to grow and can be used in both flower beds and containers.

Cornflower – Late Spring, Summer, and Fall

Cornflowers are flowers that come in many colors. They have a long stem and petals that curl inward. Cornflowers are loved for their beauty and are often used in arrangements and bouquets.

Tall Verbena – Summer and Fall

The tall verbena flowers are big, purple, and gorgeous. They work add loads of color to any garden, and they make a beautiful addition to any home. The flowers are also very fragrant, and they make a great addition to any room in your house. They’re the perfect way to brighten up any day!

Marigold – Summer and Fall

There are many types of marigold flowers, but the most popular type is the Calendula officinalis. Marigolds are often used for their medicinal properties, such as treating skin conditions and promoting healing. They can also be used as a natural dye.

Dahlia – Summer and Fall

Dahlias are a genus of bushy, tuberous, herbaceous plants native to Mexico. A member of the Asteraceae, Dahlias comprise about 40 species. They are perennials that grow from tubers, and are often grown for their flowers.

Final Thoughts

I hope you loved these in front of house flower beds as much as I did!

A flower bed is a great way to add some color and life to your yard. You can plant all sorts of flowers in a flower bed, from tulips and daisies to roses and lilies.

There are several reasons why you should start a flower bed. First, planting flowers is a great way to improve your landscaping. A well-manicured flower bed can really add some beauty to your yard.

Second, planting flowers is a great way to attract pollinators to your garden. Pollinators such as bees and butterflies are important for gardens, as they help to pollinate plants and flowers.

Third, planting flowers is a great way to get exercise. Gardening is a great way to get some exercise and fresh air, and flower beds are a great place to start.

Start a flower bed today if you’re looking for a way to improve your landscaping, attract pollinators, or get some exercise!

Garden beds design, tips and examples

Successful design of flowerbeds and beds make the garden look like a miniature park. The design of beds in a summer cottage may include planting lettuce, basil and cabbage, which serve as flower parterres and rabatok. Actually, the word "rabatka" comes from the German "rabatte" - a garden bed. If there is free space, you can create a recreation area in the garden by equipping a gazebo. A platform with a pond, a trellis entwined with grapes, or an alley of columnar apple trees will give an even greater resemblance to a park area, while the garden will not lose its practical significance.

Content

Choosing a place to place beds

There is a clear division between ornamental crops (this includes green spaces that are not eaten) and plants grown to feed on them. But nothing prevents the gardener from combining a decorative function with a utilitarian one, because many garden plants are beautiful and can be used in landscape design.

When choosing a place for beds, the following points should be considered:

Placement of bed plants

Creating a flower garden also begins with the choice of location. It is advisable to choose a site protected from strong winds while open to the sun. The classic flower garden is accessible from all sides for review. In addition to flowers, you can use conifers, bulbs and even some vegetable crops on it.

If your imagination is limited by six acres on which you need to place buildings, a garden and a vegetable garden, then a flower bed can be planned as a border. This option provides an overview of only one side.

For a regular flower garden, representatives of the flora that bloom at the same time are selected. This is easier to achieve in an open area where there is no shade from buildings. At the same time, they try to combine focal tall seedlings, background medium-sized (from 20 to 60 cm) and framing (up to 20 cm).

When designing your bed configuration, remember that:

Arrangement of compositions in the garden

The garden is part of the garden, so the construction of the composition takes place here according to the same rules. At the same time, barrels of water can be designed as reservoirs, and the original decoration of the boxes of high beds can become a stylish accent.

Of course, the most familiar style in the garden is rustic. Usually it is characterized by wattle, krinki, sunflowers - this is rather a southern version of the design.

But if you make a fence using logs driven into the ground, pick up rough wooden furniture, choose a discreet palette of colors - you get a variation on the theme of northern Russia.

The classic French style differs from the landscape landscape style by clear geometric shapes. In a French-style garden, each bed forms part of a large, well-designed pattern. It is good to admire such a garden from above, surveying the whole picture. Usually the ridges are framed by borders of low plants. However, the classical style provides for the cultivation of plants of the same laconic form, respectively. Non-standard, rapidly growing seedlings in this case will not work.


A plot in the English landscape style looks more natural, it is also called landscape. This option allows you to collect seedlings completely different in shape, color and size in the garden, which means that it is possible to create spectacular vegetable compositions, complementing them with herbs and flowers.

Currently, a combined version of these two styles is often found, when free plantings of vegetables and herbs are framed by strict geometric paths.


Benefits of a high bed:

Bed borders, advantages and disadvantages

Making beds in the country with your own hands necessarily provides for the question of how to arrange the sides. In the off-season, dirty paths and sloppy beds make a depressing impression. Therefore, it is important to consider how the garden will look without plants.

The choice of materials for landscaping with rectangular sides is quite wide. Inexpensive, but short-lived materials are wickerwork or wood treated with an antiseptic. To make wicker flowerbed sides with your own hands, you do not need to have special knowledge. As a basis, stakes about 30 cm high are used, hammering them around the perimeter of the flower bed. Then they are braided with annual shoots of willow. This design will last about 4 years, then it is easy to update it.

Wattle is great for rustic gardens, but works well in other styles too. You can learn more about how to make such a fence here.

Flat slate is more durable, but ugly. Most often, the protruding part of this material is additionally decorated.

If the sides have curved lines, they are made of cast-in-place concrete or clinker bricks placed on the end. This option is calculated for long-term use, since it is not easy to eliminate the concrete structure. In addition, such a design is not cheap at all.

At present, the production of ready-made concrete borders has been launched, which are used to decorate beds and flower beds. They are produced in various sizes, colors and shapes. There are design options that can be installed without deepening.

Track design

Crushed stone - the most affordable material for the design of tracks. It is better to use crushed stone of a fine fraction so that it is convenient to walk on it.

In order for the paths to retain their geometry for a long time and not overgrown with weeds, before pouring crushed stone or granite screenings, it is necessary to install a border or other separator along the edges of the path, and cover the bottom with geotextiles.

Container plantings

Usually this type of gardening is used to save space. On the one hand, full-fledged ridges can be placed even on our traditional six acres. But sometimes it happens that the site is used for ornamental crops or is occupied as a territory for recreation. Then vegetables in containers can be placed on the terrace, patio or in the front garden with a fence. And spicy herbs will take their place in the summer kitchen.

Container garden materials include baskets, buckets, barrels, wooden crates and flowerpots. It is necessary to choose them so that they are combined with each other, and also fit the color, texture and style of the house and garden.

Clay or wood is the best material for containers because they hold moisture well and do not overheat.

It is not necessary to plant crops in boxes that are very demanding on soil fertility - beets, carrots, cabbage, which cannot be said about garden purslane, which is not at all demanding on soil. Solanaceae should not be planted in the same container - they will oppress each other.

Vegetables and flowers can be placed in containers, but vegetables will require more fertile land.


The composition will look more impressive if bright seedlings are placed against a green background and high and low specimens are combined.

Growing plants in containers has some peculiarities. For such beds, drainage is very important. Holes are necessarily made in the bottom of the container, then they are covered with expanded clay or clay shards. A layer of nutrient soil mixture is poured on top. In hot summers, the surface of the soil is mulched to avoid rapid drying.

Vertical beds

A suburban area, often occupying only 6 acres, does not always allow for various flower beds and beds according to the wishes of the owners. In this case, vertical gardening comes to the rescue. Such a compact way of farming will allow you to create beautiful beds for vegetable crops and place a lot of flower arrangements.


When designing such a garden, you need to take into account some features. A vertical garden requires more frequent watering and fertilization. It is necessary to place landings so that they do not obscure the sun to neighboring specimens. Under large fruits (watermelons, melons), it is necessary to provide supports so that they do not break off under their own weight.

Vertical flower beds

A three-dimensional flower garden in the form of a sculpture can become a masterpiece of flowerbed art. At the beginning of the last century, a technology appeared, according to which the wire mesh is given the outline of a sculptural composition, filled with earth, and low-growing vegetation is planted over the entire surface. Of course, such compositions attract attention, but are very difficult to perform and maintain.

A simpler version of a vertical flower garden is a screen. A plastic mesh is pulled around four pegs driven into the ground. The resulting rectangle is covered from the inside with a film and filled with soil. Flowers are planted on top and in the cuts of the film on the sides.

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How to Make Garden Beds with Your Own Hands

The yield of plants depends not only on the time of planting seeds, their germination, but also on the place of planting and the height of the embankment. We hope that our tips on building beds in the country with your own hands will be useful not only for beginner gardeners.

Content:

  • Mulching
  • Warm beds
  • Paths between beds
  • Cooking beds for strawberries
  • Plants decorating
  • How French beds differ from English
      • Video: how to build universal warm beds
      • How to build universal warm beds
    9003

    Some vegetables, such as peas, dill, sorrel, lettuce, can grow in partial shade. But most plant species are not able to fully mature with a lack of light.

    Therefore, when placing beds on a garden plot, they are primarily guided by their illumination - it is desirable that they be warmed up by the sun from the very early morning until 6-7 pm.

    Ornamental garden plants

    productivity in these places will be low; plus the water in this place will constantly stagnate, which can lead to root rot

    2

    The site should not have a strong slope, otherwise the water will simply drain from it during irrigation, and the plants will not receive moisture

    3

    Large trees, buildings and fences that can shade the plants should not be near the plantings

    4

    It is desirable to arrange them north to south, so that during the day they are evenly illuminated by the sun

    5

    About 1 acre is enough to grow vegetables for a family of 3-4 people; the rest of the territory can be planted with potatoes, berries and flowers

    6

    To make the plot look neat, try to make "correct" beds of the same width and length; standard sizes - 3. 5x0.8 m

    7

    Do not forget about the compatibility of plants: some of them do not get along well with each other

    See also: We create garden figures with our own hands. Simple and interesting ideas from improvised materials (125+ Photos & Videos) + Reviews

    Sizes

    Standard bed sizes

    In principle, you can make a bed of any length - up to 10 m. We agree, such beds look original. But constantly bypassing them when watering is very inconvenient. It is better to prepare an embankment 3.5-4 m long. This size is considered optimal. Or break a long bed into two with a small path. This will greatly facilitate your movement around the site.

    Standard width 0.8 m. Don't save space (!) and never make it wider. You may be able to reach the center of the bed when planting and scatter the seeds, but weeding will turn into a real torment. Don't believe? Experiment and prepare a small but wide mound. Believe me, next year you will lose the desire to make beds of this size.

    More compact version, only 0.45 m wide, made for carrots. This culture does not like dense plantings - the sprouts should be well blown. For the same reason, try not to place tall plants next to carrots. Otherwise, you will significantly reduce its yield. On thickened plantings, it will grow small.

    See also: Avocado: growing at home from the stone | (Photo & Video) + Reviews

    Shape and height

    When designing a plot, we can decorate it with beds of various shapes, from standard rectangular to triangular, trapezoidal or oval. There are plenty of ideas for unusual beds on the net. The main thing is that it is convenient to approach them from either side for watering and weeding.

    The shape can be any

    The height of the embankment depends on many factors, including the type of site. In most cases, it is enough to raise them to a height of up to 35-50 cm. This will be enough so that the roots of the plants do not rot. Too high beds - up to 0.8 m - are usually made in heavily swampy areas.

    But such structures are very labor intensive. Plus, they will need to bring at least a couple of KAMAZ trucks of fertile soil to the site. For one small bed it will need at least half a ton.

    Raising beds is also often required for the cultivation of heat-loving crops, such as cucumbers. Indeed, in high beds, the earth warms up much faster. It is often impossible to get an early harvest without it.

    Raise the beds sometimes and just for their own convenience

    In this case, caring for plants is much easier. Just keep in mind that in high beds the earth dries out much faster, so you will have to water the plants more often. Experts also advise raising a landing site in areas located in the shade. The optimal height of the embankment in this case is 50 cm.

    See also: How to create beautiful flower beds in the country with your own hands? (220 fresh photo and video ideas) + 9 reviews0031 Arrangement of a high bed

    Using high bed boxes

    The box for it can be made from improvised means: boards, plastic, metal or stones:

    1

    1 plants from ubiquitous rodents.

    2

    Crushed stone, expanded clay or broken bricks are used as drainage. The thickness of such a layer is 10-15 cm. If you do not want to use chemistry, mix the earth with a small amount of wood ash - it will protect the plants from harmful bacteria.

    4

    It is not worth filling the bed with soil up to the sides - it will constantly spill out onto the path. It is necessary to leave about 5 cm.

    See also: Begonia - care and reproduction at home (120 Photos & Videos) on it, many types of crops become a problem.     Vegetables and berries on it, if they ripen, then due to excess moisture, they quickly deteriorate during storage.

    Their taste also changes - they accumulate much less sugar. To prevent this from happening, take care of the drainage of the wetland.

    Most gardeners know that cabbages, melons, marrows and cucumbers require more moisture to grow than other crops. But it turns out that massive heads of garlic can also be grown only in areas rich in moisture. On dry land, even with abundant watering, it is rarely large.

    Drainage is not required for the above types of plants (unless, of course, stagnant water in the beds is negligible). The area for growing other crops is better to drain.

    To arrange drainage in marshy areas and removal of excess moisture from plant roots

    It is necessary: ​​

    • along the perimeter of the beds, lay a ditch with a depth of 50-60 cm
    • Pour its bottom with a layer of 20-25-centimeter. mixes of sand and gravel
    • overlay light sawdust or humus on top
    • the last, top layer - ordinary earth
    0031 Multi-level constructions

    Multi-level constructions

    A similar technique is used mainly for decorative purposes - beds raised to different heights look very impressive. It makes sense to construct such structures even if there is not enough space for landing. However, their number is always limited. Caring for plants growing in multi-tiered structures is always more difficult.

    Plus, only crops with an underdeveloped root system should be planted in such structures: some varieties of flowers, strawberries, lettuce, parsley, dill and other herbs. Very decorative look on such beds and low-growing varieties of tomato.

    For the construction of multi-tiered beds, special boxes can be knocked down from wood. It is highly undesirable to use metal - it quickly heats up in the sun, and the earth in them will dry out even faster. If necessary, paint metal containers with light paint - light surfaces heat up less.

    Often ready-made boxes, racks or containers of a suitable size are used for such structures. You can also place large containers filled with earth on the shelves.

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    Lazy beds

    Planting plants without the use of fences

    Such embankments are used when planting a large number of plants. They have a small height and look like bulk trapezoids without the use of a box. True, such embankments will have to be made every season - they settle over the winter.

    Make a shallow ditch around the path, throwing the earth over the ridge. Level the soil with a rake. The bed is ready.

    Let's repeat - the drier the land on the site, the lower the height of the embankment should be. In marshy areas, dig paths as deep as possible and make the bed higher. On sandy soil, you don’t even need to do this - just tread the paths well on the dug-up ground with your feet, thus marking the location of the paths.

    See also: Covering material for beds | TOP 14 main types: their general characteristics, how to choose? | (Photo & Video) +Reviews

    Bed box

    Decorative option, limited to a box - a favorite technique of many gardeners. After all, caring for them (watering and weeding) is greatly simplified. The use of boxes is a good way to protect against soil erosion. In addition, the paths between them will always be clean, without streaks and puddles.

    Pathways are usually covered with wood, tiles or concrete to prevent grass from breaking through the ground.

    Planting in boxes

    Before proceeding with the installation of the box, the place for the bed must be prepared - dig up the ground, carefully removing all weeds. Carefully level it with a rake so that water during irrigation or rain can be evenly distributed over the entire surface.

    When digging, cover a little more ground. Otherwise, the roots of perennial plants will again make their way out of the ground. Pulling them out from under the box will be problematic. It is better to pre-dig the neglected area twice in spring and autumn.

    Wooden box

    Wooden box

    The simplest wooden box is assembled from 4 long and 8 short boards of suitable size. They are connected in pairs with the help of bars. Nails, screws and metal corners are used as fasteners.

    You will also need 4 pegs or a piece of rebar 0.6 m long - they are driven into the ground from the outside to increase the strength of the structure. To make the bed perfectly even, its walls are aligned with the building level horizontally and vertically.

    Stone or concrete box

    Stone or concrete box

    Such designs are characterized by high strength and long service life. However, they will cost a lot.

    Plus, the procedure for their erection requires a lot of time. Yes, and moving the garden bed will be a serious problem - the structure will have to be broken.

    Metal boxes

    Metal boxes

    If you have scrap metal on hand, you can make beds from it. Such structures are lightweight and, if desired, they can be easily moved to another place. They are easily painted in any color, so they look quite decorative.

    However, the creation of such products requires the ability to work with a welding machine. You can cut the metal at the nearest scrap metal collection point.

    Slate fence

    Slate fence

    It is quite resistant to decay, even when buried in the ground and can last a long time.

    The disadvantages of slate structures include increased fragility - when assembling and cutting them, high accuracy and accuracy are required.

    Plastic structures

    Plastic structures

    If you have a few plastic panels left after repair, you can make a fence out of it. Bright, they favorably stand out against the background of plants.

    Moreover, plastic is able to lie in the ground for an infinitely long time - it is not afraid of moisture. However, under the bright rays of the sun, this material quickly fades and loses color.

    See also: How to make a greenhouse with your own hands: for seedlings, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and other plants. From polycarbonate, window frames, plastic pipes (75 Photos & Videos) + 9 reviews0031 Mulching

    Weeding often takes a lot of time for gardeners. If the site is large, this becomes a serious problem. You just have to spend the day and night in the garden.

    Mulching beds

    To reduce the time spent on endless weeding, prepare the so-called smart beds. The principle of their manufacture is simple. To protect plants from weeds after planting, cover the gaps between the sprouts with sawdust, needles, straw, or dried last year's foliage of trees.

    Mulch the soil also by covering with dark film . It is spread out before planting, making small holes for the plants. A transparent film is not suitable for these purposes - weeds will continue to develop with access to light.

    It has been proven that mulching significantly (almost 30%) increases the yield

    After all, covering the top layer of soil protects the fertile layer from weathering and rapid drying. Plus, beneficial microorganisms and earthworms multiply faster under a layer of organic matter.

    Using this method, even abandoned plots can be quickly put in order - it is enough to cover the ground overgrown with weeds with mulch for a couple of years.

    Unfortunately, in swampy areas mulching often leads to a sad result - covering the soil leads to stagnant water in the beds, and as a result, rotting of plants. But in this case, mulching can come in handy.

    The only difference is that it is not necessary to cover the ground for the winter and early spring. Wait until the earth dries well.

    Mulch should not be used during rainy seasons. If the summer turned out to be hot, with the help of mulch you will get rid of not only weeding, but also frequent watering. The moisture underneath will evaporate much more slowly. In wet areas, be sure to prepare drainage around the perimeter of the beds to drain its excess.

    See also: How to make a do-it-yourself booth for a dog: housing in the yard and in the apartment. Drawings, dimensions and original ideas (55+ Photos & Videos) + 9 reviews0031 Warm beds

    Raised soil warms up much faster

    Getting an early harvest in our climate is not so easy. At the first return frost, tender sprouts planted in open ground will simply die. Surviving plants will be stunted and diseased. The ideal outlet for growing in this case are warm beds.

    They can be used for many types of crops: first greens and radishes, heat-loving cucumbers, marrows, pumpkins, eggplants, tomatoes, etc.

    Consider the basic rules for creating warm beds and how to grow each of the crops on them:

    1

    They can rise above the ground or, on the contrary, be built below ground level.

    2

    They do not penetrate more than 0.5 m into the ground. This is quite enough to protect the sprouts from spring frosts. At a greater depth, the plants will be in the shade and will be pulled.

    3

    Raise them to a height of up to 0.5-1 m. In principle, they can be made even higher - care for them will only be simplified.

    4

    First lay a drainage layer of fine gravel and sand. You can replace it with broken bricks, but learn that over time this material can decompose under the influence of moisture.

    5

    The next layer is vegetable waste. The heat released during their decay will serve as natural heating. It is better to prepare such a bed in the fall, during the harvest. As a "warm layer" you can use cut tops or any weed grass left after weeding. The most important thing is that she does not have time to form seeds.

    6

    For cucumbers, pumpkins and marrows, manure is often used as a warm layer. When overheated, it heats up much more. For the same crops as tomatoes, manure, as well as pure humus, is contraindicated. Plants on it will only increase the green mass. You can simply not wait for a harvest on manure - the ovaries will immediately fall off. Therefore, to warm up the tomato, use ordinary vegetable waste.

    7

    The last layer is fertile soil. It is poured with a thickness of at least 30 cm.

    8

    Novice gardeners sometimes complain that their neighbors have a high yield on warm beds, but for some reason nothing grows in them. Indeed, if a layer of grass or manure is only a little “powdered” with earth, it will simply be impossible for the roots of the plant to gain a foothold in it. Yes, and nutrition for sprouts will obviously not be enough. Overripe plants serve only as a layer of insulation. Therefore, without a solid layer of earth, you will not achieve a harvest.

    9

    Next, arcs are placed above the bed, which are covered with a film. Covering material such as spunbond (agrofibre) should not be used for these purposes. It can be spread directly on the ground in case of returning frosts or used as additional shelter. Unlike polyethylene, agrofibre has many holes through which precious heat will freely escape.

    Such a bed "works" for about 4 years. After its complete exhaustion, a new one is prepared, and rotted plants are used as fertilizer when digging up beds. During the first two years, the most heat-loving crops are planted on the warm bed - cucumbers, pumpkins, zucchini, eggplant, etc.

    In the third or fourth year, any garden crops can be planted in this place - from carrots, beets, onions to potatoes.

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    Paths between beds

    Paving slabs

    Paths between beds are a sore subject for many gardeners. Weeding the ground rammed by constant walking is problematic. But it’s enough to run a little - and the weed grass immediately crawls from it to the beds. Plus, in rainy weather, the paths become too slippery.

    For the manufacture of tracks, you can use any environmentally friendly and sufficiently moisture resistant material:

    • paving slabs : its range is large enough, and you can easily choose the right color and shade
    • concrete : paths filled with cement-sand mortar can serve faithfully up to 15-20 years; there are several disadvantages of such structures - low decorativeness and low resistance to moisture; plus, concrete surfaces under the influence of frost heaving often crack, and they have to be periodically added; and it will be problematic to move the track to another place - for this, the concrete coating will have to be completely destroyed
    • small stones or crushed stone : to prevent them from mixing with fertile soil, making paths from them will require the construction of a fence made of metal, wood or plastic
    • wood lifted above the ground with the help of bars; so that the tree does not bend when walking, it is necessary to choose boards of sufficient thickness; the optimal section of the bars is 500x100 mm; the reverse side of the tree is treated with mastic to protect against moisture
    • terrace (deck) board , of course, it costs a lot, but it looks very solid; and its service life even in conditions of high humidity and significant temperature changes is 20-30 years

    Other materials can be used for laying paths, for example, tree cuts or large stones. In this case, the space between them must be covered with sand or gravel and carefully compacted. Otherwise, weed grass will immediately appear on the path.

    Stone path

    Make the central paths a little wider - from 60 cm, so that a wheelbarrow can pass freely along them. For the rest of the paths, a distance of 30 cm is left (that is, equal in length to a human foot). You should not make it smaller, otherwise, moving between too narrow paths when weeding or watering, you will constantly trample the planted plants.

    Old linoleum can also be used to control weeds on the paths. But covering this slippery material with a decorative face up is not worth it. Flip it over and lay it upside down. It may not be very aesthetically pleasing, but it is absolutely safe.

    Preparing strawberry beds

    Mulching strawberries

    The bright red berry is not only an ideal source of vitamins and minerals, but also an excellent garden decoration. But, since this crop requires special care, let's talk about its cultivation separately: and the berry turns out to be watery and not too tasty; so be sure to take care of its drainage

  • it is better to grow it on warm beds, on the bottom of which drainage is laid from a 5-10 cm layer of sawdust, straw or rotted tops of plants, mineral supplements can also be added in small quantities; to protect against excess moisture, a waterproofing film is laid on the bottom of the box
  • on its sides, it is necessary to drill several holes to remove excess water
  • it is better to make the beds high enough - it is possible to achieve high taste qualities of the berry only if the soil is sufficiently warmed up by sunlight
  • whimsical strawberries simply love humus; to get a good harvest, add a couple of handfuls of it when planting seedlings into prepared holes
  • growing mustaches of a plant cause a lot of trouble - they have to be cut very often; if this is not done in time, the berry will start to shrink and the yield will decrease
  • You can get rid of such laborious work by mulching the beds with a dark cloth; the mustache will simply have nowhere to take root; plus a layer of sawdust, needles or straw will protect the strawberries from dirt: even after heavy rain, the berries will remain perfectly clean

    • Planting decoration

    Garden plot decoration

    Even ordinary rectangular structures look very decorative if several crops are planted in them at once. Unusually shaped beds can also be used as decor. The only thing is that you should not make the embankments too wide so that they can be easily approached from either side.

    You can decorate the site simply by alternating the shades of the planted crops

    Beds can also be decorated by planting low-growing flowers along their edges (tall plants will shade the main crops). Thus, you can not only decorate, but also protect plants. For example, marigolds located next to cabbage heads will help scare away the cabbage butterfly.

    These flowers can also be placed next to other plants, such as beets. They are not very fond of the bear, who loves to feast on tender young sprouts. Able to scare away marigolds and aphids, as well as wireworms.

    How French beds differ from English ones

    French way of planting crops

    French version is one of the ways to decorate the plot. Unlike traditional planting methods, such a garden always has a strictly symmetrical shape. Moreover, it is absolutely not necessary to make the beds rectangular. They can be in the form of rhombuses, ovals or semi-ovals, etc. The most important thing is that each of the segments be strictly symmetrical to the neighboring one.

    As a rule, French beds are placed at a certain height for easy crop care.
    It is desirable (but not necessary) to plant the plants also symmetrically. For example, radishes are located along the edge of all the beds, lettuce is in the center, and red cabbage is on the other side.

    English version

    Unlike the French version, English do not require strict symmetry. The main emphasis in them is on the lawns, with which the site is decorated. Against the background of sown grass, plantings of even ordinary garden plants look like ornamental crops. In fact, it is a mixture of a vegetable garden and a flower garden.

    An English-style garden house looks like a huge vertical bed. Climbing plants are planted near its walls.

    Learn more