How to Design a Colorful Flower Bed

Delight the eye through 3 seasons with bright flowers placed just right. Get flower bed location, shape and color ideas here

flower bed filled with masses of color to grab your attention, blooming from spring through fall — what could be better in any garden? If what you want is a flower bed filled with masses of the same plant, such as a bed of impatiens or roses, it’s easy to get it right. But if you hope to have a judicious mix of colors and shapes and flowers that will fill the space throughout the growing season, you’ll need to take some time to plan ahead and follow some basic design guidelines.

The latter part of the summer is a good time to look at your flowering beds and borders and see what is and isn’t working, especially as the plants mature, and think about the changes you might want to make. You also still have some time to tweak what’s there, adding in some late-summer and fall-blooming annuals and perennials. You can also search nurseries and garden centers for perennials to plant this fall to give them a head start for next year.