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)

Every item on this page was chosen by a The Pioneer Woman editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

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

25 Colorful Flower Bed Ideas for Your Prettiest Yard Yet (3)

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

25 Colorful Flower Bed Ideas for Your Prettiest Yard Yet (4)

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

25 Colorful Flower Bed Ideas for Your Prettiest Yard Yet (5)

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.

Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below

4

Go Monochrome

25 Colorful Flower Bed Ideas for Your Prettiest Yard Yet (6)

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.

6

Mix Annuals and Perennials

25 Colorful Flower Bed Ideas for Your Prettiest Yard Yet (8)

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.

Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below

7

Plant a Potager

25 Colorful Flower Bed Ideas for Your Prettiest Yard Yet (9)

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

25 Colorful Flower Bed Ideas for Your Prettiest Yard Yet (10)

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

25 Colorful Flower Bed Ideas for Your Prettiest Yard Yet (11)

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.

Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below

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

25 Colorful Flower Bed Ideas for Your Prettiest Yard Yet (13)

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

25 Colorful Flower Bed Ideas for Your Prettiest Yard Yet (14)

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.

Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below

13

Get Curvy

25 Colorful Flower Bed Ideas for Your Prettiest Yard Yet (15)

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

25 Colorful Flower Bed Ideas for Your Prettiest Yard Yet (16)

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

25 Colorful Flower Bed Ideas for Your Prettiest Yard Yet (17)

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

Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below

16

Open the Entryway

25 Colorful Flower Bed Ideas for Your Prettiest Yard Yet (18)

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

25 Colorful Flower Bed Ideas for Your Prettiest Yard Yet (19)

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

25 Colorful Flower Bed Ideas for Your Prettiest Yard Yet (20)

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.

Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below

19

Build a Border

25 Colorful Flower Bed Ideas for Your Prettiest Yard Yet (21)

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

25 Colorful Flower Bed Ideas for Your Prettiest Yard Yet (22)

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

25 Colorful Flower Bed Ideas for Your Prettiest Yard Yet (23)

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 do you make 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? ›

Mulch is important for flower beds because it can help with water retention, weed prevention, and root insulation. "Various types of mulch can be used, including wood chips, hardwood bark, compost, or leaves," says Putnam.

How can I make my garden bed look nicer? ›

Some of the most popular raised garden bed ideas include stones, mulch, or straw. If you have a large raised bed, you might want to line the bottom with large stones, plastic bottles, or straw so the water drains and doesn't pool or make the soil soggy—plan for drainage holes at the bottom of your raised bed planter.

What is the cheapest way to make a flower bed? ›

Here are a few items you could use, round up or find in your yard to create a raised bed on a small budget.
  1. Bricks.
  2. Stones.
  3. Wood or barn wood (make sure it's chemical free)
  4. Fence pickets.
  5. Cinder blocks.
  6. Galvanized tubs.
May 3, 2023

What is better for flower beds mulch or rocks? ›

Organic mulch breaks down over time and deposits nutrients into the soil for greater plant health. Rock mulch costs much more and is a more permanent solution. It will cost more to order and to deliver due to its weight. However, the minimal maintenance of decorative rock has an impact on the long-term expense.

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

Cardboard and Wood Chips: Layering cardboard at the bottom of your raised bed is an effective, cost-efficient way to suppress weeds. It eventually breaks down, enriching the soil with carbon. Wood chips can be added on top of the cardboard as an additional layer for weed control and moisture retention.

What is the best color for a garden bed? ›

Bright or primary colors include red, orange, magenta and bright yellow. These colors are guaranteed to energize the garden. The color will show well in the bright sunshine and also attract your eye from a great distance.

How do you make a flower bed stand out? ›

Adding in shrubs and small trees can take your flower bed from average to show-stopping. Don't forget to layer your plants, as well! Placing taller plants in back, shorter in front, will offer depth and privacy to your garden.

What is the best layout for a garden bed? ›

Determine bed size and layout

Don't make your beds wider than 4 feet, this way you can easily reach to the center. The ideal depth is between 12 and 24 inches. Leave at least an 18-inch path between beds, more if you want wheelbarrow access.

What is the best color scheme for landscaping? ›

A classic color scheme would include violet blue, soft rosy red, lavender, and yellow plantings. Avoid using too many bold colors. An abundance of white or pastel blue, yellow, and pink plants will unify the house and landscape. Avoid only dark, rich colors because they will look harsh against white.

What flowers look good together in a flower bed? ›

For all-season color, interplant annual flowers with reblooming varieties of perennials. The annuals will keep the garden colorful while the perennials come in and out of bloom. In this walkway border, annuals such as marigold, calendula, and zinnia are teamed with perennial coreopsis and daylily.

What flowers go good together in a flower bed? ›

Your Favourite Flower Combination for Your Garden
  • Roses and Blue Perennial Salvia. ...
  • Veronica and Coneflower. ...
  • Petunias and Geranium. ...
  • Yellow Gazania, Dahlberg Daily, and White Sweet Alyssum. ...
  • Build A Layered Garden. ...
  • Early Bloom: Primrose, Foxgloves, Calluna, Crocus, and Cotoneaster.
Mar 30, 2017

How do you make a flower bed for beginners? ›

Turn the soil over to a depth of at least 12 inches. Add 2-3 inches of compost and turn it into the bed. Either cover the bed with a thick (3-4") layer of mulch or use a weed and feed to help keep weed seeds from germinating. Top dress with another layer of compost to keep down weeds and preserve moisture.

How do you design a flower bed layout? ›

Plant the tallest plants toward the back and shorter plants toward the front of your arrangement, so that you'll be able to see each plant. Space plants according to their mature size, not the size they are in the pot.

How do you arrange plants in a flower bed? ›

There are two basic rules when arranging plants in the beds: 1) space the individual plants so that they touch each other when they reach their mature size, and 2) overlap the masses of plants and connect them so that they flow without space between them. Avoid gaps or large open areas between masses.

How do you arrange flowers in a flower bed? ›

Place the shorter plants in the front, medium-sized plants in the middle, and the taller ones in the back. Layering plants this way means that every plant will be visible. Of course, these rules aren't set in stone; you can arrange your garden how you wish!

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Jonah Leffler

Last Updated:

Views: 6615

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (45 voted)

Reviews: 84% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Jonah Leffler

Birthday: 1997-10-27

Address: 8987 Kieth Ports, Luettgenland, CT 54657-9808

Phone: +2611128251586

Job: Mining Supervisor

Hobby: Worldbuilding, Electronics, Amateur radio, Skiing, Cycling, Jogging, Taxidermy

Introduction: My name is Jonah Leffler, I am a determined, faithful, outstanding, inexpensive, cheerful, determined, smiling person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.