Buzz
Receiving compliments from neighbors about my garden is the primary reason I cultivate plants. When I discovered Cynthia Stringham and her incredible flower walls on Instagram, I realized, 'This is the ultimate way to make your yard the talk of the neighborhood.'
Every Friday, Cynthia shared videos of her fence adorned with towering, vibrant flower arrangements. The blooms, in every imaginable color, shape, size, and height, were so meticulously arranged that they resembled a masterpiece. The fence vanished behind the floral display, transforming the flowers into a standalone feature that framed her property beautifully.
It was no surprise she could achieve this—Cynthia owns a greenhouse and works as a professional gardener. As an amateur gardener, I initially doubted I could ever replicate her success. However, when Cynthia shared a detailed planning guide on her Instagram stories, I was inspired. I started purchasing seed packets, grabbed my gardening journal, and began plotting my own floral masterpiece.
What exactly is a flower wall?
Flower beds can be compared to a packed concert: if everything is the same height, nothing stands out. Typically, when people design a facade—whether it’s a wall, fence, or open property border—they often plant items of uniform height, such as trees, shrubs, flowers, or ground cover. While flowers at the same height can still be stunning, they require close proximity and an elevated view to be fully appreciated. On the other hand, planting a diverse mix of flowers and arranging them in graduated heights, ensuring each plant has space to shine, transforms your garden into a natural amphitheater with tiered seating.
Steps to create a flower wall
Cynthia’s approach was straightforward. She mapped out the heights of different annual flowers and organized them sequentially, planting them densely. This ensured that her garden appeared lush and full throughout the season as various flowers bloomed at different times.
She offered some beginner-friendly tips, such as starting with sunflowers. No other annuals can match the towering height of sunflowers, making them an ideal foundation. They grow between seven to fifteen feet tall, creating a striking row of golden blooms.
Divide the remaining flowers into rows. For the five-to-seven-foot range, consider cosmos, ammi, poppies, foxgloves, and artichokes. The three-to-five-foot range includes a variety of flowers, such as giant zinnias. The front row should feature plants under three feet, like stock, snapdragons, and perennial salvia. You can also add small ground cover flowers at the very front for a finishing touch.
When sketching your plan on paper, consider seasonal bloom times and color schemes. While a mix of every color can still look stunning, I noticed a prevalence of pink, lavender, and white flowers and intentionally opted for jewel-toned plants. This created a vibrant display of orange, red, yellow, purple, and magenta. Over time, you’ll learn to balance early-season blooms like snapdragons with late-season ones like cosmos, ensuring a continuous floral display throughout the season.
Combine perennials and annuals, mixing edible and non-edible plants
This year, I visited Cynthia’s garden and was amazed by how compact the space was. The graduated heights created an illusion of a much larger area. Her beds also appeared fuller than mine, despite my dense planting. She revealed her secret: interplanting carrots, cabbage, and lettuce, which added lush greenery and made the garden look more abundant.
Reflecting on my own garden, I already had artichokes in my flower wall and had added foxgloves over the years. This year, I introduced asparagus crowns, dahlias, and delphiniums alongside salvia and poppies. As perennials, these plants would return each year—I just needed to allocate space for them in my design.
The perennials serve as anchors in the space, with towering artichokes and vibrant neon flowers creating a sense of continuity. Annuals fill the gaps, adding bursts of color. Some of the most striking flowers, perfect for adding vivid hues, are annuals. Zinnias, especially the Benary’s Giants, are excellent for the three-to-five-foot range. Gomphrena and celosia offer colorful, uniquely shaped blooms at lower heights. Although annuals require planting each spring, they allow for creative changes yearly. Over time, they may even self-seed if left undisturbed until the season ends.
How to cultivate flowers for your wall
While you can purchase flowers from a local nursery, growing your own is far more cost-effective and allows you to select exactly what you want.
Seed suppliers such as Johnny’s, Floret, Botanical Interest, and Renee’s Gardens offer extensive selections of flower seeds. Browse their collections, find flowers that catch your eye, and determine the appropriate height range for each in your design.
When planting, begin at the back and work your way forward, spacing seedlings six to eight inches apart. Adding a slow-release fertilizer like Osmocote during planting helps nourish the flowers. Mulching with bark chips keeps the soil cool, reducing water needs and minimizing heat stress.
Keep in mind that some plants, such as stock, bloom only once and may need replacing during the season. Most flowers thrive with deadheading, encouraging fuller growth and providing fresh blooms for indoor arrangements.
Some flowers are oriented toward the sun, meaning my neighbors get to enjoy this vibrant display from their yard, while the sunflowers face away from my side.
Creating a flower wall is a rewarding project that evolves over time. It’s an enjoyable endeavor that adds variety to your garden and makes your home stand out with stunning floral beauty.
