Beginner Flower Bed Ideas

[Fmiceli]

Hello! Beginner gardener here! Looking for ideas for my mostly shade 30”x100” flower bed in southern New York. I’d like to have 2-4 different varieties and some height towards the back. Any help with design would be greatly appreciated. I’d like to have a colorful bed with some perennials but open to annuals as well. I was looking at astilbes and coleus but truly have no idea. Thanks!

 

[Esther Knapicius]

not to big. I would go with colorful coral bells on the edges, they come in ----the leaves come in neat colors , plant the lime green ones with alternating deep red. Then tuck in some red astilbies, behind them. Look for VASE shaped hosta for the back. Then every year buy a few impatience to fill in the gap. For any shaded areas you always look for the leaf colors not necessarily the flower showing.

 

[Fmiceli]

Thank you! When you say edges do you mean the three side with the stone? Do the coral get too high where they’d “block” the astilbes or hosta behind? Was also looking for more of a pink than a red if that matters.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Thank you! When you say edges do you mean the three side with the stone? Do the coral get too high where they’d “block” the astilbes or hosta behind? Was also looking for more of a pink than a red if that matters.

Several type of coral bells these days, look them up and see how tall/wide they go and make your selection. Yes I do mean the three sides. They do make pink astilbes, however when the Pink flowers from the Astilbies are gone, the leaves are green, the red astilbes leaves give a redish color. And hosta's numerous types and sizes these days, I only recommended the Vase shaped type as they will not spread out ground wise but give a nice tallness to your area against the house. Again, there are books out there, or google to get information about all plants ---mature width/height, then draw out your little square, and it measurements and plot out the type of plants for that area.