We all dream of having a beautiful flower garden, planted to perfection, and browsing for flower bed ideas can be a fun pastime.
Flower beds have popped up in homeowners' garden ideas for centuries. While vibrant-coloured flowers fell out of favour for green Mediterranean garden ideas for a period, colour is making a comeback – whether you're looking to make a bold statement or want to incorporate romantic hues.
'The best flower bed ideas can be a great way to give any garden a facelift and a beautiful pop of colour, no matter the size,' says Craig Wilson, co-founder, director and in-house gardening expert at Gardeners Dream.
Whether you're looking to upgrade your garden border ideas with flower beds or simply want to make the most out of your modern gardening ideas, there's plenty of room for creativity.
Flower bed ideas
Designing a flower bed is great fun – the possibilities are endless, allowing you to get creative with colours and textures.
We've rounded up the best flower bed ideas, endorsed by garden design experts who reveal how you can transform your own garden planting schemes.
1. Tier with a traditional planting scheme
Many flower bed ideas will follow a traditional planting scheme, allowing you to get a good view of every plant. That way, you can curate a flower bed which can be appreciated in its entirety.
'When you are following a traditional planting scheme, low edging plants are essential for the front of beds and borders in small gardens,' says garden designer Harriet Worsley. 'Aim for a tall structure in the back of the bed, medium plants and skinny drifts of flowers in the middle, and smaller plants at the front.
'For a country garden cottage look I love Alchemilla mollis with its neon fluff of flowers and leaves that hoard raindrops like diamonds. It works well with that little naughty superspreader, the pink and white daisy Erigeron karvinskianus, which reseeds itself in every corner.'
2. Plant in raised beds
Raised planters can tie in nicely with your flower bed ideas and make a feature of your planting scheme. Many flowering varieties benefit from the extra drainage and can be better appreciated at a greater height.
'Plants such as hellebores, with their flower heads that nod down, positively benefit from being planted higher up, as you then can see the flowers,' says Harriet. 'Raised beds are excellent for city gardens as you can get closer to small plants and really appreciate their colour and form.'
You can even turn your raised flower beds into a seating area for a clever small garden idea. 'Raised beds are also excellent because they double up as seating in a small garden,' says Harriet. 'Just make sure the retaining wall is wide enough to sit on, and at a comfortable height of around 50cm.'
3. Create a snug
Tradition dictates that the very best flower bed ideas will run along the edges of your garden, which is why they can often become conflated with garden edging ideas.
Here's the thing, though: you can adapt your flower beds to suit your individual space – whether that's to line your garden paths or build a 'snug' around your patio, sheltering your outdoor seating area and creating a truly cosy garden all year round.
'Wherever you put your flower bed, though, pay attention to how much sunlight that particular area gets,' says Craig. 'This will play a part in what flowers you go on to plant.'
4. Introduce a romantic colour palette
Searches for Bridgerton-inspired gardens have soared since the Netflix release, a Bridgerton garden was even at Chelsea Flower Show 2024.
Is it any wonder, then, that romantic colour palettes are dominating our favourite flower bed ideas on social media?
'Colours such as whites, pinks, purples and blues are very reminiscent of the Regency era. These colours are often associated with love, tenderness and passion a key theme among the series,' says Calum Madock, gardening expert at HomeHow.
You can tick off two trends in one if you're clever about it with the addition of peachey colour blooms inspired by Panotone’s chosen colour of the year for 2024, ‘Peach Fuzz’.
From delicate peach roses to vibrant coral peonies, these soft hues will not only inspire interior decor this year but make a statement outside, too.
'Whether used as focal points for flower beds or as accents in floral arrangements, peach toned blooms bring a sense of joy to garden settings,' says Calum.
With red-tinted stems and apricot flowers, these pretty blooms will sit high above your flower beds from late spring to midsummer.
Fragrant and beautiful, these stunning peach-apricot roses will bring joy to all who spy them from July to September
If you want a really long season of interest, this stunning variety boasts soft apricot-coloured flowers all the way from April to October.
5. Add plenty of texture
Maximalists will love the impact that comes from adding different heights and textures to their flower bed ideas.
'It's a great way to add interest, especially if you want to keep your colour theme simple,' says Craig. 'Try adding hollyhocks or sunflowers to add some height, or plant some hydrangeas for maximum texture.'
Foxgloves and roses, too, are a great way to add some variety to your flower bed – and don't forget the allure of ornamental grasses, too.
6. Have fun with edimentals
Edimentals are becoming increasingly popular, and little wonder: there so many vegetables that are both pretty enough to plant in flower beds and incredibly tasty, too.
'Look up the French potager style of garden,' says Dan Ryan, parks and garden manager for The Gatton Trust, referring to the traditional jardin de curé's romantic, informal style that allows vegetables, fruit, flowers and herbs to coexist.
'They were growing beautiful vegetables in mixed beds long before the days of Instagram,' he adds.
7. Activate all the senses
If you know how to grow lavender, you know already know how to add at least one sensory element to your flower bed ideas!
'A flower bed doesn't just have to stimulate one of our five basic senses,' says Christopher O'Donoghue, one of the co-directors at Gardens Revived. 'As well as looking beautiful, you can set yours up so it plays with touch, taste, sound, and – my personal favourite – scent, too!'
As well as lavender, Christopher suggests planting the likes of roses, jasmine, mock orange, sweet box and aromatic herbs like thyme and rosemary in your flower beds.
'All of these are wonderfully perfumed, so should make a real impact on anyone who walks by – and they're all brilliant for pollinators, too, so should tie in well with any of your favourite wildlife garden ideas.'
8. Add some seasonal interest
It's all too easy to get swept up in the idea that your flower bed ideas are for the warmer months only, but there are plenty of winter flowers you can use to add seasonal interest all year round.
'Choosing a mix of perennial, biennial and annual plants means you should have flowers and interest in your flower bed for as much of the year as possible,' says Morris Hankinson, director of Hopes Grove Nurseries.
As well as a few evergreen shrubs, which will always help you add colour to your winter garden, you might consider planting hellebores and violas, too.
Snowdrops, daffodils, and tulips are a great way to keep things thriving over the spring months, while lavender is ideal for late summer.
'Dahlias and hydrangeas should keep things looking beautiful into autumn, too,' adds Christopher.
9. Pay attention to the moon
While many will tailor their flower bed ideas to the daytime hours, it's worth remembering that one of this year's major garden trends is the moon garden – or lunar garden, if you prefer.
The aim is to create an all-white colour palette, to better reflect the moonlight, so that there is plenty for nighttime pollinators and nocturnal wildlife to enjoy.
Think white, fragrant flowers and drought-tolerant plants with silver foliage.
10. Don't neglect those shady spots
If you have a shady or north-facing garden, fret not: you can still make your flower bed ideas a reality – you just have to think outside the box a little bit.
'For a part shady border, you could plant a stand out tree such as Acer palmatum ‘Orange Dream’ or Acer palmatum ‘Sango Kaku’,' says Morris.
'Once this is done, be sure to fill the flower bed with plants that love dappled shade, such as hostas and epimediums.'
He adds, too, that you should focus on learning how to plant bulbs that will thrive in a shady environment, such as cyclamens and crocuses.
FAQs
What is the best thing to put in flower beds?
There are a few factors to consider before you dive straight into planting.
'Where do you want your flower bed to be?' asks Craig from Gardeners Dream. 'How much sunlight does that particular area get? These things will play a part in what flowers you go on to plant.'
It's also a good idea to consider the type of soil you have, whether it's clay, sandy or loamy.
From there, the options are plentiful. Harriet Worsley has a few favourites. 'Liriope muscari is a useful filler for the front, and I often add seasonal annuals to give that extra boost. White trailing Bacopa is a winner as it's summer flowering and tolerates a bit of shade. For winter, I always go for white Cyclamen, the ones grown as annuals, and for summer, white Pelargoniums adore the sun and can handle a bit of neglect – just water them once a week.
'For big grand borders, lavender or Nepeta look absolutely stunning as edging plants – nothing beats that summer swathe of purple, and the lavender scent.'
How do I arrange flowers in a flower bed?
The key to a successful flower bed is offering a diverse mix of height and structure.
'There are no real hard and fast rules when it comes to flower beds,' says Christopher. 'If you want a more formal look, keep taller plants towards the back of the flower beds – although it's good to mix things up if you're hoping for a more natural effect. And try to keep annuals nearer the front, so they're easier to remove and replace each growing season.'
It's also a good idea to think about the changing seasons, and what will work well at different times of the year.
'Because of the differing flowering times, variety is your friend,' says Craig from Gardeners Dream. 'Plus, planting them alongside some evergreen shrubs will ensure your beds never look bare.'
Of course, your flower bed ideas will need some TLC – mulching, in particular, is important for keeping weeds at bay – but they will repay your efforts tenfold with their colourful blooms.
