Michigan State University Extension
Ornamental Plants plus Version 3.0 - 00001583
11/12/99
Flower Bed Design
The flower bed shape helps determine how easy or hard it
will be to maintain the bed. Flower beds with gentle
curves are easier to mow around than beds with sharp
angles and corners. Odd shaped beds look even more
irregular if the flowers spill over the bed borders. The
flower bed shape should blend into the landscape.
A flower bed at the edge of the yard is easier to mow
around than a bed in the middle of the yard. Isolated
pockets of lawn can be converted to flower beds. Flowers
can be used in the foundation planting or in a shrub
border.
Flower beds placed at the edge of the yard need tall
plants at the back and short plants at the front. In
flower beds viewed from all sides the tallest plants are
placed in the middle with short plants around the edges.
Use shade tolerant plants in the shaded spots and sun
loving plants in the sunny spots. Matching adapted plants
to particular areas of the garden help insure success.
This information is for educational purposes only. References
to commercial products or trade names does not imply
endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not
mentioned. This information becomes public property upon
publication and may be printed verbatim with credit to MSU
Extension. Reprinting cannot be used to endorse or advertise
a commercial product or company.
This file was generated from data base ZZ on 01/19/00.
Data base ZZ was last revised on 11/12/99.
For more information about this data base or its contents please contact
heatley@msue.msu.edu . Please read our
disclaimer for important
information about using our site.