“I wanted something beautiful in the yard without spending much,” says Laura—here’s how to grow a stunning mass of flowers on a small budget

Warm weather pampers the flower beds of Finnish Laura Hartikainen. Butterflies flutter about, and bumblebees buzz through the sea of blooms, moving from flower to flower.

The single-family home in Nilsiä, Eastern Finland, has a front yard filled with annuals, most of which Laura has grown from seed. The flower bed is about the size of a small urban yard, showcasing zinnias, cosmos, and summer coneflowers.

About ten years ago, Laura and her husband Reino Hartikainen moved to Reino’s former childhood home. At first, they were busy caring for their three small children, then Laura turned her attention to the yard. Now, her flower hobby—including seedling cultivation—stays on her mind almost all year.

“I wanted something beautiful in the yard but on a budget, so I experimented with sowing seeds. When I succeeded, it inspired me to continue, and the flower beds began to expand,” Laura says.

These days, Laura is almost completely self-sufficient in seeds, which she collects from fading blooms in late summer.

The home’s old granary is a scenic backdrop for the flower bed and doubles as winter storage for geraniums and many other plants. The cosmos stay strong because Laura pinches them back several times.

The flowers Laura planted in pots now fill the terrace in the backyard. The hanging geranium ‘Cascade’ on the table has overwintered for several years. Behind it is a hanging basket brimming with pinkish-blue fan flowers.

Echinacea ‘Feeling Pink,’ liatris spicata, echinacea ‘White Swan,’ yarrow ‘Cerise Queen,’ and helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’ grow alongside the ornamental grass ‘Karl Foerster.’

Vines can be grown in many ways. A bicycle in the shade becomes decorative, draped with cathedral bells and creeping jenny.

Winds often sweep through the yard of the 1980s home at the edge of a field. The soil is typical of Eastern Finland—rocky and clayey farmland. A thick layer of topsoil ensures the plants thrive.

“My flower hobby got a real boost five years ago when we had the water pipes renovated, forcing us to dig up the entire yard. Since the excavator was here anyway, I asked the operator to carve out new flower beds.”

The greenhouse brings both enjoyment and practical benefits. It’s where seedlings harden off, and it also serves as a cozy summer room. Geraniums bloom abundantly in this sheltered spot.

Overall, there are about fifty pots in the garden, half of them on the terrace. In the foreground, feathertop grass ‘Pony Tails’ and silver falls add texture. Among the dahlias, gaura, and carnations, the highlights include tall verbena and the ornamental grass ‘Overdam.’

The flower beds have expanded into a park-like yard, where you can stroll among the blooms along winding paths. Archways covered with clematis, runner beans, and sweet peas frame the views.

Laura sketches out her beds carefully before starting seedlings. In late winter, she sows bell vine, then cup-and-saucer vine. April is prime sowing time for zinnias, cosmos, sunflowers, and most other summer flowers.

“Plant height is important to me, more so than color. All hues are lovely and work together, though I admit pink and orange blooms are on the upswing here. Every year, I try something new.”

In the beginning, Laura raised her seedlings on windowsills. Now, shelves and grow lights make the job easier. As soon as the weather allows, she brings the seedlings to the greenhouse to harden off. Even sweet peas become sturdier in cool conditions.

“I grow about a thousand seedlings each year. It would be ridiculous to buy that many at a store. My cup-and-saucer vine seeds germinate better than store-bought ones, and each new generation still looks much like the original.”

Viewed from above, the yard looks like a vibrant painting, complete with flower beds and paths. Laura plans the basics of her plantings before sowing but leaves room for spur-of-the-moment ideas. The plan can change more than once.

The salmon-colored, vigorous runner bean ‘Celebration’ climbs toward the clematis ‘Markham’s Pink’ on the other side of the arch.

The summer coneflower ‘Sahara’ is a favorite of its grower. It even survives winters in the garden.

After being trimmed back, the pansy soon bloomed again. In the background, the white-flowering bacopa climbs its support. On the right, creeping jenny ‘Aurea’ and cathedral bells.

Sometimes nature helps the gardener. Tall verbena by the house lures in pollinators, and Laura transplants the self-sown seedlings to her beds.

“I tried sowing tall verbena from store-bought seeds, but it failed even though I followed all the cold-treatment steps. The self-sown ones did better and bloomed in time.”

Laura no longer digs new beds. Instead, she layers branches, plant debris, and soil right on top of the lawn. After the ground thaws, she fertilizes with chicken manure, compost, and fresh soil, which typically lasts all summer. Only clematis need more fertilizer to keep growing and blooming. Sometimes she also adds fertilizer to the water for her summer flowers.

Laura leaves all her plant debris in place in autumn. Winter does most of the decomposing, leaving little cleanup in spring. The seeds remain, and new seedlings often surprise her.

From just a few plants, tall verbena spread so much that Laura transplanted seedlings all over the garden.

Along the wooden path to the playhouse, sweet peas ‘Perfume Millennium’ and ‘Old Spice Annie Gilroy’ bloom with soft-pink bee balm.

The charming heirloom sweet pea ‘Old Spice Annie Gilroy’ adds a nostalgic note. The miniature sunflower ‘Buttercream’ stays shorter than a typical large sunflower.

Though there are plenty of seating spots in the yard, Laura rarely uses them herself, since she’s usually busy tending her plants. She might sit for a moment when visitors come by.

“When I’m alone, I can’t just sit—there’s always something to do, like weeding or removing dead leaves. At my busiest, I wonder if I should raise fewer seedlings next year, but that doubt quickly fades. Flowers give me so much joy.”

These seating areas are perfect for relaxing with guests. Dense plantings leave little room for weeds.

The seating group is placed so you can overlook the flower beds as well as the open fields and forest beyond.

The geranium Laura is holding was grown from seed a few years ago.

This lovely combination features ornamental carrot ‘Dara,’ wild carrot, and a large zinnia ‘Oklahoma Salmon.’

The bronze-toned amaranth ‘Hot Biscuits’ is a real showstopper.