#Gardening Know How » How to Create an Eye-Catching Flower Garden Border Comments Feed Gardening Know How Growing Brugmansias in Containers Gardening for Christmas Gifts Learn A Bit About Rock Gardens Home seperator Ask A Gardening Question seperator Privacy Policy seperator Contact Us ____________________ Search bullet Article Categories bullet * Composting Basics * Exotic Plants * Flower Gardening * Fruit Gardening * Garden Design Ideas * Gardening Glossary * Gardening How To * Gardening With Children * Herb Gardening * Indoor Gardening * Lawn Care * Organic Gardening * Pests & Problems * Popular Houseplants * Shade Gardening * Shrubs And Trees * Urban Gardening * USDA Planting Zones * Vegetable Gardening * Weed Identification & Control * Xeriscaping Do you know about gardening? You can help others with their gardening questions. Click here to help>> Read Related Info bullet * Create An Instant Garden * Using Flowers to Create Borders * Rock Garden in the City Read These Too bullet * Propagating Blackberries – Rooting Blackberries From Cuttings * Aloe Vera Plant Care – How To Grow An Aloe Plant * Deadheading Shasta Daisies – How To Deadhead Daisies * Campanula Propagation – How To Plant Campanula Seed * Citrus Peels In Compost – Tips For Composting Citrus Peels * Scallion Picking: How Do You Harvest Scallions * Controlling Canada Thistle – Canada Thistle Identification And Control * What Can You Compost And What Not To Put In Garden Compost * Planting Cantaloupe – How To Grow Cantaloupe Melons * Transplanting Palm Pups – Propagate Palm Trees With Pups How to Create an Eye-Catching Flower Garden Border By Arista Hageman garden border Image by Marsanne Petty Strolling down a winding garden path in late August surrounded by beds of yellow and red poppies, white Shasta daisies, and yarrow, I noticed that flanking each side of the path were the most amazing garden borders I had ever seen. I’m not talking about the metal hoops painted white that you buy at Wal-Mart, or that boring black tubing at your landscape supply store either. No, these borders were clearly constructed with love to complement the flowers they were paired with and provide beauty from front to back of the garden bed. It was as if an artist had painted the intricate landscape, readjusting and fine-tuning the painting every step of the way. To my good fortune there was a rustic wooden garden bench a few feet from me so that I could sit down and take notes. Here’s what I discovered. Natural products can make the very best borders. The path under my feet was composed of small river stones of various subtle shades of blue, grey, and red while the border between the path and the flower bed was constructed of large, almost white, driftwood logs. The landscape seemed to flow perfectly from the rock to the logs to the rustic plants overflowing the bed. Those driftwood logs were not perfectly round, nor did they lay flat on the surface of the garden bed. It appeared as if I was walking down the bed of an ancient stream and some driftwood had been pushed to shore where flowers, grasses, and ferns grew. Flower garden borders don’t have to be prominent. Down the path from where I was sitting, the driftwood border that had followed me from where the rocky path began, simply disappeared. The flowers that grew there spoke for themselves; a border was unnecessary. The garden was well-kept and simple with a few ferns growing under the shade of a small fig tree. Blue forget-me-nots mingled with the ferns, while some taller ornamental grasses shot up in the back of the bed. The border of the flower bed doesn’t have to be confined to the edge. As I walked further along the path, past the fig tree, the border began to take shape again alongside the path. Large, odd-shaped smooth rocks of various colors and habits had been placed not only along the path which was now sloping up a hill, but also in the garden bed itself. A rock so large you could have a picnic on it had been dropped right between the daylilies and the iris while several smaller stones had made friends with the impatiens and the pansies. Just beyond those impatiens however, I had a wonderful surprise awaiting me. Water can provide the best border of all. Just around the next corner at the crest of the small hill was a gentle waterfall, spilling over a large stone, making its way down the hill just to the right of the river stone path. It formed a soft barrier between the path and the garden bed and really set a mood for the entire flower garden. A stream is simple to create with river rocks, plastic, and a pump and so easy to enjoy. After leaving this dazzling flower garden I realized it would not be hard to recreate such a magical experience on my own property. First I would have to discard my own notions of what a traditional flower garden border is and begin to dream a little. At my home we have lots of old logs too large to throw in the fireplace, so I cut a few up into three-inch wide half-moons and placed them along my garden bed. Next, I added a large mossy tree trunk, about 4 feet long that had recently fallen into my yard, laying it on its side where there just happened to be a bare spot without flowers anyway. Within a few weeks, the log rounds had started to weather and the entire flower bed was taking on a rustic charm. I added a garden bench and table that I had salvaged at a yard sale – it needed a few nails – and the informal landscape was definitely beginning to take shape. Creating a garden border that will add beauty and intrigue to your landscape is simply a matter of letting your imagination explore the possibilities! Print This Article - Printer Friendly Version More Information: Create An Instant Garden Using Flowers to Create Borders Rock Garden in the City Share this gardening info: * Bookmark on Delicious * Recommend on Facebook * Share with Stumblers * Tweet this * bookmark * Tell a friend Didn't find the answer to your question? Ask one of our gardening experts. Do you know anything about gardening? Help answer someone's gardening question. Read more articles in Garden Design Ideas. You might also be interested in these articles: * Gardening for Christmas Gifts * Learn A Bit About Rock Gardens Quantcast Feature Article * Growing Wisteria – Proper Wisteria Vine Care [article_down.jpg] Feature Article * Indiana Planting Zones – USDA Map Of Indiana Growing Zones [article_down.jpg] Feature Article * Interior Decorating with Houseplants [article_down.jpg] Copyright © 2010 Gardening Know How. All rights reserved. Gardening Know How Home | Privacy Policy | Contact | Garden Writers