How to make your garden bloom

The West's best flowers for borders, beds, bouquets, and containers

20 garden border designs

See how to use foliage and flowers to soften a wall, accent a lawn, or fringe a path

Making a great garden border
Photo by Norm Plate

Great garden borders: The basic ingredients

Creating a border isn't difficult if you break it down into its basic elements ― lacey fringes, accent colors, layers of short-to-tall plantings, and color echoes.

Curving borders, like this one in Ralph Hasting's Whidbey Island, Washington, garden, are more interesting ― and more complementary with casual landscapes ― than straight-edged ones.

Before planting, test out possible outlines for your border with a rope or hose.

Click ahead for 13 inspiring border designs to get you started.


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