The use of evergreen flowering shrubs will give color throughout the year. Laurels can provide an excellent hedge which has delicate white sprigs of flowers in the spring and early summer.

For those who live in warmer zones the delightful hibiscus can also be grown as hedging or as a standalone focal point in the garden. These are available in a host of different colors from white to pale pastel pinks and deeper reds and oranges.

Flowers which attract butterflies and wildlife can be incorporated into formal gardens designs will add interesting focal points. Hummingbirds adore nectar rich flowers, in particular red tube shaped flowers, and butterflies love bee balms, snap dragons and sunflowers.

Wild flower gardens are becoming increasingly popular and once planted need little attention bar weeding. Wild flowers such as foxgloves, wild aquilegia, daises, hollyhocks and grasses provide a wonderful habitat for wild life.

Formal flower planting ideas could include a rose garden with trellises or arbours with cascading, tumbling climbing rose varieties in deep pinks or pretty whites which provide a typical English cottage garden appearance.
Rose gardens are popular as they will grow in most zones and are available in a vast array of colors and varieties. Many people like to use shades of the same color within the different varieties which can provide the most charming flower gardens.

Flower planting ideas which use perennials can add different heights to a flower border and interspersed with tall grasses and boxwoods will provide color and interest for most of the year.
Perennials will thrive and produce bushier plants with more flowers if they are pruned or cut back each year, this will also help keep the shape and height of the plants in check.

Annuals such as petunias and geraniums make a real statement throughout the summer, good flower planting ideas is to but or raise the trailing varieties of these types of annuals and plant them in window boxes or hanging baskets to provide a riot of color irrespective of the size of garden. Those who live in apartments can also have their own ‘flower garden’ by using window boxes.

Flower planting ideas can be obtained by looking through magazines and journals; these will give a rough guide as to how the finished garden will look, enabling duplicate designs or picking the flowers that appeal to be incorporated into existing gardens to add new interest and color.