How to Design a Full Sun Perennial Flowerbed

After determining your full-sun perennial flowerbed's location and mapping out its space, think about plant selection based on each perennial's growth habit, flower and leaf aesthetic, bloom period and necessary care. If the bed receives a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight daily, then with thought, planning and some elbow grease, you can create a sun-loving perennial garden that you can enjoy for years to come.

Select the location for your full-sun perennial garden by thinking about views from within the garden and from your abode, how the space is currently used, placement of existing trees and shrubs, and proximity to a water source. Because perennials come back year after year, ensure your flowerbed will stay in a permanent location.

Tape measure

Graph paper

Ruler or architect's scale

Garden hose or string

Measure the area where you would like to install your full-sun perennial flowerbed. Map out the space on graph paper by using a uniform scale. For example, one square on the graph paper could equal 1 square foot in the future garden.

Choose a size for the garden by thinking about how much time you have to maintain it, the budget you have to spend on plants, soil and mulch, and the scale of your home and nearby landscaped areas.

Determine the shape of the flowerbed, taking cues from your home and nearby structures. A straight-edged bed complements a modern-style home while a curved or free-form bed is better suited for a more traditionally styled abode. If you need help visualizing the garden bed, then place a garden hose or string on the ground where you would like the flowerbed to be, and arrange the hose or string into the desired shape for the bed.

Develop a list of perennial plants for the flowerbed by considering several criteria:

Light requirement: Ensure the perennials you select tolerate full sun. Some perennials become scorched when planted in locations that are too sunny for them. 

Height: Place tall perennials toward the back of the flowerbed and shorter plants in its front. If your garden abuts a fence or wall, place tall plants adjacent to that structure. Plant low-growing perennials in front or along the bed's edge.

Spread: Different perennials spread at different rates. Some perennials spread minimally and need less space than others. Stay away from all invasive species, which will overrun your garden and outcompete other plants. The goal for a perennial garden is diversity, not monoculture. 

Bloom time: Perennials bloom during different times, with some bloom times lasting several weeks and others lasting only a few weeks. Select perennials that bloom at different intervals to ensure color in the bed the entire growing season. Choose early spring-, summer- and fall-blooming varieties. This task may necessitate adding plants throughout the growing season because not all perennial varieties may be available at the same time from a plant nursery.

Color: Pick a variety of flower and leaf colors to create contrast. Place plants with different colors next to each other in your design, taking into consideration the bloom times. In addition to bloom color, don't underestimate the impact of leaf color. Options include plants with variegated, gray, dark- or light-green and purple leaves. 

Texture: Texture plays a critical role in the cohesiveness of the garden's design. Coarse, large-leaved plants need to be tempered with delicate, finely leaved perennials to create visual interest.  Likewise, delicate flower clusters can provide an effective foreground for large, showy flowers. 

Growth habit: Mix cascading perennials with upright or mounding plants. Let cascading plants spill over the margin of a walkway, or let a mounding plant edge an entire bed, creating a frame for the garden.   

Ease of care: Select plants that are tried and true. A large selection of hardy perennials thrive under multiple conditions and with less fuss than other plants. For reliable bloomers, check out the Perennial Plant Association, which nominates a Perennial Plant of the Year.

Water requirements: Consider the amount of water available for the plants, and plant accordingly. Plant perennials with similar water requirements next to each other to avoid underwatering or overwatering the plants. 

Pests: If deer, woodchucks, voles or rabbits are of concern, then select plants less palatable to those animals, or consider fencing your garden. Alternatively, spray a natural animal repellent on a biweekly basis to deter the critters from devouring your garden. 

Visit a reputable plant nursery to find perennial varieties well-suited to your geographical location and U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone. Nursery employees can provide valuable insights and recommendations based on the location's growing conditions.

For swathes of color, plant clusters of the same perennial in one large group. Whether you would like a formal or an informal garden, plant perennials in odd numbers, such as in clusters of three, five or seven. Create a backdrop of tall perennials, and plant medium- and low-growing perennials in the foreground.

For an informal look, mix and match a variety of perennials. Plant a border with a low-growing compact perennial or small, formal shrub to prevent the bed from looking unorganized and messy.

For a formal look, consider two symmetrical beds with a small, ornamental, flowering tree as the anchor. A perennial bed can include small flowering shrubs and small trees to provide structure. Surround them with clusters of perennials.

Personal taste plays a large role in designing a garden. Merely guidelines, not hard and fast rules, apply to arranging plants. If you love a design, then by all means go for it.

Not every inch of flowerbed space needs to be filled. Perennials grow and spread. If you find the space is too crowded for a plant or you are not satisfied with the location of a plant, then move it in spring or fall to a different spot. Perennials are relatively simple to transplant.