When creating their own garden on a summer cottage or next to a country cottage, any owner strives to make it beautiful. True, some prefer to devote a large area to a vegetable garden with vegetable beds, others to fruit and berry plantings, and still others to a recreation area. But, as a rule, no one can do without flowers.
Flowering plants are for a landscape designer what paints are for an artist.
Rules for compiling flower beds
Decide what shape the flowerbed will be.
- Classic - circle, square, rectangle, oval.
- Irregular in shape - without clear geometric lines. These can be waves, arcs, abstract patterns.
- Figured - flower beds resembling paintings or images.
The determining factor for the choice will be the size of the available space and nearby buildings. Decide on a color scheme.
- monochrome,
- contrasting,
- color combinations.
Below you will see photos of the best flowers for the garden, this will help you confirm your choice. Study the flowering time of plants.
Choose the right plant height. Adjacent flowers should have the same care conditions.
Annual and perennial flowers for the garden
Flowers can be divided into two types: annual and perennial. Each of them has its own advantages.
Perennial flowers:
- the most unpretentious, as they are not picky about care,
- replanted no more than once every 2 years,
- tolerate light frosts well,
- retain their decorative qualities all summer long,
- are a good base for any flower bed,
- During transplantation it is possible to propagate.
Annual flowers:
- characterized by a longer and brighter flowering period,
- you can completely change the composition of the flower bed every year,
- practically do not grow over the season, maintaining the pattern of the flower bed,
- do not need preparation for the winter period.
When drawing up a flower garden plan, you need to take into account that both annual and perennial plants can be:
- tall,
- medium tall,
- short.
Ready-made instructions for properly and effectively growing plants in open ground can be found on the portal https://sadiplod.ru.
Designing a flower garden
Before planting plants, you need to decide on the features of the landscape design of the site, choose a place for flower beds, and select components of the flower garden that are in harmony with each other.
A giant allium (or onion) of juicy purple color will definitely not go unnoticed
Lawn-type flower garden. Create a flowering carpet on your site - sow a certain section of the lawn with wildflowers. In such a clearing you can have wonderful picnics, and besides, such a flower garden does not even need to be watered. Suitable flowers include daisies, cornflowers, clover, poppies and others.
Primroses, sweet clover, flax and other wildflowers will envelop the country courtyard with a special summer romance
Flower garden discount. This is a narrow (0.2-1.5 m) strip of flowers that looks great if placed along a garden path or around a terrace. Several types of low-growing annual flowers are planted in horizontal stripes, alternating colors. You can make a simple ornament or add medium-sized plants.
Wavy floral stripe of daisies and salvias
Tall perennials
In flower beds located along the house or along the fence, these flowers are planted at the back, and on flower islands in the center.
Spiraea. Grows 1-1.5 meters high. Blooms in the first half of summer. Loves sunny areas, tolerates partial shade. Lush white and pinkish inflorescences will serve as decoration during the flowering period, and carved leaves will create an excellent background for the entire summer period. A bunch of this plant can be hung in the room to repel mosquitoes and flies. Has medicinal anti-inflammatory properties.
Stock rose. The height reaches 1.5-2 meters. Flowering time is from late June to September. Flowers can be of various colors: pure white, rich burgundy, soft yellow. Inflorescences are divided into simple and double.
Digitalis. It can grow from 30 cm to half a meter. Blooms all summer. Bell-shaped flowers densely cover the upper part of the plant. The color can be white, soft pink, cream, yellowish, purple.
Simple options for placing flowers in a flower bed
One of the simplest existing patterns for placing flowers in a flower bed is circular, since it is generally accepted that working on this type of flower bed is very simple.
The main thing that determines the result is how exactly the flowers will be placed. When choosing flowers for a flower bed, pay special attention not only to the color of the flowers, but also to their actual size.
You can place tall flowers in the center of the flowerbed, and very small ones at the edges. In the remaining space you can plant flowers that will bring you joy throughout the current season. Flowers such as begonia, marigolds and many others are ideal for this.
Flower beds that have an S shape look very beautiful. As a rule, such flower beds combine up to 3 shades of flowers. Plants are used in various sizes.
This type of flower bed not only looks attractive, but it is also quite easy to implement.
Medium height perennials
Muscari. The average height of different types of this plant varies from 12 to 26 cm. It blooms in May and pleases with its appearance until mid-July. Dense inflorescences can be blue, lilac, violet, or less often white. Sun-loving. They look good next to tulips, crocuses, and daffodils.
Yarrow. From 50 cm to a meter. Blooms from early June to October. Racemose inflorescences are white, pink or red. One of the most unpretentious flowers for the garden. Has medicinal properties.
Poppy. From 30 cm to a meter. The flowering period is from April to July. Spectacular red petals will decorate any garden. It is good to combine with yarrow, oregano, and hosta.
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Preparing soil for growing seedlings at home
When all the preparatory activities are completed, you can begin preparing the soil for seedlings. It is worth mentioning right away that it is better to prepare soil saturated with peat and humus in advance, that is, in the fall. Of course, a lot depends on the crop itself that will be planted in a given soil. Nevertheless, we can say that for many vegetable crops the following soil composition is optimal: 30% soil, 30% humus or peat and 40% sand. If you plan to grow cabbage, then you should take more sand for it.
To prevent garden soil from being a source of infection, it must be disinfected before use.
In addition, the obligatory requirements for any soil are its high nutritional value, breathability, as well as the ability to absorb and retain moisture well. You can prepare this mixture yourself or purchase it ready-made in the store.
Note! It is not recommended to take soil from the greenhouse - there are almost always spores of fungal diseases that can destroy all seedlings immediately after germination!
Low-growing perennials
Viola (Pansies). An adult plant reaches 40 cm. It blooms in the second year from April to September. Hardy, does not require careful care. Under the sun's rays it will bloom profusely, and partial shade will make the flowers small.
Arabis. It is a ground cover plant. Creates a decorative look for the flower bed. The flowering period from the beginning of May differs in duration. Flowers are small in size. There are white, pink, yellowish colors. It has a distinct honey smell.
Planting in a flowerbed
This is the easiest way to “install” bulbous crops in the garden, which need to be dug up annually. First of all, these are hyacinths and tulips (representatives of the groups Fringed, Liliaceae, Parrotaceae, Green-flowered, Early Terry and Late Terry). Usually in such plantings they are combined with early flowering biennials: daisies, forget-me-nots, pansies, horned violet.
Planting in a flower bed is the easiest way to add bulbs to the garden, which need to be dug up annually.
Important : after the bulbs have faded and their leaves have dried, the plants are dug up for storage, and flowering annuals .
Tall annuals
Cosmea. The height can reach a meter. It begins to bloom in July and ends with the first frost. Very popular among gardeners because they are easy to care for and hardy. Cosmos flowers amaze with a variety of shades of pink, white, blue, and purple.
Datura. People call it Datura. The average height ranges from 50 to 150 cm. From July to October, the spreading bushes are covered with large bell-shaped flowers. It is used in medicine and homeopathy, as it has an analgesic and sedative effect.
Caring for flowers in the garden
In order for a flower garden to delight all summer, it requires regular care, which consists of watering, weeding, loosening and fertilizing the plants. In the spring, nitrogen is applied to the perennials twice, with an interval of three weeks, and during the budding period and in the fall, a complete complex fertilizer with a high content of potassium and phosphorus is applied.
When planting annuals that bloom all summer, the soil is usually well prepared and amended with organic fertilizer. If this has not been done, then the feeding scheme is as follows: during the period of intensive growth, nitrogen is added, and when the buds are laid and flowering begins, they are fed with complex fertilizer with a high content of phosphorus and potassium.
Some plants need pinching for better branching and the formation of side shoots. It is necessary to promptly remove faded inflorescences and set seeds, as their presence reduces the flowering period and the number of new buds. You should not wait for the inflorescence to completely wither; it must be removed as soon as the decorative effect begins to be lost.
Pinching a plant
In some plants, after a beautiful and spectacular flowering, the foliage turns yellow. It needs to be removed. Bulbs of tulips, daffodils, and hazel grouse are dug up and dried.
Large tall plants or plants with spreading aerial parts are tied up so that they do not break or fall apart from the wind.
Medium height annuals
Marigolds (Tagetes). They grow from 15 to 80 cm. The flowering time is very long - from early June to October. Tolerates drought well.
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Flower colors are bright yellow and orange. Due to its advantages, it is widely used among gardeners.
Snapdragon. The height of the stems can vary from 15 to 130cm. Flowering period is from June to September inclusive. The inflorescences come in a wide variety of colors and can reach 50cm in size. The most advantageous neighborhood is in a flower bed with sage and cosmos.
Bulbs in pots
An excellent option for “mobile” flower beds on paved areas and wooden decks. In the fall, the bulbs are planted in deep plastic containers and buried in the garden for the winter. In the spring, the containers are dug out and inserted into decorative flowerpots of suitable size. After flowering, the plastic pots are transferred to the utility part of the garden, and when the foliage finally dries, the bulbs are dug up for summer storage.
Important : in deep, wide containers you can plant several types of bulbs at once - deeper - those that bloom later, and closer to the surface - those that bloom earlier.
Left: bulbs in pots. Right: Every year, breeders develop amazing varieties of bulbous plants.
Low-growing annuals
Daisy. There are both annual and perennial varieties. Height ranges from 10 to 30 cm. Blooms from April to June. Attracts gardeners with its incredibly delicate and fragile appearance. Suitable for both flower beds and lawns, can be used as a border plant. You can predict the weather by looking at a daisy. Before it rains, it closes and lowers its “head”.
Purslane. Plant height is 10-15 cm. Continuous flowering occurs from June to September. Depending on the species, the color and type of flower differs. Petals can be single or double, white, yellow, orange, red, crimson. Purslane is often used to decorate gazebos and balconies.
Timing for planting garden crops for seedlings
For all plants grown by seedlings, the timing of sowing seeds and planting seedlings is different. They depend on the growing season and optimal conditions for plant development. So, in the middle zone, cold-resistant cabbage can be planted in the ground already at the beginning of May, but with heat-loving peppers, tomatoes, melons and watermelons it is better to wait until June.
Helpful advice! You should never rush to sow seeds just because your neighbors and friends have already done so! After all, everyone has different conditions (lighting, soil, temperature), and the varieties may differ from yours. You need to focus on your planting date (in a greenhouse or in a garden bed) - the age of the seedlings should be 50–60 days from the moment of germination.
What time are seedlings planted?
Note! When planting seeds, it is important not to be late, otherwise the seedlings will not have time to grow and develop, and the fruiting period will come later than usual. At the same time, there is also no need to rush into planting - overgrown seedlings take root worse, get sick and may even die.
For active growth, seedlings need good lighting, which is impossible to provide in winter without additional lighting. This leads to increased expenses, but they turn out to be pointless: seedlings from seeds planted on time will quickly catch up and surpass earlier plantings, will be stronger and will lay more fruiting points.
Timing for planting seeds of different crops for seedlings, planting in greenhouses and open ground.
| Culture | Timing of sowing seeds | Planting in a greenhouse | Planting in open ground |
| Eggplant | February 10 – March 15 | May 25 May 25 | June 5 |
| Peppers | March 1-20 | May 1-25 | May 20 – June 5 |
| Early tomatoes | March 10-20 | May 1-25 | May 15 – June 5 |
| Mid-season and late-ripening tomatoes | March 1-15 | May 1-25 | May 15 – June 5 |
| cucumbers | April 15 – May 5 | May 15-31 | May 25 – June 10 |
| Zucchini, squash | April 15 – May 5 | – | May 20-31 |
| Pumpkin | April 10-25 | – | May 20-31 |
| Melon | April 5-15 | May 15-31 | May 25 – June 5 |
| Watermelon | April 10-20 | May 15-31 | May 25 – June 5 |
| Early cabbage | March 25 – April 5 | – | May 15-31 |
| Mid- and late-ripening cabbage, b/k and k/k | April 5-25 | – | May 15-31 |
| Cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi | April 5-25 | – | May 15-31 |
| Strawberries | February 1 – April 30 | – | July 1 – August 31 |
| Celery, parsnip | February 5-25 | – | April 25 – May 15 |
| Leeks and nigella | March 1-31 | – | April 25 – May 15 |
| Potato | April 1-10 | – | May 10-25 |
| Flowers: petunia, lobelia, salvia, carnation | February 10 – March 10 | – | from May 10 |
| Flowers: amaranth, aster, sweet tobacco, gillyflower | March 1 – April 10 | – | from May 20 |
| Flowers: marigolds, zinnias, dahlias, sweet peas | April 10-20 | – | from May 20 |
Depending on the climatic conditions characteristic of your region, the time for sowing seeds for seedlings varies. The table below shows average data on periods favorable for sowing vegetable crops.
| Name of vegetable crop | Southern regions | Central Black Earth Region | Middle lane | Ural and Siberia | Far East |
| Eggplant | February 5-10 | February 10 – March 15 | March 21-31 | April 5-10 | February 25 – March 10 |
| Zucchini | May 1-10 | April 25 – May 15 | May 10-15 | May 10-20 | May 15 – June 10 |
| White cabbage | February 10-15 (early), March 20-25 (middle) | March 1-15 (early), March 25 – April 15 (late) | March 15-25 (early), April 25-30 (middle) | March 5-10 (early), April 25-30 (mid) | March 10-15 (early), March 20 – April 20 (middle) |
| Cucumber | April 10-15 | April 5-30 | May 1-10 | April 25-30 | April 1-15 |
| Pepper | February 5-10 | February 10 – March 15 | March 11-20 | March 10-20 | March 1-15 |
| Tomato | February 25 – March 5 (early), March 1 – 10 (mid) | March 10-25 (early), March 10-25 (middle) | March 10 – April 15 (early), March 11 – 20 (middle and late) | April 1-5 (early), March 10-22 (middle and late) | March 1-25 (early), March 20-30 (middle and late) |
The dates in the table are approximate and not strict; to more accurately calculate the time of sowing vegetables for seedlings, we suggest trying the countdown method, which we will discuss below.
What is important to consider?
In order to get the first harvest of vegetables by a certain time, you need to correctly calculate the timing in which you need to sow the seeds for seedlings. To do this you will need information:
- about the duration of the growing season of vegetable crops;
- about the time required for seed germination (emergence of seedlings).
If you take these variables into account, then calculating the timing of sowing seeds for seedlings will not be at all difficult. Now let's look at each factor and consider it in more detail.
Growing season
The time from germination to harvest is called the growing season. The duration of this period varies among plants; moreover, it can be different for varieties of the same species - hence the division of varieties into early-ripening, mid-ripening and late-ripening.
What is vegetative growth of plants.
Early-ripening varieties need much less time to ripen than late- and mid-ripening varieties. As a rule, in the middle zone, plants with a longer growing season are grown by seedlings so that they have time to produce a harvest.
Seed producers usually indicate on the packaging information about the length of the growing season of the crop. On average, the growing season lasts:
| Vegetable crop | Average length of growing season (days) |
| Eggplant | 100-120 |
| Zucchini | 40-60 |
| White cabbage | 50-200 |
| Cauliflower | 70-120 |
| Cucumber | 35-60 |
| Pepper | 80-120 |
| Celery | 80-180 |
| Tomato | 90-130 |
| Pumpkin | 90-130 |
This indicator depends on many circumstances: seed storage conditions, biological characteristics of the vegetable crop, growing conditions, etc.
Seed germination time
When calculating the time of sowing certain crops, we often forget about the need to take into account the timing of seed germination. The time of emergence and the rate of germination depend on the conditions of seed storage, their pre-treatment, and the favorable conditions created for growing seedlings. The average numbers for this parameter are:
| Vegetable crop | Seed germination time (days) |
| Eggplant | 8-14 |
| Zucchini | 4-8 |
| White cabbage | 3-6 |
| Cauliflower | 3-6 |
| Cucumber | 4-8 |
| Pepper | 8-15 |
| Celery | 12-22 |
| Tomato | 4-8 |
| Pumpkin | 4-8 |
Helpful advice! Use seeds that you collected and stored yourself or buy seed material in specialized stores to protect yourself from scammers and be sure of a good harvest.
