How to Plan a 20x20 Foot Flower Garden

Research the growing environment in your area. Find out how much sunlight the chosen spot will receive, how much rainfall throughout the year on average does your area get, and how close is the garden to a water source. Also decide upon the soil you intend to use. Determine what sort of soil you have or whether you intend to import soil to grow your flowers in. Your choice of soil type will place limits on flower type.

Determine the physical layout of your garden other than size. Decide on whether to go with a raised flowerbed or stick with ground level. Choose a bordering system for your garden to separate it from the rest of your lawn. You can choose pavers surrounding the garden, or a small curb, either of which will make mowing at the edge of your garden easier. Create a watering plan for your garden; choose between sprinkler system, irrigation, rainfall or watering by hand.

Choose plants that fit the growing conditions of your planned garden site. The USDA has divided up the United States into various horticultural zones. Find your zone on the zone map located on the United States National Arboretum website, and find plants that thrive within your zone. Research the full growth size of the plants as well so that you can take this size into account when drawing up your plan.

Draw your garden to scale on a piece of graph paper. A good scale to use is 1 scale inch equal to 1 square foot of garden space. Draw the outline of your garden area to begin with; then include any permanent structures in the area from fences to trees -- anything you'll need to garden around.

Determine the positions of the flowers you've chosen to grow there. There is no absolutely correct flower positioning to use when planning your garden, as long as you allow adequate space for each plant to grow in relation to the other plants present. Generally though, you should position all plants so that they can be seen from the primary garden viewing angle. If the angle is from a single direction, position taller flowers towards the garden rear so that they'll not block site of smaller plants. However, if your garden is in a central area and seen from all sides, then shift the taller plant placement towards the center for best viewing.

Position your plants for both visual and structural impact. Use color and size both as visual elements in your planning. Again, there are no hard and fast rules for flower placement, but begin with the special plants in your garden first, those plants that grab the eye upon first viewing of the garden. Place the decorative flowers next, followed by perennials and plants that bloom for only part of the year. Find pictures of your chosen flowers and tape them onto pieces of papers, positioned together to help you in your visualizations. Once you have the plant positions in mind, mark them down onto the graph paper with a pencil to create a guide when it comes to planting your garden.