DIY Flower Beds: The Best Ideas from Scrap Materials

A flower bed is the highlight of any garden. At the dacha, you can make one from scrap materials. In tough economic times, this can help save money. Photos of these creations will inspire you and create beauty. Flower beds and garden plots will make your vegetable garden a cozy place to relax.

Principles of flowerbed formation

Knowing how they bloom, how long they live, what their need for sun and water is, you can correctly form beautiful flower gardenWhen using several flower types, consider the primary colors. Draw the shape of the flower bed and the layout of the color scheme. Beginner gardeners will find it easier to work with perennials, as they are less demanding. Space the seedlings according to their growth rate. If they are crowded, the riot of color will be lost. Plant together varieties that have similar growing conditions, meaning they prefer the same light, watering, and soil.

Combine different shades, adding a light touch with white plants. Don't forget to consider the height. It depends on the shape of the flowerbed. On a flat surface, create a colorful carpet; in this case, the height should not exceed 40 centimeters. In a round flowerbed, species with varying heights look harmonious. It's best to plant tall species in the center and short ones around the perimeter. Create 3-4 tiers for a very impressive effect.

Design the fence area with steps as well. Start with tall shrubs. The farther from the fence, the lower the tier. Create a DIY flower garden for beginners, and these colorful photos will inspire your creativity.

Information about the flowering period

Knowing when different plants bloom will help will ensure a continuous riot of colors.

Flowering periods:

• March-April - snowdrops and crocuses, pansies;
• end of April-beginning of May - daisies, primrose, lungwort, tulips, daffodils, liverwort;
• May - hyacinths, daffodils, tulips, ornamental onions, lily of the valley, phlox, forget-me-nots, globeflower;
• June - carnations, peonies, daisies, bells, irises, poppies, lilies, petunias, delphiniums, felicias, lupines, roses appear;
• July - daylilies, dahlias, lilies, phlox, nasturtium, cosmos, astilbe, matthiola;
• August - early September - dahlias, phlox, astilbe, chrysanthemums, gladioli, sunflowers, goldenrod;
• September - marigolds, asters, dahlias, chrysanthemums, daisies, pansies and roses may bloom again.

Create a blooming meadow beneath a white cloud of apple trees. Plant vibrant rowan and viburnum nearby. Let clematis create a hedge. Along the path, create a carpet of juniper, knotweed, sage, cinquefoil, night violets, helenium, and phormium.

Types of flower beds and location selection

Now decide what shape to choose for the flowerbeds in the garden areas. Place a border of low-growing varieties along the paths, and then give space to irises, gladioli, and shrubby varieties.

A flower bed will look great under a tree or under a window. It's a rectangular shape with plants of equal height.

Recently, a free-form mixed border has become popular in landscape design. Herbs and flowers of varying heights lend a lightness to this clearing.

Another popular design solution is the alpine slide. The most successful shape is oval or round. Place it in a location with a change in elevation, and decorate the flower arrangement with stones and plaster figurines in the Provencal style. A fountain would also be a nice addition to such a flowerbed.

If you're particularly fond of certain flower varieties, create a small meadow from a single flowerbed. Experienced gardeners might recommend a vertical flowerbed. Decorate it with a single flowering plant in varying colors. This type of flowerbed requires special care. Experienced gardeners can easily create a butterfly-shaped flowerbed—an arabesque. Just plan your planting scheme in advance.

When combined with well-placed flowerbeds, their shape, and size, simple flowers can be effective. Beginners will find alpine gardens and mixed borders easy. With experience, anyone can easily select plants by size, bloom time, and space them appropriately for comfortable growth. Butterflies will add an additional decorative touch to the garden. Attract them with arborvitaes, buddleias, zinnias, goldenrods, and echinaceas. Place the flowerbed in a location that can be admired from any angle.

Preparing a flower bed

You can calculate planting density by dividing the intended planting area into squares of equal measurement, such as 1 meter on a side. Then, calculate the area each plant species will occupy and divide this value by the average planting rate per square meter.

Planting density:

• large - 2-3 plants per square meter;
• height 40-90 cm - planted 4-6 pieces per meter;
• height 20-40 cm - 7-9 pcs.;
• height up to 20 cm - 16-20 pieces.

Mark out the planting boundaries on the plot using sand, sawdust, and chalk. Before starting, dig the soil to a depth of 40 cm and remove all weeds. Then, be sure to add a layer of turf prepared for planting flowers.

General recommendations for planting

Water the plants a couple of hours before planting. Wait until the scorching sun won't burn the leaves, but the best time to plant is before rain. flower bed shapes Start planting. Fill the circular shape from the center outward, and the flowerbed near the hedge from the back. Plant the tall varieties first, then the short ones.

After planting, water the soil thoroughly and compact it around the roots. If necessary, provide support for tall stems.

During the first year, a perennial bed will have some gaps because the plants haven't fully developed. Fill these gaps with annuals that thrive in similar conditions to the perennials.

As the plant grows and dies, you can adjust the flowerbed design and replace the plants with other species.

Design tips

Requirements for design When creating a flowerbed and selecting plants, consider more than just watering schedules and lighting conditions. It's important to consider the soil's acidity, its composition, and the amount of shade provided by tall flowers. If you're creating a flowerbed for the first time, it's best to start with easy-to-grow bulbous plants like crocuses, hyacinths, and snowdrops. From perennials Choose felt yaskol, phlox, primrose; biennials – daisies, forget-me-nots, pansies. Fill the gaps with marigolds and petunias.

Medium-sized plants form the foundation of a multi-level flowerbed. The most beautiful are irises, daisies, peonies, bellflowers, phlox, and hostas. For the background, consider low-maintenance plants such as sunflowers, salvia, delphiniums, and lupines.

In low light, shade-loving plants such as Japanese anemones, hostas, ferns, primroses, and geraniums will thrive. In acidic soil, plant hydrangeas, rhododendrons, and ferns.

Flower bed made of wheels

One of the handy tools for creating beautiful flower beds are the wheelsThanks to the elasticity of rubber, they can be molded into any shape, used whole, or carved into animal shapes. Tires take paint well, so you can decorate them however your imagination allows.

Rubber flower beds can be used as functional devices for growing strawberries, seedlings, and herbs. Climbing plants will thrive in them. There are a huge variety of examples of tire flower beds online. Use these ideas or come up with your own.

If you plan to cut out figures, it's best to work with worn winter tires, as they're more pliable. Once finished, apply paint to both the inside and outside.

Stone by stone

By laying out stones of selected shapes, you can create several types of flower beds:

1. Alpine slide — a man-made area of ​​rocky terrain. It's best to plant hardy species such as succulents and heather. They are adapted to living in rocky terrain. A key feature is the need for a drainage system and conditions for excess water to drain away.
2. A rock garden is the foundation of a flowerbed—stones. Combine unusual textures, colors, and sizes. Easy-to-grow succulents are best planted in such beds. Pay special attention to drainage.
3. A stone fence is suitable for beginning gardeners. The stones serve a secondary purpose, marking the boundaries of a flowerbed. Plant your favorite flowers in the beds.
4. Multi-level and raised flowerbeds can be created using stone and reinforced mesh. Simply create a flowerbed out of soil and decorate it with stone.

Bottles

Another scrap material. Start with a simple border along the flowerbed's outline. The fence has moisture-retaining properties. Paint the bottles for a fun little fence. If you paint the bottom with several colors, you'll create a bright flower, like a daisy.

Strengthen the structure by filling bottles with water. Unpainted, clear plastic will allow sunlight to refract, making the fence sparkle. Bottles make wonderful flat and tiered flowerbeds. Reinforcing the base with cement immobilizes the flowerbed but adds a solid foundation.

Plastic is a durable material, so use it for a woodpile-style structure. You can attach the bottles either with regular glue or by heating and gluing the softened plastic.

Glue the bottles together to form a ball. To do this, take a ball of the desired diameter—this will serve as the frame for the flowerbed—cut off the bottoms of the bottles and paint them. Glue the resulting pieces together, touching the ball, and once the structure is dry, deflate the ball.

Use bottles cut to length as hanging, multi-tiered planters. Add climbing plants to them. This way, you can create a colorful hedge. Don't forget to drill holes in the bottom of the planters for drainage.

The bottle's shape, if you use your imagination, can resemble a pig's snout with a lid instead of a snout, or a hedgehog's. The necks resemble tulips—all you have to do is cut the petals, and the bottoms can be turned into daisies. Get the kids involved in creative activities, and you'll be amazed at the creativity they come up with.

Abandoned Garden

It might seem simpler than a haphazard planting, but in reality, making a seemingly chaotic front garden look elegant requires a lot of effort. Opt for low-maintenance hollyhocks, daisies, chrysanthemums, marigolds, irises, dahlias, hostas, and ferns—all thrive in shaded areas. Use hops, grasses, and cornflowers. Lilacs, rose hips, and jasmine are good shrub choices.

You can decorate your front garden with a wooden bench, or rattan furniture, in an antique style. Create decorations from tree stumps and logs. Add a touch of mystery to your trees with an old ladder. Let clematis twine around the ladder you've propped against your favorite apple tree. Decorate your plantings with an antique look.

Let a magical path lead to the newly created corner. Lay it out of gravel, sand, or cobblestones. Give it a winding shape, and solar-powered lanterns will illuminate it at night. Plant herbs along the path; for the most dedicated gardeners, we recommend creating a small pond or a wooden bridge. If you do everything right, you'll feel a sense of mystery and ancient ambiance in this abandoned garden.

Vertically

Vertical flowerbeds are not only a spectacular sight but also save space in the garden. Create them in the form of arches, hills, suspended structures, columns, and pyramids. The purpose of such structures is to create a framework, irrigation system, and soil anchorage.

Create a vertical flowerbed using containers, a simple and affordable way that requires little imagination. They can be purchased at any store. All that's left to do is hang the boxes, fill them with soil, and plant.

In a plastic pipe at least 20 cm in diameter and the required height, holes can be cut at intervals of 10-15 cm and secured with cement. A pipe with smaller holes for irrigation and a solid bottom for moisture retention is placed in the center.

Large chain-link fencing can be a worthy material for creating a vertical flower bed. Form a cylinder of the desired size from it and secure it with a plastic bag. Attach the plastic to the mesh. After installing the frame, fill it with soil and plant.

If you're feeling adventurous, any old material can be transformed into a flowerbed decoration. Even old rags can be transformed into stunning designer planters using cement. We've covered the basic principles of flowerbed construction; get your family involved, get the kids involved, and create a fairytale garden with your own hands using scrap materials.