Garden boss Chris Bonnett from GardeningExpress has provided his top tips for designing a flower bed and incorporating more blooms into your garden. The 2025 RHS Chelsea Flower Show will feature gardens focused on innovation, nature landscapes, and the future, with a recurring theme of “your space, your story”. Specifically, there’s a focus on intelligent gardens using AI, sustainable practices, and gardens addressing social issues.
With many gardeners looking forward to seeing these outstanding floral displays at the Chelsea Flower Show, it’s the perfect time to get inspired and bring some of that horticultural flair to your garden as well. Whether you want to embrace the traditional planting schemes or are interested in adding a touch of modern elegance to your garden, with a bit of planning, gardeners can create beautiful flower displays that bring their outdoor space to life.
The colour scheme you choose for your flower beds can have a significant effect. Bridgerton-themed romantic pink, white, and purple tones have been popular since the release of the show. But if you want to add more colour to your garden, consider bolder palettes with contrasting colours such as bright purples and blues offset by splashes of yellow.
If you have lots of flowers and you want to ensure they’re all visible in the garden beds, make sure to use a tiered planting scheme which involves planting taller flowers at the back and gradually moving to shorter plants at the front. This ensures that every bloom gets to shine and it also creates a visually appealing layered effect.
If there’s not a lot of space in your garden beds, you can also use containers or create raised beds to maximise your planting area. Raised planters also add interest and different levels to your garden design.
Here are Chris Bonnett’s seven tips for creating stunning flower displays in your garden this summer:
1. Tiered planting schemes
Create aesthetically pleasing layers in your garden beds by tiering the plants based on their height. Growing taller plants at the back and gradually moving to shorter plants at the front will ensure you get a good view of all of them in the flower bed.
2. Raised beds
Raised beds allow gardeners to display their flowers on a higher level, which adds more visual interest. They’re also a great option if you have limited space or if you’re looking to grow plants that thrive in well-draining soil like marigolds and geraniums.
3. Fragrant flowers
Flower displays don’t need to be enjoyed with just your eyes, you can also grow plants that appeal to your other senses. Fragrant flowers like lavender, jasmine and honeysuckle are not only beautiful additions to your garden, but they also release a pleasant scent that enhances the atmosphere.
4. Colour schemes
To give your garden a cohesive look, choose a colour scheme and stick to it. Whether you prefer romantic pastels or want to energise the space with bolder tones, having a specific colour scheme will tie everything together.
5. Statement flowers
You can use larger flowers like sunflowers, peonies or dahlias to create focal points in your garden. These flowers will stand out in the garden and create a visual “wow” factor.
6. Ornamental grasses
Incorporating ornamental grasses like Festuca, Silvergrass or Pennisetum can help add texture and contrast to flower beds. They can also soften the overall appearance of your garden bed and fill in any gaps.
7. Wild beds
Embrace a more relaxed and natural approach with a wildflower-style bed. Mix in native flowers or pollinator-friendly plants, and let them self-seed. These types of flower beds are also great for your local wildlife and biodiversity as they provide food and shelter for bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects.
