For most homeowners, a beautiful and vibrant flower garden (or two or three) is a must-have item for their landscape design. But a properly executed flower garden calls for more than just plopping some seeds in the dirt and hoping for the best. Here is a 5 step guide to planning the perfect flower garden for any yard.

Create a Style or Theme. Consider your overall yard style and the feelings you want it to convey, then try to incorporate this into your garden. Do you want a casual, informal style? Try a cottage garden. For formality? Consider blocks of color, straight lines or geometric shapes. If it helps, try sketching out your plan or work with a landscape designer to blend your garden in with the yard. 

Size and Locate it Right. The simplest way to design a garden's layout it to use either a garden hose (for curving or random layouts) or stakes and twine (for straight lines) to visualize the garden in its location. Once you've chosen a potential size, layout and location, test how easy it is to reach the interior and center of the garden for maintenance. Also, look at how closely it comes to existing landscape elements, how far it is from water sources and how much shade or sun it gets throughout the day. 

Research Flowers. When selecting flowers, it's usually best to have a variety of types (such as annuals and perennials and bulbs) as well as different colors and textures. Research any potential flowers to determine what light they need, how much water, how fast and tall they grow and what types of pests they attract. Avoid placing plants that require vastly different levels of attention right next to each other. If you plant larger plants -- such as shrubs or bulbs -- try to plant in odd numbered groups. 

Check Heights and Seasons. As you make a planting design, think about how your garden will look vertically. If the view is mostly from one angle, you may want to place taller plants in the back. Alternatively, placing tall plants in the center is a good way to create a better view from all angles. And plant flowers that bloom at different times of the summer, spring and fall for a better year-round appearance.

Create a Focal Point. A focal point in any landscape design gives the guest's eyes a "destination" and a place to rest while enjoying the space. It can be anything that fits the theme of the garden and that you find pleasing or fun: a birdbath, a piece of garden sculpture, a bubbling fountain or an eclectic art piece. If your garden is larger, you could even use something bigger, like a small tree or pond. 

For more information, contact Milieu Design or a similar company.