Best Flower Bed Ideas for a Captivating Outdoor Space

Ian Mutuli
Updated on
Ian Mutuli

Ian Mutuli

Founder and Managing Editor of Archute. He is also a graduate architect from The University of Nairobi, Kenya.
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Gardening is one of the few practices that can ensure your home looks lively and inviting. You don't have to limit gardening to growing herbs and green plants; you can also plant flowers outside your home. They can add a lot of aesthetic appeal to your premises and make your compound a serene place to unwind after a long day.

You don't have to plant flowers traditionally since there are creative ways to introduce flower beds into your outdoor space. This post covers inspiring flower bed ideas that you can adopt for a unique and attractive-looking home.

Enjoy!

1. Perennial Flower Bed for the Summer

perennial flower bed

Our first recommendation is to get a flower bed full of perennial plants. These plants can live for more than two seasons, which means they'll return the next year. A perennial flower bed is a great idea because it'll last throughout the summer, and even if they die off, they'll grow back the following summer.

You can choose a blend of bright, colorful flowers that add life and interest to your overall design. Planting a flower bed with a serpentine border characterized by a solid color and edged with another type of flower can work wonders for your exterior decor.

2. A Combination of Tulips, Annuals, and Perennials

tulip, perennial, and annual flowers

Source: HGTV.com

You can achieve perfect harmony in your garden with a systematic arrangement of tulips, annuals, and perennials. These flowers make the best flower beds because they don't need much maintenance, and they'll grow back every year. Since annuals and perennials grow close to the ground, you can raise the tulips to sit higher on the garden.

This blend of red, white, and yellow flowers is a solid representation of what you'd be signing up for when getting a combined flower bed.

3. Round Flower Beds

round flower bed

Source: Pinterest.com

You could also go for a round flower bed, especially if you have a central location in your home that you'd like to draw attention to. The flowers will need to be put within a circular area to which they cannot grow any wider in a circle to maintain this shape.

It is convenient to play around with this type of flower bed because you may add vases of various hues as well as sizes and add to the aesthetic value of your compound. In the design above, there are white roses outside and red roses occupying the inner part of the circle.

4. Vertical Flower Bed Design

vertical  flower beds

Source: Horticulture.co.uk

There are vertical flower beds that you can comfortably accommodate even when you have a small space. Since these gardens are upright, they don't need a lot of room horizontally. So, if you have a small yard or limited garden space, a vertical flower bed is the best option.

The only downside to a garden tower is that it can't hold taller flowers unless they are at the top of the structure. This means you'll have to grow short flowers that won't exceed the upward space you have available.

5. Old Tree Stump Garden Bed

If you've recently cut some trees in your compound and only the stumps are left, there's good news! You can grow a tiny garden on top of your tree stump, which will transform it from a yard distraction to a beautiful platform.

There's no need to waste energy uprooting the stumps when you can renovate them into suitable spaces for hosting beautiful flowers. Since the stump probably has a solid color, you can have a variety of colors that can make your backyard more stylish.

6. Clay Pot Flower Bed

tilted flower pot

Source: gabrielragazzo.blogspot.com

One of the most creative flower bed ideas you can try is using a clay pot to grow your flowers. This might sound like a standard idea, but you can do much more with clay pots than you think. You don't have to place the pot in an upright position; instead, you can tip it over and plant the flowers to appear as if they are spilling out of the pot.

Plus, you can paint the pots in whichever color matches your house or outdoor design. This gives you a lot of creative freedom since you can have different clay pots with various flowers.

7. Hollow Log Raised Beds

hollow log flower garden

Source: Pinterest.com

After cutting down trees to create space in your yard, you might not have much use for the trunks. Fortunately, this can work to your advantage since you can use the logs as a platform for planting flowers. All you'll need to do is add some garden soil in the hollow logs and add your flowers.

This design has a natural and organic feel that makes your home feel more welcoming. It's also a perfect option if you want a small flower garden that won't need a lot of work.

8. Tilted Wheelbarrow Flower Bed

 old wheelbarrow Flower bed  ideas

Source: honeycombhome.com

Next on our list of the best flower bed ideas is this wheelbarrow garden bed. As gardening equipment like wheelbarrows get old, they can become a health hazard if they start developing rust and corrosion inside your garage. Luckily, it doesn't have to be the end for your wheelbarrow since you can use it to grow colorful flowers.

You could have it in the typical upright position but, if you want something out of the box, you can tip it over. With some soil and a barrier of rocks, you can create a stunning sight that the entire neighborhood will be talking about for a long time.

9. Side Yard Flower Beds for Small Yards

side yard flower garden

Source: Forbes.com

When you have a small yard, you have limited options for setting up flower gardens. But you shouldn't let that stop you because you can still make some room along the walls of your home on the side of your yard.

A side yard flower bed can help pave the way to the back yard while making the compound more lively. You could have the flowers on either side of the path to the back of your house or along the walls.

10. Front Yard Garden Flower Beds

front yard flower bed

Source:Pinterest.com

Your front yard is like the face of your home, and it can paint a representative picture of the people living in a particular area. That's why you want to fill this section with all types of flowers and native plants. While ornamental grasses are a neat look to your lawn, a flower bed will be more effective in adding a welcoming presence to your home.

You don't have to fill the entire area with flowers. Instead, you can place them at the foot of your house and at the windows, which will make the place a cozy location to unwind.

11. White Fence Flower Beds

white fence flower bed ideas

Source:Homestratosphere.com

If the fence around your compound is white, you are advantaged because you can easily add colors to the fence through flower beds. A white background is the best setting for planting beautiful flower beds with different shades of colors.

It is advisable to plant pink, red, or blue flowers along the fence so that the color contrast improves and makes your fence perimeter stand out. It is also easy to get flowers that can grow along the fence, to give more character and interest to the overall effect.

12. Rock Flower Beds

rock  flower beds

Source: housebeautiful.com

Plants aren't the only factor that can add beauty and style to your landscape. You can also make a neat flower bed design with a set of pretty flowers and some rocks. Not all rocks will make your yard more appealing, so we recommend you get some river rocks.

The white color of river rocks will accentuate the bright, colorful colors on your lawn without hassle. As such, you can plant a variety of flowers around the area which will make the garden bed look more elegant. Alternatively, you can use the rocks to barricade the flower bed if you like.

13. Flower-Shaped Garden Bed

Source: HomeideasMag.com

If you have a large home and don't need to reserve any space, you can choose a floral-shaped flower garden. It's one of the best flower bed ideas, especially if you want multiple flower colors in your garden. You can use white flowers to outline the floral shape and pink flowers for the petals.

The center of the shape can have as many colors as you want, making this idea perfect if you want a variety of plants in your compound.

14. Tipped Umbrella Flower Bed

tipped umbrella  flower garden

Source: Pinterest.com

Another of the best flower bed ideas we have is the recycled umbrella flower garden. It is a nice trick useful for an old or a non-working umbrella; the only drawback is that it can accommodate only small plants. If you want to be environmentally conscious and also want to declutter your home by reusing items that are no longer in use then this idea is one way of doing all that at once.

This is a very easy project and all you need are an umbrella, some gardening soil, and your favorite flowers. With these core items, one is in a position of developing a small garden bed that will astound their guests.

15. Old Bed Frame Flower Garden Bed

old bed frame flower garden

Source: Pinterest.com

Lastly, we have the old bed frame flower bed, which, as the name suggests, uses an old bed frame as the platform for your flowers. It can work well with wooden or metallic bed frames and is a creative way to establish a garden in your backyard.

You can implant the bed frame into the ground and use it as a perimeter for your flower or herb garden. It provides a suitable place to infuse complementary colors into your compound. It's a perfect choice if you want a standalone garden against your ornamental grass.

What are the Reasons to Plant Flowers?

1. Beauty

This might sound obvious, but one of the benefits of implementing one of the flower bed ideas in this post is to make your home more beautiful. While adding plants to your yard could make your compound greener, flowers add color and warmth to any environment. That's why planting flower beds is one of the ways of improving the aesthetic appeal of your home.

The colors and designs of flower gardens can make a location appear more stylish and welcoming. So, if you are looking for a way to upgrade the look of your home, getting a flower garden bed is a great idea.

2. Improved Moods

At times, you will experience bad days or situations that will drag your mood down. During these moments, it's easy to get into a sad, angry, or depressive state. However, it doesn't have to be that way since flowers have a way of improving your mood and brightening your personality.

Flowers with a warm and bright color scheme can divert your attention from a troubling situation and help you relax. Additionally, the scents that flower gardens exude can lift away the feelings of anxiety and help you pull yourself together.

3. Support the Ecosystem

While there are many modern ways to upgrade your landscape, not all are environmentally friendly. Fortunately, planting flowers is one of the few safe ways you can make your home more beautiful without affecting the ecosystem negatively.

With flowers surrounding your premises, you'll create a warm and inviting environment for birds, bees, and other creatures that feed on nectar. This will make your home a more welcoming site, not only to your neighbors but also to the wildlife in your vicinity.

4. Food

It surprises many that, indeed, there are many flowers that might be consumed as food without causing harm. There exist a number of dishes in which flowers act as ingredients for your homemade salads and sauces. At the same time, flowers are used to add flavours to products like jams, tea, or even wine.

This shows that you can plant flowers around your home for beauty and also food production if needed. Nonetheless, not all flowers are edible because there are certain plant species which grow flowers that are toxic to humans. Thankfully, there are some flowers which are edible, such as mustard, clary sage, hyacinth, cattails, and safflower.

Ian Mutuli

About the author

Ian Mutuli

Founder and Managing Editor of Archute. He is also a graduate architect from The University of Nairobi, Kenya.
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