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North facing flower bed ideas


25 ways with a north-facing yard |

(Image credit: Tom Massey)

North-facing garden ideas have an exquisite beauty. More subtle, yet just as enticing as their sunnier counterparts. 

In their shadiest corners, intriguing planting choices can be layered, while brighter areas can be devoted to colorful backyard ideas with beautiful blooms. 

Whether you’ve a tiny courtyard, patio or a good-sized plot, pick the plants that will thrive and they’ll be the basis for a haven where you can be at one with nature. After all the spadework, don’t forget to plan your garden decor and the all-important spot to sit, relax and enjoy the view. 

Discover our north-facing garden ideas below for more advice, tips and garden shade inspiration. 

North-facing garden ideas

Take the time to observe your garden and work out how best to use a north-facing garden. The key thing about a north-facing garden is to make it work to your advantage. Before planning a design or choosing any new plants, first work out where the sun hits the garden and at what time of day.  

It's a good idea to draw a sun diagram to track how the sun moves around. North-facing gardens will always have areas without any light and areas of sunshine that are often towards the far end of the garden that are perfect for a sunny seating area and sun-loving plants. For those areas that gets less sun, plant some of the best shade plants or shrubs for shade that will cope well with the shadier conditions.

One huge benefit of a north-facing garden is the evening sunshine it will enjoy from May to October, so they often benefit from having two separate seating areas, one to catch the morning sunshine and one to enjoy at the end of the day. This means it's a good idea to zone your garden to make the most of the space.

1. Use white flowers to add a luminous touch

White planting really lifts a north-facing garden in this design by Bowles & Wyer . The showy globes of Agapanthus umbellatus ‘Albus’ and the climber star jasmine on the wall add luminosity to the planting. The brick paving is by Vande Moortel

(Image credit: Bowles & Wyer)

Flower bed ideas that work really well in north-facing gardens by adding a bright touch include the showy white globes of agapanthus. These balls of starry petals rise high on spiky stems to float above other flowers and add a strong vertical accent to your garden design. Whether planted in a drift or bursting up at random, these pretty spheres create an eye-catching feature in a north-facing garden that tend to be predominantly planted with green.

‘There are plenty of solutions to create an inviting outdoor space in a north-facing garden,’ says John Wyer, CEO and lead designer at Bowles & Wyer . ‘When thinking about planting, choose species that will add form and texture, rather than color. If you go for a bold use of foliage, it will largely suit most shady plants. White-flowered plants are particularly suited to shady spaces and look good against a foil of dark foliage.'

In terms of paving, bricks or cobbles often work well, as they’re less slippery underfoot and moss in the joints is often a positive addition. ‘Installing a backyard lighting scheme will transform your garden after dusk too,’ suggests John, ‘and accentuate the form and texture that you’ve created.’

2. Flip the layout to suit the sun

Clever zoning makes the best use of both light and space in this north-facing garden design by Charlotte Rowe

(Image credit: Charlotte Rowe)

Dropping the idea of having the seating area near the house is often a good plan with a north-facing garden as the far end is usually the place that catches most sun. 

‘The design of a garden needs to work with the orientation of the space,’ explains garden designer Charlotte Rowe . ‘This is especially important when the garden is north facing as full advantage needs to be taken according to where the areas are that catch most sun.’ 

The idea of having a large terrace close to the house was abandoned for this garden. Instead the garden was turned around. ‘We created a seating area in the middle of the garden surrounded by planting to capture most of the midday and afternoon sun. Then we placed the dining terrace at the end of the garden to maximize the evening sun.’ 

Flipping expectations like this has the added benefit of encouraging a journey through the garden by making the main destination furthest from the house. It means that north-facing gardens can hold their own in terms of adding an element of surprise with a slow reveal.

3. Use shade loving plants in rich greens

Layering plants with varying shades of green, leaf texture, height and form creates a sense of depth in this north-facing garden design by Tom Massey

(Image credit: Tom Massey)

A tapestry of green planting adds long-lasting interest and makes a very restful combination. On first appearance, a dark corner might appear gloomy and unwelcoming, but when filled with lush foliage it’s transformed into a calm and inviting space.

‘Shade loving plants like lush green ferns, Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra) and tree ferns (Dicksonia antarctica) are a great solution for shady spaces,’ says garden designer Tom Massey . ‘Green foliage and white flower tones generally work well in shady areas too, helping to brighten the gloom.’  

This compact north-facing garden by Tom flows out from the Crittall doors of a Petersen brick clad extension, opening onto a polished concrete terrace and pathway through lush planting. Grasses and ferns spill out of bespoke Corten steel planters, a verdant and exotic feel achieved with the use of large tree ferns. 

4. Adopt a neighboring landscape

In this garden by designers Farlam & Chandler planting fills every possible crack and crevice between paving and around the seating areas which allows the garden to feel like a green sanctuary in the city all year round

(Image credit: Farlam & Chandler)

Using trees and plants in a neighboring yard to frame a view can make a good starting point for your own design. Borrowed landscapes can work particularly well if you live in a built-up area. 

If your neighbor has a beautiful tree that can be seen above and beyond your boundary, embrace this as part of your own space, and even repeat the idea in your own yard if you have room as you already know this variety thrives in a north-facing garden.  

In this garden the solid brick bench with steel backrest forms the main anchor point within the space in the dappled shade beneath the canopy of a mature Griselina tree that works well with the planting seen beyond the boundary. This creates a simple, relaxed entertaining area.

‘In this shady courtyard we created a sociable L-shaped built-in bench,’ says Harriet Farlam, creative director of Farlam & Chandler . ‘Creating a destination in the garden encourages increased use of the space.’

If you have a north-facing garden it doesn’t mean you can’t still layer up plants for a lush look. ‘Don’t be put off by the aspect of a north-facing garden,’ says Harriet. ‘Instead celebrate the diversity of plants you can use and the escapism they offer from the heat of the sun on a hot summer’s day. With careful consideration north-facing gardens can become calm, zen-like spaces.’

5. Get rid of the lawn

A lushly planted flower bed design by Catherine Clancy including white hydrangea paniculata and red heuchera ‘Paris’, which both thrive in north-facing gardens, while blue geranium ‘Roxanne’ should be planted in the sunniest spot in the border

(Image credit: Catherine Clancy)

If you have a small north-facing garden, then consider reimagining the lawn space for a better use. Grass needs sunlight to thrive, so you may find your lawn will not look like the verdant stretch of green you had in mind. Instead increase the size of flower beds and use masses of planting to give you an alternative lush green look. 

‘You will need a range of plants,’ says designer Catherine Clancy , ‘including some to suit the shady borders and some for the sunny areas. White flowers like hydrangea paniculata will glow in the shade, while climbers can be used to cover a shady wall. Add green texture with ferns like the dwarf variety Polystichum tsus simense (Korean rock fern) and shade-loving grasses and shrubs.’ 

If you do decide you want a lawn in a north-facing garden, then remember it has to be in the sunniest area if it’s going to look good. 

6. Choose materials that suit the planting

Pay attention to detail to achieve a harmonious mix of planting and hard landscaping, like this design by Farlam & Chandler

(Image credit: Farlam & Chandler)

A backdrop of brick or stone walls and patterned paths provides a beautiful detail to show off plants. ‘Choose materials that will weather well in the long term, such as dark bricks and don’t be afraid to let nature do its thing,’ says Harriet Farlam, creative director of Farlam & Chandler. ‘Moss in between cracks of paving will only enhance its character.’

Planting plays a key role in enabling a north facing garden to feel uplifting but the hard landscaping is equally as important. Strike the right balance and they will be set off against each other beautifully. 

‘Layers of grasses which catch any glimpse of light, while textural ferns and a heavy backbone of evergreen plants will make a shady space dynamic and green all year round,’ says Harriet. Ferns are one of the first plants people think of for a north facing garden. Evergreen options can add structure and winter interest, and the perennial varieties offer wonderful variety of foliage shape and size.

7. Follow the light in a north-facing garden

(Image credit: Future / Jake Curtis)

Great gardening is all about observation. Take note of how the light changes during the day, and plan your planting accordingly. In a north-facing garden, the area closest to the house will be overshadowed by the building until the sun is high in the sky so mark it out for shade loving plants. The farthest end is your sun-catcher – make the most of it for a bench and pots of sun-loving annuals. 

8. Work with the structure

(Image credit: Future / Annaick Guitteny)

Garden walls, fences, sheds and tall trees can block the light. Some you might just have to live with, but perhaps moving a shed or lowering the height of the fence could help. Replacing fence panels with a horizontal slatted screen or trellis, or thinning out the canopy of trees will allow gorgeous dappled light to play across borders and beds. 

9. Know your dark side

(Image credit: Future / Michelle Garrett)

If you’re scratching your head over a dark corner where nothing seems to grow, take heart. There’s a good selection of plants to choose from when planning shade garden ideas that will feel right at home in a shady spot. For a zing of lime green, the flowers of Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae will lift the spirits in spring. 

Epimediums favor the shade, too, with a choice of pretty pink, yellow and cream blooms. Fill out the space with hostas and shade-loving ferns.

10. Keep landscaping subtle

(Image credit: Future / Allan Pollok-Morris)

Pale paving works best in a shady garden, but for a natural look, avoid glaringly bright porcelain tiles and opt for natural tones. A meandering gravel pathway adds an intriguing element to the garden. Play around with the effect of adding larger stones here and there along the edges, or sprinkle a trail of larger pebbles in a contrasting color among the gravel.

11. Get friendly with fronds in a north-facing garden

(Image credit: Future)

Ferns, with their graceful arching shapes, are made for shade. They come in modest and huge versions and love a well-drained location. The evergreen Japanese tassel fern Polystichum polyblepharum is a great staple for all-year greenery but nothing beats the joy of watching deciduous ferns unfurl their baby fronds each spring. For a sprinkling of silver, select the painted lady fern, Athyrium niponicum var. pictum 'Silver Falls'.

12. Color up for a brighter outlook

(Image credit: Little Greene)

Paint your way out of a dark spot with a brush, roller or spray. Fencing, a shed and furniture can be given a new lease of life and a protective coat at the same time. 

'It's really useful to bring paint, whether on walls or even bright containers, into a yard that isn't flooded with light all day long. It can compensate for a lack of flowers and turn gloom into gloriousness,' says Lucy Searle, Editor in Chief of Homes & Gardens.

13. Embrace coziness in a north-facing garden with a fireplace

(Image credit: Davide Lovati/Future)

Sunny or not, every garden starts to cool as the early evening approaches. Appease your inner caveman with the warming glow from a firepit, handy to extend a stay outdoors into the evening hours. Select rustic bowls bearing flaming logs or charcoal, or go all-out contemporary with outdoor fireplace ideas such as a slim rectangular gas-flame model, like the Linear Gas Firepit from Solus Decor .  

14. Set a woodland scene

(Image credit: Future / Emma Lee)

Who can resist the scents and colors of a woodland walk? Go down to the woods in your own patch, using the shelter of trees to nurture snowdrops, Solomon’s seal and hostas, with tall foxgloves, dainty primroses, hellebores, cyclamen and bluebells for color. If the soil gets a little dry beneath the canopy, nourish them with a mulch of leaf mould or other organic matter.

15. Upgrade garden ornaments 

(Image credit: Redwood Stone)

Flowers and foliage might be the mainstays of a garden but sculptural pieces are guaranteed to add a touch of Downton Abbey splendour. Classical statuary placed at the end of a walkway, renaissance-inspired urns set with tumbling ivy, fountains and sundials will give an air of grandeur. Search out original pieces or opt for newly-carved or cast designs, cleverly distressed to add the patina of age. Redwood Stone Folly and Garden has a good selection.  

16. Bring in fine dining 

(Image credit: Subzero Wolf)

Reserve a table chez-vous, where home-cooking is always on the menu. Setting the table against a white-painted wall and loading it up with your brightest crockery and glittering glassware is just one outdoor dining idea that will make for a welcoming scene. 

17. Create a magical effect in a north-facing garden

Photography/ Oliver Perrott/©Lights4fun Ltd. 2020

(Image credit: Lights4Fun)

Evening’s the time to glow up with magical outdoor lighting ideas. Try lighting pathways with solar stakes and creating star-scapes among the boughs for party fun or romantic late-night assignments. Find Essential Connect 10m 100 Warm White Connectable Fairy Lights Clear Cable, 50 Warm White LED Micro Battery Outdoor Fairy Lights and TruGlow Waterproof Outdoor Candle Trios at Lights4fun.co.uk .   

18. Select shrubs for spring flowering

(Image credit: Future / Polly Eltes)

Full-sun, although a bonus, isn’t always a necessity for flowering shrubs. Early in the year, Mahonia x media 'Winter Sun' will bring spikes of yellow flowers, while Sarcococca confusa (sweet box) has delicate white flowers from December to March. Vinca major makes great ground cover, with a sprinkling of pretty violet flowers. Rhododendrons are suited to partial shade, providing a real blast of spring color, as do exquisite camellias.

19. Plant for summer color

(Image credit: Future / Mark Bolton)

There’s nothing more summery than blowsy peonies, such as the delicately pale pink Paeonia lactiflora 'Sarah Bernhardt' or the deep red 'Karl Rosenfield', in flower from June to July. 

Other perennials include Lady’s mantle Alchemilla mollis, with frothy yellow flowers above its distinctive leaves and Geranium x oxonianum 'Wargrave Pink' for pretty pink blooms. Back them up with summer bedding. Some begonias, geraniums and impatiens are good to go in partial shade.

20. Bring in containers for a flexible approach

(Image credit: Ali Allen/Jacquie Melville/Nassima Rothaker)

The big advantage of pots and troughs is portability – you can shift them to a sunnier spot to coax flowers when necessary. Start a collection of varying heights and shapes and there’s endless fun to be had in playing around with them to get the arrangement just right. A trip to the garden centre will fill them with summer color. Try fuchsias, pansies, begonias and hydrangeas.

21. Embrace all things green

(Image credit: Future / Jake Curtis)

In any area where color is stripped back to mainly green, the shape and size of leaves and their texture comes to the fore. Experiment with trailing ivy, the huge leaves of a Fatsia japonica or the variegated foliage of Euonymus fortunei 'Emerald 'n' Gold'. 

If the garden is small, a lawn may not get enough light to do well. Instead, increase the size of beds for planting, plan in more paved areas, look at wall garden ideas or cheat with fake grass.

22. Find somewhere to sit in a north-facing garden

(Image credit: Future / Alicia Taylor)

Once you’ve identified the sunniest spot, designate this for your patio ideas, positioning a bench or outdoor dining table there.  And if there’s also a place that catches the morning sun, that’s a good excuse to add an extra small table and chairs to enjoy a morning coffee and flick through the newspaper. Folding, easily portable furniture lets you chase the sun throughout the day.

23. Blur the boundaries for the illusion of space

(Image credit: Future / Val Corbett)

The designer trick of including trees and tall shrubs at the far end of a garden tricks the eye into thinking the space is larger – a bonus for a small north-facing garden, especially one that’s overlooked by neighbouring houses. Paint the wall or fence in a dark shade, plant around it, and the boundary almost disappears. 

24. Fake the light

(Image credit: Annaick Guitteny/Future)

One way to bring the illusion of light to a shady garden is to include garden pond ideas. The water will reflect the skies and attract wildlife too. In a similar way, mirrors fixed to a fence or a shed will add a bright sparkle – but don’t set mirrors anywhere that a bird might fly into them.  

25. Don’t be afraid to try something different

(Image credit: The National Trust)

Give plants a go, even if they aren’t labelled as suitable for shade. When experimenting, rather than splashing out on pricey specimens from the garden center, arrange to swap cuttings with friends and neighbors. It’s good to share, and plants from a neighboring plot are likely to succeed where the conditions are similar. 

What are the best shade-loving plants for a north-facing garden?

When it comes to the best plants for a north-facing garden there are many positives. First you need to establish what sort of shade your garden has, whether it’s deep shade, light shade or dappled shade.

There are a surprising number of plants to choose from that will thrive in a north-facing garden once you've established what type of shady conditions you have. In fact, it could be time to lose the lawn and replace it with more planting as there’s so much that will work in a space like this.  

‘North-facing gardens have very little direct light, perhaps some early morning sun and some sun last thing in the evening during the summer, but it is consistent and there aren’t extremes, meaning that if you do find plants that work, they’ll be happy!’ says Susanna Grant, co-founder of shade-loving plant specialist and garden design business Linda , as well as author of the book Shade .

Hostas, ivies, euphorbias and ferns will fill beds with their lush foliage, while climbing hydrangeas and star jasmine can be used to cover boundaries. Beautifully scented sarcococca is a great choice for hedging or as a standalone shrub. 

Some varieties of ornamental grasses such as Japanese hakon come with touches of gold on their foliages which will help to lift dark corners. 

Lifestyle journalist Sarah Wilson has been writing about gardens since 2015. She's written for Gardeningetc.com, Livingetc, Homes & Gardens, Easy Gardens and Modern Gardens magazines. Her first job on glossy magazines was at Elle, during which time a visit to the legendary La Colombe d'Or in St-Paul-de-Vence led to an interest in all things gardening. Later as lifestyle editor at Country Homes & Interiors magazine the real pull was the run of captivating country gardens that were featured. 

11 Best Shade Plants to Grow Along a North-Facing Wall

From Ground Covers to Shrubs

By

David Beaulieu

David Beaulieu

David Beaulieu is a landscaping expert and plant photographer, with 20 years of experience. He was in the nursery business for over a decade, working with a large variety of plants. David has been interviewed by numerous newspapers and national U.S. magazines, such as Woman's World and American Way.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 06/15/22

Reviewed by

Kathleen Miller

Reviewed by Kathleen Miller

Kathleen Miller is a highly-regarded Master Gardener and Horticulturist who shares her knowledge of sustainable living, organic gardening, farming, and landscape design. She founded Gaia's Farm and Gardens, a working sustainable permaculture farm, and writes for Gaia Grows, a local newspaper column. She has over 30 years of experience in gardening and sustainable farming.

Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board

The Spruce / Sarah Crowley

For gardeners in the Northern Hemisphere, few spots are more challenging than the areas along north-facing walls. While the spaces along east-facing and west-facing walls receive at least a few hours of morning or afternoon sun, the areas along north-facing walls receive almost no direct sunlight. This means you must choose plants that either prefer shade or at least tolerating it. Further, these spaces are often fairly dry, which limits your choices even further.

Fortunately, there are suitable plants in every category—colorful bedding annuals, flowering perennials, climbers, ground-covers, and shrubs—that will grow quite nicely in the challenging conditions created along north-facing walls. Many of these plants will also tolerate some sun, meaning that you can also plant them along east-facing and west-facing walls.

Here are 11 good choices for ornamental plants to use in the challenging shady locations along north-facing walls.

Shade Loving Flowers and Shady Landscape Planning

Decorating a flower garden or a flower bed in front of the house with your own hands

Making a flower garden in front of the house with your own hands is not such an easy task as it seems at first glance. To decorate the front area with a magnificent flower bed, you need to take into account all the little things and learn the rules for arranging a flower garden. One mistake can nullify all efforts.

Contents

We recommend that you familiarize yourself with

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in the house are there a large selection of places for colors. Paths, outbuildings, a playground and a place for a car take up space. However, from the remaining sites it is necessary to choose the most suitable one.

The best place for a flower garden is the area located in front of the southern wall of the house. The building will protect the plants from the cold northern winds. The flower bed should not be in a draft - most plants do not tolerate it.

It is desirable that the selected area is not exposed to direct sunlight throughout the day. It is better not to choose a place in a lowland, as moisture will accumulate in the soil. Rainwater from the roof of the house should not pour onto the flower garden. In the roots of perennial plants, with an excess of water, putrefactive processes develop. Under such conditions, root nutrition is disrupted.

Lighting and soil

Before choosing plants for flower garden design, you need to determine the type of lighting in the selected area.

  1. 1If during the day direct rays fall on the place where the flower bed will be located for at least 7 hours, you can safely plant light-loving plants.
  2. 2When direct sunlight illuminates the site for only 2-3 hours in the morning and the same in the evening, and the rest of the time it is covered by a shadow from the trees, the illumination of the flower bed in front of the house is considered diffuse.
  3. 3 Plants that prefer partial shade should be planted in the event that direct rays do not fall on the flower garden in front of the house, but the lighting of the site is bright enough.

If the soil is not suitable, the flowers will be weak and unattractive, they may even die. To find out the type of earth, it needs to be slightly moistened to the consistency of plasticine. From wet soil, you should try to roll up a sausage with a diameter of 0.5 cm and roll it into a donut. If the bagel rolled up, the earth belongs to heavy clay soils. If the bagel has broken up, it means that there is loam in the area. Light sandy and super-sandy soil cannot be rolled into a sausage.

Heavy soil can be made lighter by periodically adding sand or sawdust. Well-rotted manure or compost will “weight” the earth perfectly.

To determine the acidity of the soil, you need to look at the wild flora of the selected area.

  1. 1If nettle, clover and coltsfoot grow on it, then the earth has a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction. It is an ideal soil for planting asters, tulips and carnations.
  2. 2 Horsetail, moss and sorrel thrive in acidic soils. Lily of the valley and rhododendron grow well in their place.
  3. 3 Roses and gladioli can be safely planted on neutral and slightly acidic soil.

Most plants prefer neutral soils. You can make the soil neutral with your own hands by acidifying or alkalizing it artificially. Wood ash, chalk or lime should be added to acidic soil, coniferous needles or peat should be added to alkaline soil.

You can prepare the soil for the flower bed in a more radical way by completely replacing the top layer.

Determining the shape and size of the flower bed

At this stage, you need to determine the shape of the flower bed and its dimensions. One large flower garden looks more advantageous compared to several small flower beds. But small areas are easier to care for. Flowers can be planted throughout the selected area, repeating its natural contours, or you can choose the appropriate form of a flower garden. The design of the flower bed depends on the illumination of the site.

Good light

In such conditions, you can create a traditional flower bed. It changes its "composition" 2-3 times a year. Tulips, daffodils and crocuses bloom first. After them, peonies and cornflowers bloom. Closer to autumn, the flower garden is covered with magnificent asters, dahlias and gladioli.

Irregular flower beds look more natural, in which the change of flowering plants occurs constantly, they are placed in a flower garden in groups.

When there is a shortage of space, vertical flower beds are an excellent option. They are created from flower pots mounted on a special frame made by hand from improvised materials.

Diffused light

For less bright lighting, a chameleon flower bed is suitable. She will surprise with a sharp change in flowering plants of the most unexpected colors. This is a variation of the traditional flower bed, from which the chameleon differs in faster changes. Violets, irises, delphiniums, bush asters continuously replace each other from spring to autumn.

Carpet flower beds are decorated in the form of an ornament. Low-growing flowers coexist with decorative deciduous plants, covering the flower garden with a bright and fragrant patterned carpet.

A ring flower bed can be used to surround a sculpture, a tree, an arbor, a lantern or a fountain. Taller flowers are planted on the inner ring, and stunted ones on the outer one. A large ring flower bed can contain several tiers of flowers: from the highest to the lowest, representing a truncated cone.

Partial shade

In case of poor lighting, it is better to arrange a flower garden from plants that bloom at the same time, planted in groups at a distance from each other. A large mono-flower from one type of plant looks good.

Improvement of the greenhouse

Before buying planting material, it is recommended to think over the general plan and planting schemes for each group of plants to the smallest detail. It is necessary that the flower garden fit into the overall design of the site, but at the same time look like a separate finished element of it.

You can draw a site plan and see how the selected flowerbed shape will look on it, how the colors of the plants will be combined and how they will look from every corner of the territory.

When choosing flowers, one should give preference to species that bloom for a long time or repeatedly.

If the flowers quickly lose their attractive appearance, they should be placed in small groups among the varieties of tall flowers that open later. In this case, flowering plants will not spoil the overall appearance.

Tall plants must not obscure lower views. You need to plant flowers in a cascade. Closer to the edge of the flower garden, the plants should not only be lower, but also smaller.

A bright, large luxurious flower - the owner's pride - can be planted separately, at some distance from other plants. So that it can be seen from everywhere. Instead, you can place the tallest flower in the center: a large gladiolus or a rose bush.

You should also study well the properties and characteristics of the selected plants before determining their place in the flower bed. Some species do not get along well together.

No need to try to plant the front area with rare and difficult-to-care flowers. Between perennials, it is recommended to place unpretentious annual flowers that reproduce by self-seeding (marigolds, calendula, petunias). They bloom luxuriantly and fill the entire space without leaving bald spots.

The effect of less capricious plants will be no less with the right color scheme.

Color palette

It is necessary to select plants not only according to the size and flowering time, but also according to the color. The color scheme of simultaneously flowering plants should look harmonious, as a whole, like a picture.

When choosing a color, it is recommended to use the color wheel, dividing the shades into warm, cold and neutral. The passive half of the circle contains only cold tones: purple, blue, green. Flowers with cold coloring of petals and leaves form the background of the flower bed or its edges. Blue color is considered to be the coldest, icy.

The active half includes warm tones: red, yellow, beige, cream. The hottest color is orange. Active tones adorn the central elements of the picture.

Black and white are neutral colors. They are used to smooth out inappropriate shades, placing them between them.

Designers consider pairs of red-green and blue-orange to be the most harmonious combinations. The combination of purple and yellow shades also looks beautiful.

One type of flower can be planted in different colors. For example, a yellow and purple violet called Vitrocca. Both flowers will benefit if the combination is complemented by a plant with orange petals.

It is not necessary to follow the existing rules in your area. Sometimes new combinations look so exotic and bright that they attract attention to a much greater extent than the usual combinations. You should not be afraid to experiment and look for new design solutions.

Flower bed design

How to design a flower bed?

Any object can be used as a border for a flower bed. You can use the remains of building material or a car tire. By cutting tires, you can create various shapes of flower beds. One whole tire is placed in the middle of the flower garden and planted inside with flowers. Halves of tires are located around it, forming petals around the central circle-middle.

The border can be planted with green dwarfs or clipped shrubs. From a large bush, you can build a basket with a handle with your own hands. The middle of the plant is removed along with the root. From the crown form a handle in the form of an arc hanging over the flower bed. Small bright flowers are planted inside. Red-pink cornflowers, white zinnia and poppy, blooming alternately, will look great in the “basket”. This flower bed design will surprise and delight guests and passers-by.

photo examples, advice on creation and design

Spring is a period of revival of nature and the best time for the implementation of bold ideas and projects. These two factors combined will help make dreams come true in terms of the aesthetic transformation of private yard flower gardens in the adjoining area. A special thematic article will talk about the rational location, choice of form and spectacular design of a flower bed in the courtyard of a private house: photo examples will help create their unique design.

Stages of forming a flower bed in the courtyard of a private house with your own hands

Flower beds are an important element of the overall landscape design in any yard. A special role in the formation of positive emotions and good mood belongs to flowers. Therefore, before planting plants, you need to carefully consider all the details, plan the location and design of flower beds, the shapes of which determine the appearance of the entire site in the end.

Flowerbeds, lawns, front gardens and decorative paths are elements that look boring or, on the contrary, pretentious alone, but together they significantly enliven the territory. In order to create an interesting landscape design in the courtyard of a private house, you do not need to have a special education, just use the advice of professionals. The first of them is the observance of the stages of registration, the main ones are:

  1. Choosing a place for flower beds, determining the shape of flower beds.
  2. Soil preparation and selection.
  3. Filling the flower garden with plants
  4. Flowerbed design, creation of decorative elements.
  5. Caring for flowers in the flower bed.

Choosing the location and shape of a flower bed in the courtyard of a private house: photo examples

Almost all flowers grown in flower beds love the sun and warmth. Therefore, the main condition for the successful breaking of a flower bed is a sufficient amount of light and the absence of drafts. It is better to give the advantage to the south, southeast, southwest or east sides of the house. Plants should receive enough light - at least five hours a day.

It is better to draw the project of the proposed flower beds on paper and make the appropriate sketches. The style of construction and the surrounding landscape are key factors in choosing a composition. Comfort, harmony and beauty largely depend on the shape, location and design of flower beds in the courtyard of a private house (photos clearly demonstrate this).

Flowerbeds can have a variety of shapes: in the form of a square, triangle, oval, circle, polyhedron, star. According to the method of placement, the flower garden can be vertical, horizontal, hanging or in the form of rockeries and rock gardens.

Useful advice! If the front side of the building faces north, and the location of the flower bed in front of the entrance is important, then you can break the flower bed a little far from the house: so that the shadow from the house covers the flower bed for as little time as possible during the day. The distance from the entrance to the flower bed should not be less than the height of the house.

The most popular geometric shape is the circle or oval. Observing the laws of centering, creating a beautiful, bright composition in the middle of a rounded flower bed will not be difficult. A square flower garden involves the creation of the correct ornament. Thanks to the simple geometry, you can make a beautiful symmetrical pattern. The shape of a triangle, polyhedron or star will give the flower bed a spectacular and unique look. Compositions of an irregular, abstract or original form, for example, in the form of a peacock's tail, look stylish.

Flowerbeds in the courtyard of a private house: photos of various types of decoration

Based on the shape, materials used, purpose and design methods, flower beds are divided into the following main types:

Soil preparation and soil preparation for the house flower garden

To get actively flowering and densely growing plants, you must first prepare the place and cultivate the soil.

For the location of the flower garden, any type of soil is suitable, to which various components are added. Clay soil is diluted with sand and fertilized with compost, which helps to increase soil fertility and improve air exchange. Peat is an excellent fertilizer.

Useful advice! Work on creating a flower bed is best to start in early spring, as soon as weather conditions allow you to work in the open field. To enrich the soil with oxygen and evenly distribute nutrients in it, the soil is dug up to a depth of at least 25 cm.

To enrich the soil with oxygen and evenly distribute fertilizers, the soil must be dug up with a fork or shovel. Further, using a cord and pegs, markings are applied around the perimeter of the future flower bed, and the sod is removed. A drainage layer of pebbles or screenings is laid in the resulting recess. Then the main layer of fertile soil is covered and a relief is created. The soil for flower beds must first be sifted, cleaned of rhizomes and fed with fertilizers.

Selection of crops and rules for planting flowers in a flower bed

As evidenced by photos of flower beds near the house, they should be saturated with flowering plants for a long time.

The selected varieties must have the following properties:

The basic knowledge of botany and floristry will be especially useful in the process of creating a flower bed with your own hands in the courtyard of a private house. Photos show the species diversity of plants planted in the same flower garden. Small groupings of the simplest colors look great. Variety is welcome, but at the same time it is important not to overdo it with variegation. The arrangement of plants should be harmonious and consistent.

Flower bed care includes the following procedures:

Flowerbed design in the yard of a private house: photo of various ideas

In decorating flower beds, the most extraordinary ideas are welcome. With the help of stones, you can give the flower bed an original natural look. Slate adds style. An excellent addition is decorative elements, driftwood, logs. Unusual objects can be used, such as pipe cuttings, the remains of ebbs, old furniture and even shoes. Plastic bottles and old tires will do. It is enough to paint them and give them a certain shape.

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