Plants for a Small Flower Bed

Planting Annuals

• Every spring after the last anticipated frost, plant annuals. Annuals fill in a small flower bed nicely, but die in the fall. They generally do not invade other spaces. Each year, buy different annuals so in your little flower garden, you can grow various kinds of flowers over the years. Annuals well suited for small flower beds include petunias, geraniums, impatiens and pansies.

Native Plants

• Native plants or wildflowers are excellent choices for those with a small landscape. Native plants can thrive in less than ideal soil conditions and will grow well year to year with little maintenance. If you're looking for an easy garden to tend, contact your local county extension office or visit a county extension website to learn what flowers are native in your area. Example wildflowers in your area may be black-eyed Susan, violet, foxglove and wild bergamot.

Container Garden

• Consider growing a container garden for your small flower bed. Purchase or design a tiered stairlike unit to set the containers on, if desired, which helps utilize vertical space in a small area. Choose containers of various sizes, shapes, textures and color for added interest. Be creative as well. Watering cans, wheelbarrows and whiskey barrels make excellent containers. Flowers that grow well in containers include fuchsia, canna, dracaena and salvia.

Other Considerations

• Groundcovers such as vinca and ivy are good choices for a garden in the shade, but they will take over the space quickly, leaving no room for other flowers. They will need regular pruning to keep them from invading other areas of your landscape. Grow plants with similar watering needs. This will make it easier to give all your flowers in your small space the right amount of water for optimum growth.