Want to know the flower and vegetable garden ideas that every gardener knows? The ones that have stood the test of time? Here are some of the best ideas to help you garden like an experienced gardener.
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Creating and maintaining a flower and vegetable garden can be one of the most challenging, but rewarding things you can do for yourself.
I know you are searching for all the knowledge you can find to make sure your garden is a success. As a fellow gardener, I am giving you the best flower and vegetable garden ideas that have produced such wonderful results over the past years.
You are going to learn about many of the flower and vegetable garden ideas that will help you know what flowers and vegetables grow well together, where to grow them, when to grow them, and more.
You will be gardening like a pro after learning about these ideas. You will be prepared to create or enhance your garden production and layout.
This post is all about the best flower and vegetable garden ideas every gardener should know about.
Best Flower and Vegetable Garden Ideas:
1. Plant Flowers (even in your ‘vegetable’ garden)
Flowers in the garden can seem like a no brainer to some, but for gardeners that only have veggies on their mind flowers remain at the bottom of the list (if even on the list!!).
That said, professional gardeners know about the impact flowers have on their growing vegetables when paired right.
You want to garden like the pros, right?
Well, flowers like marigolds, nasturtiums, petunias, zinnias, sunflowers and more not only enhance the beauty of the vegetable garden but bring the beneficial pollinators every vegetable garden needs.
As you grow in your gardening journey, you will realize how many insects and birds like to visit your garden especially when flowers are present.
These wonderful garden creatures can help some of your vegetables that do not self-pollinate.
And, what do they like? Flowers! Your beautiful nectar filled, dusty pollen, colorfully petaled flowers!
Now, let me tell you something…I know I said you want some wonderful garden creatures to visit your garden.
Well flowers can also deter those not so wonderful garden creatures that you don’t want in your vegetable garden.
Unfortunately, there are some creatures that will nibble on, infest, and absolutely consume your vegetables.
It’s the flowers directly tucked into whatever gardening bed, container, or berm you choose that will keep those pesky creatures at bay.
2. Prepare Your Soil
Did you know how important your soil is? Well, the professional gardeners do.
That’s why one of the best ideas before you even plant your seed or seedlings is to amend old soil.
Depending on what you’re planting, some good ole’ compost mixed into your garden soil will give your soil a nutrient boost that will get your vegetable growing season on the right track.
We will talk more about compost below.
Another necessary step may be to test your soil. Testing the soil is especially important if you know nothing about the land you’re using.
What was the land used for in the past? A little background about the land would help to put your mind at ease.
Not all soil is created equal so…….
Testing the soil will allow you to determine what nutrients your soil is lacking and research whether that nutrient is even necessary for the vegetables you intend to grow in it.
Do you need more phosphorus? Or how about nitrogen? Or maybe the elements of the soils will contaminate the vegetables you plan to eat?
Say goodbye to organic vegetables if your soil is full of contaminants.
Now, testing is especially important for you community gardeners who are using some once vacant land a.k.a. dumping ground or new homesteaders who plan to garden on some land that has a questionable past.
But, what about those of you starting with freshly purchased soil?
Congratulations, you certainly have a fresh start!
However, you’re not off the hook….sorry! Even fresh soil can use some fertilizer and/ or compost to help those plants get established with a strong root system and feed them through most of the gardening season.
3. Companion Plant
You’ve seen it on television or maybe your mom has told you that good friends will stick with you through thick and thin encouraging you to become your best self.
A good friend will help you grow. Well the same is true in your flower and vegetable garden.
Not only do flowers and vegetable go hand in hand, but certain garden vegetables can encourage one another to reach their highest potential.
Certain vegetables just work well together in the garden.
And don’t forget the flowers for an absolutely perfect blend.
Have you ever seen legumes grow up the stalk of a mammoth sunflower?
Ever wonder why gardens often have all the ingredients for a delightful salad planted near each other? And herbs planted near certain vegetables?
Well, I could continue with examples of friendships that have been made to last. That is garden friendships that exist among flowers and vegetables. This is called companion planting. And,…drum roll please…
Companion planting is what you want to create a garden where seedlings can happily co-exist, encouraging one another to reach their full potential.
So, after you determine what you like to eat research what will grow superbly together before you plan the layout of your garden. Here a some things to look for:
- will they both require the same water and sunlight
- will one grow and shade the other too much
- how much space do they both require
- how does one benefit the other when insects arrive
- are the garden buddies going to be harvested at the same time
- do they require the same nutrients from the soil
There are many more benefits to companion planting but this will get you started
4. Compost
By now you’ve already read that compost is a good thing to add to your gardening journey. Every flower and vegetable gardener should always be in the business of compost.
Whether you make it with your very own kitchen scraps with the help of wiggly red worms in a container within the cabinet doors below your kitchen sink or you develop it in the various types of bins you can have in your outdoor garden.
You need this rich stuff that is full of the most beneficial bacteria and nutrients your plants need to grow…grow…grow.
Every professional gardener will tell you that if you want to make your garden great give it compost.
Compost is organic material that has been broken down over time to become a substance that uplifts or simply gives whatever you’re growing a power packed boost of nutrients.
This improves the quality of whatever you choose to grow and helps save on your water bill by building soil that is more airy and moist.
By adding compost you are giving your soil the elements it needs to attract beneficial organisms which in turn allows you to be well on your way to ensuring you maintain a healthy organic garden.
So, repeat after me…I will create compost…I will add compost to my soil..
(or I will buy compost- that’s okay too! -see below)
Check out this cool way to vertically grow your vegetables and flowers together in a tower that not only holds 50 plants, but allows you to compost all in one container. Click here to learn more about Garden Tower 2.
5. Mulch
Another timeless flower and vegetable garden idea that has been used by the best is mulch. Yes, mulch. Or some may call it:
- woodchips
- decomposed leaves
- straw
- grass clippings poured out the bag after you mowed the lawn
You get the point! You’ve probably seen it before in many gardens you have admired. Well, did you know the reason for throwing this down around the flowers and vegetables you grow?
Well, the pros will tell you that it not only makes the garden look freshly maintained, but it also saves you time weeding and watering.
Mulching is a timeless approach to gardening that works. Since this natural substance breaks down over time it is again adding beneficial elements to your soil just at a much slower pace.
In the meantime, it covers any soil around your plant. This means it prevents weeds….hooray!
Mulching equals less weeding.
Another reason professionals use mulch is to retain the moisture your growing plants need to grow. This is especially helpful in those hot summer months when the heat absorbs the life out of your soil leaving your seedlings and even mature plants begging for water.
Mulching helps to prevent this. Give a good soak and your garden plants can maintain their composure longer than they would without mulch to retain the moisture.
Mulching equals less watering
6. Save Seeds or Shop at SeedsNow.com
Did you know that from the majority of your flower and vegetable garden plants it is easy to collects seeds? And why should you do this? Well, why not? Saving seeds:
- allows you to grow those hard to find seeds again and again
- saves you the cost of buying seeds annually
- gives you a product to sell or simply share
- ensures you know the history of your plant
- is fun for you to see the full cycle of a plant
- ensures your garden independence if stores/distributors are closed
Now, there is a science to collecting seeds. There is a proper time in the growth of your plant. Some plants require you wait until the seeds mature on the plant. Some require you catch them before they pop open and fly away.
But researching seed collecting for your plants will be well worth it. Do this and you will do what fellow gardeners have determined are one of the best ideas to keeping a flower and vegetable garden for years.
Need seeds now? Click here to check out SeedsNow whether it’s too late to collect your own seeds or you don’t have exactly what you want to try this season.
7. Water When Necessary
Everybody knows that watering is apart of having a flower and vegetable garden. Water is needed to sustain life.
Well, did you know that not every plant requires the same amount of water?
As I already alluded to in companion planting, composting, and mulching plants require water but not all plants need the same amount of water.
Companion planting encourages those plants that have common water needs to be planted together.
Composting and mulching help retain moisture even longer allowing for a less time consuming watering schedule. So, if you haven’t figured out by now the pros will tell you…
Watering schedules are not a one size fits all in the flower and vegetable garden.
Research the plants you want to grow and ask some basic questions:
- Do they like to always be moist?
- Do they prefer to dry completely before another water?
- Are they desert plants that tolerate a drought?
- At what stages in the life of the plant does it require more or less water?
- Does it require water in every season it grows through? If so, how much?
8. Know When To Plant
When I was a new gardener I had no idea that flowers and vegetables growing in the garden can be so diverse. I’m not talking about their appearance- that’s the obvious unique characteristic they have. But, I’m talking about the necessity to:
know the seasons, the temperature, the zones, and such when and where certain plants can be planted.
Every professional gardener knows this is one of the most timeless ideas that you need in order to garden confidently and successfully.
If you do not know these your garden will fail:
- What zone do you live in?
- What season does your plant grow in?
- What temperature does your plant thrive in?
- What is the initial and final frost date for my area?
- What will happen to my plant should frost occur?
- What can I do to extend the growing season of my plant?
9. Know Where to Plant (Sun or Shade?)
Having a flower and vegetable garden is so much better when you know where to plant. It accentuates the potential of the plants you want to grow when they are happy in the sun, right? Well, sort of.
9 times out of 10 your flowers and vegetables are going to love the sun.
However, there is always that shade-loving that could do better with a little less sun or even no sun.
To love your garden plants is to know your garden plants.
To garden like a pro you need to absolutely know your garden and know what to plant where. The best gardeners study their garden and know where the sun hits the most and where it hits the least.
They even know at what time of the day and for how long an area is exposed to the sun. Then, they garden accordingly. Why? Because it matters.
It matters if some plants get too much sun or too little.
It matters if a shade loving plant is in the sun all day long.
It matters if a plant gets the hot midday sun or the early morning sun.
Whenever you plant your garden plan wisely so that you give your plants the location they need and love.
10. Plant for Yourself
Are you ready to start planning your flower and vegetable garden? Well, let me tell you another idea for gardening success…
Don’t plant what everyone else plants
Let me unpack this some more. When you plan your garden it is vitally important that you plant the flowers and vegetables you actually like.
Whether you like eating them, looking at their beauty, or just have fun picking them and giving them away, don’t plant what you don’t like (plain and simple).
This may seem like common sense, but many gardeners have fallen into the trap of planting what others say every garden should have. I know because I was one of them.
Gardening is investing vital time in a project. Why do that for a harvest you don’t even like? Especially, if you don’t eat it and don’t even like the look of it.
Instead, plant what makes you happy.
Maybe you don’t like to eat eggplant but love the look and colors they bring to your garden. So, plant it for the structure and color. But, if you have seed for something you don’t like to look at let alone even eat, then leave the seeds in the packet and move on.
Your time is too precious! You should thoroughly enjoy your garden.
11. Plant Perennials
This is the timeless secret that will help you create a professional looking, long-lasting garden. Planting perennials is one of the best flower and vegetable garden ideas that will have you gardening like the pros in no time.
Perennials are built to last. Therefore, once you identify some great ones for your garden you may have flowers and vegetables for generations to come (or at least a few years depending on what you choose).
Perennials come back year after year.
A yearly treasure that just pops up and does what it’s supposed to do means less time and energy and more beauty and eating for you.
Research which perennials are hardy to your gardening zone. Whatever conditions your area is commonly known for (which includes temperature and precipitation).
A few common ones in my area are the day lily, peonies, and even Jerusalem artichokes.
But, oh my garden friend there are many, many, many more to enjoy.
I hope you explore the possibilities of bringing some to your very own flower and vegetable garden so that they can make themselves at home. And did I mention that some multiply? Yes, let me say it loud and clear…
Most Perennials can be divided and shared or spread naturally
Now, isn’t that a gift to yourself that keeps on giving! So, what are you waiting for? Start your perennial list today. It’s again one of the best flower and vegetable garden ideas that has stood the test of time.
This post was all about some of the best timeless flower and vegetable garden ideas that will get you the results to have you gardening like a pro.
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