Flower beds have endless design possibilities, and it can be both exciting and overwhelming to think about the many ways to fill them. Whether you want to complete an existing bed or design an empty bed, creating a beautiful flower bed starts with thinking about what you want from the space. Do you dream of pollinators flying around your landscape? Want cut flowers for a homemade bouquet? Or maybe you want to plant plants that enjoy the colors of each season. To help you bring your vision to life, we share our favorite flower bed ideas to inspire your own garden design.
plant wildflowers
Jackie Parker Photography/Getty Images
Bring natural, unspoiled beauty to your garden by planting wildflowers. “It offers vibrant color, height, and texture,” says Carrie Spoonemore, co-creator of Park Seed's From Seed to Spoon app. “They also support pollinators, birds, and the local ecosystem.” Wildflower beds are ideal for busy gardeners looking to grow low-maintenance, low-water plants. is.
lean towards native flowers
Jackie Parker Photography/Getty Images
Fill your garden flower beds with native flowers. Flowers don't just add color to the landscape, they attract pollinators, are drought tolerant and improve biodiversity. Native plants vary depending on where you live, so it's important to know your growing area before planting these beautiful plants.
welcome pollinators
Debra Lee Weisberg/Getty Images
Welcome wildlife like bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden by planting pollinator-friendly plants like bee balm, butterfly bush and asters. “Pollinators contribute to the overall health of local ecosystems and promote biodiversity,” Spoonmore says.
create an herb garden
Lelia Spb/Getty Images
Create a beautiful and functional garden by planting flowering herbs. “Turning your sunny flower bed into an herb garden has many benefits, including herbs that are edible, fragrant, and beautiful,” says Spoonmore. “Pair flowering herbs like lavender, chamomile, and sage with culinary herbs like rosemary, thyme, and basil for visual appeal and practicality.” In addition to attracting pollinators, they're also great for cooking. You'll also have fresh ingredients on hand.
Start a border garden
Scaward/Getty Images
Increase your home's curb appeal by planting a border garden. “Border gardens frame the landscape with explosions of color and texture, creating seamless transitions between different areas of the garden,” says Spoonmore. “They can serve practical purposes such as demarcating boundaries, preventing soil erosion, and providing habitat for beneficial insects.”
mix edible plants and flowers
Philippe S. Giraud/Getty Images
Planting vegetables in flower beds is a beautiful way to add texture and dimension to the space. Additionally, some flowers can protect edible plants in your landscape from curious pests such as deer and rabbits. “There's nothing to lose by combining lantana and potatoes, as long as the growing conditions are compatible and the growing habits are compatible,” Spoonmore says.
Design a cottage-style flower bed
Andy Rowland/Getty Images
Get into the cottagecore trend by mixing roses, daisies, foxgloves and delphiniums in your flower beds for an attractive, casual display, says Kelly Funk of Jackson & Perkins. “These flowers offer a romantic, whimsical aesthetic and contribute to a charming cottage garden look,” she says.
Create a flower bed for cut flowers
Saradu/Getty Images
Make a homemade bouquet with flowers from your own garden. “Garden beds for cut flowers enhance the beauty of your outdoor space and allow you to enjoy freshly cut flowers indoors,” says Laura Walsh of Oasis Her Forage Her Products. “Regular pruning promotes healthier growth and more abundant flowering.” Even better? Flowers cut directly from the garden will last longer than store-bought flowers.
plants with fragrant flowers
Wichatulin/Getty Images
The scent of flowers makes you feel even more calm as you walk through the garden. Flowers such as jasmine, gardenia, sweet pea, lily and lilac will delight the senses and create an aromatic oasis in your garden, says Walsh. “Plus, if you cut the flowers and enjoy them indoors, their intoxicating scent lingers throughout the day,” she says.
Grow Mediterranean plants
Lhasa Petrikine/Getty Images
Growing a garden full of Mediterranean plants like lavender and thistles creates a natural color palette of purples, blues, and greens. “The key factors to consider with Mediterranean plants are to ensure good drainage to maximize color and fragrance, and to choose a warm, sunny location,” says Kew Gardens Arboretum Supervisor. Rebecca Lane says.
Plant to flower for one year
Elena Leonova/Getty Images
“Grow all-season flowers to create flower beds that thrive in winter, spring, summer and autumn,” says Kew Gardens botanical horticulturist Simon Thompson. Hellebores, famous for their winter flowers, are perfect for the cold season. “Spring and summer are major events for many flowering plants, so there are always plenty of options at this time of year,” says Thompson.
Build drought-resistant beds
Photography by Tonelson/Getty Images
Gardening is very time-consuming, so growing drought-tolerant flowers in your flower beds will make maintenance easier. Compared to other planting styles, drought-tolerant plantings require minimal maintenance as they do not require tasks such as irrigation or mulching. “Additionally, the stressful conditions created by drought naturally reduce weed growth, further simplifying maintenance,” says Louis Barrett, botanical horticulturist at Kew Gardens.
Plant living mulch
Ali Majidfar/Getty Images
Plant groundcovers like comfrey and clover in flower beds to create a living mulch that helps build and maintain healthy soil throughout the season. “These low-growing plants act as a natural blanket, protecting the soil from erosion, retaining moisture, and enriching it with essential nutrients,” said Shades of Green Founder and CEO says Brandy Hall. “With living mulch, you're not just cultivating a garden; you're fostering a thriving ecosystem where plants work together to create a sustainable and beautiful environment.”
use tied grass
Photo courtesy of RA Carton/Getty Images
Create structure in your flower beds by planting small bluestem or bunched grasses such as muhly grass. “Bulding grasses stabilizes the soil, provides essential habitat for beneficial insects, and also helps attract pollinators and birds,” says Hall. “Plus, it's easy to maintain.”
Plant fragrance for pest control
Valery Luzhkov/Getty Images
Keep pests out of your garden by growing fragrant plants in your flower beds. “Strategically planting fragrant herbs and flowers like lavender, rosemary, and marigolds not only create a sensory oasis, but also naturally deter pests,” says Hall. “These fragrant plants release compounds that repel common garden pests such as mosquitoes, aphids and beetles, effectively reducing the need for synthetic insecticides.”
Add containers to flower beds
Rosemary Calvert/Getty Images
Filling containers with colorful annuals can add dimension and height to your flower beds, especially if you have bare areas you want to hide. If you change the flowers seasonally, the beauty will continue from winter to autumn.
Create texture with stones
Amite/Getty Images
Lay pavers to create paths between flower beds. This makes it easy for guests to walk around the backyard and enjoy the plantings. Be sure to choose permeable pavers to prevent water from pooling in your garden.
colored plants
Darrell Glynn/Getty Images
Fill your garden beds with color by planting flowers known for their showy blooms, such as dahlias, zinnias, pansies, and hydrangeas. Available in a variety of shades.
Create height with a pergola
Darrell Glynn/Getty Images
If you have limited space in your flower bed, add a pergola to take advantage of vertical space. Around the building, grow climbing plants such as bougainvillea, clematis (one of Martha's favorites of his), and mandevilla. Over time, these flowers will climb up the pergola, creating a beautiful display and also providing privacy for your backyard.
make a gravel garden bed
Darrell Glynn/Getty Images
If you want a low-maintenance garden, a gravel garden is the way to go. In this approach, native plants are grown primarily in gravel borders set on top of the landscape's natural soil. These beds are designed to grow without the input of additional water, fertilizers, or other chemicals. Gravel garden beds also make it difficult for weeds to pass through.
grow flowers in raised beds
Darrell Glynn/Getty Images
Raised flower beds are a great alternative to in-ground flower beds. Not only does it reduce strain on your back, it also allows you to control soil composition and protect against weeds. You can fill it with the same flowers as the in-ground bed.
play with height
Jackie Parker Photography/Getty Images
Instead of planting flowers at the same height, create a three-dimensional effect by planting flowers of various sizes. Planting taller varieties behind dwarf varieties will ensure that all the flowers receive the spotlight.
Growing flowers that stimulate the five senses
Darkle/Getty Images
Create a space that encourages mindfulness by planting flowers that appeal to multiple senses. Choose colorful flowers that stimulate the visual sense or flowers with soft textures that are fun to touch. In between planting flowers, grow wind-swept ornamental grasses and fruit-bearing shrubs. Before you know it, you'll have your own sensory garden.
Add a birdbath
Peplow/Getty Images
Give birds a place to preen by setting up a birdbath in your flower bed. These structures not only increase the wildlife population in your garden, but also provide a soothing water feature that makes the space feel peaceful.
Create a seating arrangement
Elpelström/Getty Images
Who wouldn't want to enjoy a meal surrounded by flowers? Arrange bistro seating near your flowerbeds so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor up close. Watch bees, butterflies and birds flock to the flowers as you sip your morning coffee or evening glass of wine.