25 Colorful Flower Bed Ideas for Your Prettiest Yard Yet (2024)

Beautify your landscape.

By AnnMarie Mattila
25 Colorful Flower Bed Ideas for Your Prettiest Yard Yet (1)

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When the first day of spring arrives, the first thing you want to do is head outside and enjoy the warm, sunny weather. And if you're anything like Ree Drummond, a landscaping plan must include flowers. "I can't remember a time when I didn't love flowers," Ree Drummond admits. "After living in the country with Ladd for the first few years of marriage, my appreciation for flowers went to a whole new level. I gardened, researched seeds, and grew endless varieties of roses, sunflowers, dahlias, zinnias, rudbeckia, and echinacea." So if you, too, are looking for inspiration, browse these flower bed ideas ahead.

Whether you prefer annuals or perennials or a mix of both, you'll find fun ideas to trim your space to keep it nice and tidy like rock walls and cute stone paths. You can also repurpose your existing fence as a guide on where to plant! Speaking of repurposing, you'll find plenty of ideas on using fun decorative items that you might already have. (Just wait until you see the wagon wheel.) There are also ways to add height if you lack space or want to add more like trellises and raised beds, which are also great if your soil quality isn't quite what it should be. Just make sure you check out your plant hardiness zone before you start (they've changed recently, FYI) and refresh your gardening tools. Because while these flower beds are easy to master and help your plants thrive, you want to make sure you're choosing the right blooms for the job.

1

Frame a Sidewalk

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If you already have a sidewalk, it makes the easiest guide to plant and maintain. It makes a very welcoming pathway to all your guests, too!

SHOP GARDENING TOOLS

2

Create Your Own Path

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If you don't already have a sidewalk, create your own! Adding a stone pathway helps you design the flow of the space and keeps everyone from trampling over the pretty blooms, too.

3

Divide by Color

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There are several ways to approach your color scheme. One is to divide your garden or landscape up into segments by color, adding endless visual interest.

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4

Go Monochrome

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Another idea is to keep your flower beds monochrome. This is great if you have a favorite color and want to proudly display it. Don't worry too much about the shades of each type of flower. The overall effect is what you're going for.

5

Go Bold

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Hello, world! A mix of bold blooms will make the ultimate statement. It works just as well if you have an understated house or an abode that's just as bright.

SHOP POTTING SOIL

6

Mix Annuals and Perennials

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If you're not sure if you want annuals versus perennials, get both! It increases your chances for success just in case one type of flower doesn't work. It also makes next year less work since some will grow back.

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7

Plant a Potager

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Do like the French do and combine flowers and vegetables in the same beds. Not only is it visually appealing, but you get two gardens in one!

8

Add Raised Beds

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Raised beds of any kind can add visual interest. They also increase your chances for success because you can choose the soil you use and any nutrients that might help them grow better.

9

Add Decorations

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We told you there would be a wagon wheel! How cute is this idea? It's a great way to use items you may already have and to add interest and personality.

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10

Add Colorful Pots

To add even more color, add some bright pots! They can contrast the flowers you're using or match. The options are endless and give you the opportunity to move things around more easily.

SHOP FLOWER POTS

11

Repurpose Planters

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Why waste? Reuse what you have like old wheelbarrows, watering cans, buckets, and more to create unique planters that you can use year after year.

12

Step It Up

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One way to add height is to build raised beds that stagger like stairs. This idea works well if you already have actual stairs leading up to your door or a sloping yard.

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13

Get Curvy

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Straight lines can be a little boring. Switch it up by adding some curves. They can arch around your house and help fill up a large yard that needs some direction.

14

Invite Pollinators

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Flowers aren't going to thrive if you don't have the pollinators like bees around to do the work for you. If you're feeling adventurous, try building a beehive!

15

Keep the Pollinators

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Maybe a beehive isn't quite your thing. That's okay! Just make sure you plant some flowers that attract pollinators to your yard like these pretty portulacas. They look nice and they help out your entire landscape!

SHOP PORTULACA SEEDS

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16

Open the Entryway

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There's nothing more inviting than adding a threshold to get to or in between your garden. This will also help if you've got a vast yard that needs a little direction.

17

Create Hexagons

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Beds don't have to be square. Try these hexagonal plots that easily add dimension and aren't super complicated to assemble. They work well for vegetables, too, if you want to update your potager.

18

Go Round

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Another idea is to plant in a big circle! You can get fancy with some shrubbery to enclose your floral display, but this would also work if you just want to use rocks from around the yard for quick fix.

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19

Build a Border

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Rocks can really do a lot of work! A simple stack of flat rocks add a clean yet not overly rigid border to your space. They also prevent the lawn mower from accidentally clipping your plants!

20

Frame Your Windows

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Your landscape doesn't need to stop on the lawn! Using window boxes gives you an easy-to-tackle finite space and an excuse to plop some annuals in them and be done in a jiffy.

SHOP WINDOW BOXES

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AnnMarie Mattila

Commerce Editor

AnnMarie Mattila is the Commerce Editor for The Pioneer Woman, covering products ranging from home, fashion, beauty, and more.

25 Colorful Flower Bed Ideas for Your Prettiest Yard Yet (2024)

FAQs

How to create a beautiful flower bed? ›

In general, plants in borders are arranged with tall plants (taller than 2 to 3 feet) placed in the back, mid-size plants (10 inches to 2 to 3 feet tall) in the middle, and short plants (less than 10 inches) in the front of the bed. It is best to use groupings or drifts of plants for a natural feel.

What is the best thing to put in flower beds? ›

Add compost to the bed

In either fall or spring or in both seasons, put a 2 to 3 inch layer of compost on the bed and then turn the compost into the soil. The single best thing you can do for your soil is to consistently add organic material. This will enrich the soil and help you grow better plants.

How to arrange plants in a flower bed? ›

The goal is to create a backdrop of plants to serve as a “canvas” for the rest of the arrangement. When layering your garden bed, plant tall, full shrubs in the back row. Medium-sized perennials belong in the middle row. Finish it off with a low-growing mix of colorful annuals and perennials in the front row.

Are rocks better than mulch? ›

Unlike mulch, once installed stones don't need to be replaced. While the upfront cost will be high, the long-term savings compared to the annual purchase of mulch is very significant. Rocks are great at suffocating weeds and show a better success rate at weed-prevention than mulch.

What do you put at the bottom of a flower bed? ›

Depending on your budget and gardening goals, you can line the bottom of your raised garden beds with wide-mesh hardware cloth, stainless steel mesh, landscape fabric, burlap sack, or newspaper/cardboard. Below are some details on the benefits of each.

How to make your backyard attractive? ›

21 Easy Ideas to Beautify Your Yard
  1. 01 of 23. Integrate Your Plants. ...
  2. 02 of 23. Play Up Texture. ...
  3. 03 of 23. Put Trees and Shrubs in Pots. ...
  4. 04 of 23. Plan for a Grand Entrance. ...
  5. 05 of 23. Leave a Spot to Enjoy Your Garden. ...
  6. 06 of 23. Grow Fragrant Herbs. ...
  7. 07 of 23. Create Drama with Plants. ...
  8. 08 of 23. Let Nature Be Your Guide.
Aug 18, 2022

What is the best layout for a garden? ›

As a general rule, put tall veggies toward the back of the bed, mid-sized ones in the middle, and smaller plants in the front or as a border. Consider adding pollinator plants to attract beneficial insects that can not only help you get a better harvest, but will also prey on garden pests.

What flowers look good together in a flower bed? ›

Flowers That Look Good Together

Opt for tried-and-true combinations like roses and lavender, daisies and coneflowers, or tulips and daffodils. These classic duos will give your bed of flowers both harmony and visual appeal!

What flowers should not be planted together? ›

Petunias and Rex Begonias

But, they have different light requirements—petunias love the sun, and rex begonias love the shade, so even if they would look beautiful together, don't plant them next to each other. "The plants will thrive in the spot they are planted based on their light requirements," says Mazat.

How do I make my flower garden look nice? ›

Choose two contrasting colors, or one color family (like purple and pink). Add perennial flowering plants like the purple Culver's root here in groups of three to five; the repetition is pleasing to the eye. Finally, focus on regular weeding, because today's weed is tomorrow's weed patch.

How to layout a garden bed? ›

As a general rule, put tall veggies toward the back of the bed, mid-sized ones in the middle, and smaller plants in the front or as a border. Consider adding pollinator plants to attract beneficial insects that can not only help you get a better harvest, but will also prey on garden pests.

How to design flower beds in front of a house? ›

Flower Bed Design

Don't place too-tall flowers in front of windows to avoid blocking the view. Keep walkways skirted with knee-high or shorter bloomers to ensure sprawling plants don't present an obstacle course. Avoid a stand-alone driveway edging bed, which draws attention toward your drive and garage.

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