Recently, I visited a friend’s garden and was smitten by her ‘Cozy Flower Corner’. She had created a lovely relaxing area that contained abundant flowers. The amazing thing about this spot was most of the flowers were growing in pots and other creative containers.

I grow lots of flowers in my garden beds, cutting garden and in containers. But I have never considered creating an area in my garden that was mainly flowers grown in containers. I strategically place my containers throughout the garden to provide pops of color, not in one specific area.

After that visit, I realized I was missing out on something special… a place in my garden where I could surround myself with flowers on several sides. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about where I could create a cozy flower corner.

Once I share these ideas with you, I know you’ll want to go out and create a flower corner as well.

Why do I call it a flower corner? My friend created this area in a corner where two fences come together. You could also use an area with a fence and a wall or two walls. And it doesn’t even have to be a corner at all. You could create this area on a porch or deck, along a back wall of your home or anywhere that works.

In my friend’s corner, she added hardscape features such as an arch with a bench and several trellises for climbing plants. There were a few in-ground plants, such as climbing hydrangea and wisteria, growing on these structures.

She added height with hanging containers attached to the fence and plant stands. Then she finished the area with a variety of containers in multiple sizes. The result is the most lovely floral display you can imagine. To make it even more magical, she added lights so she can enjoy all this beauty into the evening.

What You Need to Create a Cozy Flower Corner…

Corner Area

To create this special area, you need a corner of your yard or garden that will become the backdrop of your flower display. It can be where two fences come together, a wall and a fence, or even two walls. Be sure to choose an area that gets plenty of sunlight. A shady area could work, but finding a variety of flowers that grow well in shade is a little more difficult.

Another thing to consider when setting up your corner is whether you can you see it from other areas of the garden? While I love little hidden areas to enjoy in my garden, this flower corner can be enjoyed all day long even if you aren’t in it. My friend created her flower corner right outside her kitchen window. So while she’s washing dishes or working on dinner, she can enjoy the beauty of her flowers.

Decorative Items

To set the stage for your flower corner, start by adding in decorative items to the wall or fences. This could include a vintage door or windows. Or use a metal gate, picket fence section, or large mirror to decorate the area. Later, you can go back and add smaller decorative features, but it’s best to start with the larger items first.

Background Features

Along your two surfaces, add some features that will provide a backdrop to your display. This could include trellises, arches, arbors, tuteurs, or ladders. These can support in-ground plants and shrubs that add fullness and color to the background. You could also grow these plants in large containers if you cannot grow them in the ground.

Here are some ideas for plants to grow on these fixtures:

• Climbing Rose
• Climbing Hydrangea
• Honeysuckle
• Morning Glory
• Wisteria
• Clematis
• Purple Passionflower
• Scarlet Runner Bean
• Black-eyed Susan Vine
• Sweet Peas

These climbing plants anchor the containers used in this area. They also soften the look of the fence or wall.

Elevated Containers

The next containers to add into your flower corner are containers that add height. These could include hanging baskets filled with flowers. They could also be containers you’ve attached to the fence, such as a window box. Or you could elevate these containers using a plant stand or metal hook.

If you’re using hanging baskets or wire containers, line them with moss or burlap to help the plants retain water. Fill them with mounded flowers and trailing plants such as sweet potato vine and creeping jenny.

Variety of Containers

Next, fill in the corner area with your flower pots. Include a variety of sizes of containers starting with the largest at the back and getting smaller as you move forward. Be sure to include your favorite styles here. You could use matching decorative pots or add in a mix of styles, including vintage containers.

Extra Features

Once you’ve finished adding in your containers, consider additional features for your corner. Hang twinkle light strands and solar lights. Include a table and chairs for relaxing. Find your favorite garden decor items such as a faux frog, spinner, or dragonfly stake to place in your pots. Hang a garden sign or chalkboard. This is where your personal taste can shine.

Tips For Creating Your Cozy Flower Corner…

1. Sunlight

Make sure this area gets plenty of sunlight. Morning sun with dappled afternoon shade would work. If you only have a shaded area, then you’ll need to choose shade-loving plants.

2. Water

Be sure that you’ll have adequate water for your containers. Setting up your flower corner in an area that is self watered by sprinklers or a drip system is best. It could be very time consuming if you need to water all your plants by hand. And a missed day or two could spell disaster for your flowers.

3. Plants

This is the key to a lovely flower corner. Using unique nursery grown flowers means you not only have a variety of delightful flower pots, but they have a head start on the growing season. The downside to this is the cost. I grow most of my container flowers from seeds. And while I can grow a large variety of plants, they are slower to bloom.

If cost is not an issue, find a nice nursery in your area that stocks interesting plants and flowers. You could also pick up a few expensive blooms from a nursery and then fill in with less expensive nursery stock from a box store. When growing from seed, start plants earlier indoors or direct sow fast growing seeds such as nasturtiums and marigolds. Also consider allowing your flowers to go to seed in the containers. Then next year you’ll have a head start on filling your pots.

Consider using a wide variety of plants in these containers. I plant all of my containers with the same flowers for balance in my garden. But this flower corner proved to me you don’t need to match all your flower pots to have a lovely garden.

Here are a few flower ideas to get you started…

• Scaevola- Fan Flower
• Petunias
• Calibrachoa
• Begonias
• Caladium
• Verbena
• Lantana
• Canna Lillies
• Angelonia
• Euphorbia
• Browallia
• Hybiscus
• Mandevilla
• Shorter Varieties of Dahlias

4. Fertilize

The key to beautiful container blooms is to fertilize the plants weekly. My friend is adamant that it’s her regular fertilization that keeps her pots looking so great. What’s her secret? Miracle Grow Bloom Booster Flower Food. This is not a product I’ve used before, so this summer I’m trying it in my pots.

I can’t get this flower corner off my mind. I definitely want to create one of my own, but the trick is finding the perfect place that will get enough sunlight in my shady backyard.

Are you scheming now to create your very own ‘Cozy Flower Corner’? I hope so because it’s the perfect place to enjoy your morning coffee, relax after a busy day, or visit with a friend on the weekend.

Would you like more ideas for growing flowers in containers? Here are a few other posts for creating lovely flower pots in your garden…

• 5 Creative Ways to Easily Style Your Garden Containers
• 3 Steps to Planting Flowers in Pots
• The Best Vintage Containers to Use in Your Garden