I have had such a good day in the garden today! I am finally getting my energy back and the mild temperatures lured me out to the Cutting Garden to see what was going on. As photo opportunities are limited in the bare beds I am interspersing this post with photos I took on Saturday which are mainly spring flowers in pots.
The flooded beds in the Cutting Garden are finally draining and just poking above the soggy surface are the many tulips that were planted in the autumn. I had feared that they would have rotted away in this wet winter, but they seem to be developing very nicely. I was shocked at the number of weeds that were growing strongly though, so although I had promised myself another recuperation day I could not resist a trip to the greenhouse for my wheelbarrow and tools.
-Spring Greens-
The air was quite warm today – I even had my coat off when the sun was shining. It was a perfect day to start working through the Cutting Garden beds. I have four large square beds in the Cutting Garden, each focusing on a different colour palette. The beds are white, pink & purple, orange, peach & acid green and maroon, black & blue.
-Camellia Bowen Bryant, Primroses & Tete a Tete-
Today I started my work in the pink and purple bed. I had put box edging around this bed last spring with tiny box plants. I am pleased to see they have all survived the winter and so should put on some growth this year. Within this bed I grow peonies, poppies, phlox, scabious, a pale pink sedum and purple salvias. There are probably other things that I have forgotten, but these are what I could identify emerging from the soil today.
-Camellia Debbie-
Into that mix I then add bulbs, annuals and dahlias. Today I planted two new peonies -Kansas and Sarah Bernhardt – and pink nerines, ranunculus and freesias. There are a variety of pink tulips planted in the autumn popping up. For the annuals I will certainly include asters, snapdragons, cosmos, stocks and verbena in this bed. I have a number of dahlias on order as well as tubers saved from last year, so there will be plenty of pinks and purples to fill any remaining gaps.
-Narcissi Tete a Tete-
My aim with this bed is to be able to create a pink or purple based arrangement at any point from April when the tulips start to flower until the last frost when the dahlias die back. The beauty of this being a cutting bed is that although I hope it will look good, looks are not its primary purpose.
In the main garden I am planting for shape and form as well as colour, so much of the space is taken up with greenery. In the Cutting Beds I can concentrate on wall to wall flowers and so indulge all my floral whims.
-Hamamelis Diane-
This will be the pink & purple cutting beds second year. I have ordered some roses from David Austin to add to the centre of the bed – hopefully they will go in later this week. I am letting the existing perennials planted last year develop for another season before adding more to the bed. My plan is to use these four Cuttings Beds as stock beds, with any new plants I buy going in here first to get established. They can then be split and used in the main garden after they have bulked up.
-Hardy enjoying the weekend sun-
Once the roses have been planted I will move on to preparing the white bed. This will be new this year (last year I grew annuals in rows here), so I need to start with the box edging and then add some white perennials. I am planning white roses, peonies, lupins, phlox and veronicastrum as the basis with lots of white tulips and annuals. Most of these perennials are already in the garden so I can split them to get my new plants. There will be a few white dahlias, but not too many as I am not overly fond of them (funny as I love dahlias so much). For the annuals I am planning honesty, nigella, orlaya, ammi majus, foxgloves and cosmos. I might also add a couple of Hydrangea paniculata as they may enjoy the rich soil in this bed.
-Camellia Bowen Bryant-
I will post photos of these Cutting Beds as soon as the tulips start to flower – at the moment they are too bare for photos! I am so pleased to have had a day in this part of the garden. It has really got my enthusiasm going for getting the beds tidied and the seed sowing underway.
Please do post comments about your own Cutting Garden plans, or questions or suggestions for mine – I love to hear your thoughts.
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You put us all to shame!! I cannot wait to see your garden as it all unfolds!
I am keeping my fingers crossed it will look good Libby – as this is still quite a new garden to me most of my planting plans are in their infancy so I never really know what to expect. The Cutting Garden was started last summer, so is still a very new project.
I would still like to have seen a picture of your cutting beds Julie even though you think they are too bare, to get an idea of the size! I am pretty gobsmacked by what you have or plan to have in them – you will indeed have a feast of flowers. There will be little competition from my as yet unstarted (other than some seeds) cutting beds 😉
Just for you I will take pictures of them this week Cathy – at least the weeded beds! They are a good size – maybe 4m square – just remember that when I am writing about what I intend to grow I only need one or two plants of each perennial – unlike in the main garden where I would aim to have a block or wave – so I can fit more variety into a smaller space. Apart from the look of the photos I was also worried about having the DSLR around when I was doing such muddy work!
Thanks for that Julie!
Hi Julie,
I too wanted to see your garden. It sounds so exciting.
Sajina.
I have taken some photos today Sajina and will post them in the next day or two.
Not sure if this was meant for me, as this is not Julie’s blog but I commented on hers…
Hello, I have just discovered your lovely blog and its very timely for me, I am starting my first cutting garden this Spring and have a space just 4m x 4m, adjacent to my vegetable garden. I’m planning Orlaya grandiflora, Ammi majus, Calendula, euphorbia oblongata, briza, Astrantia Primadonna and a selection of sweet peas. Do you have any other suggestions. (I am not a formal flower arranger but like to plonk in a jug, so a relaxed look).
Welcome Julie & how exciting! I think if this is your first year I would keep things very simple and make sure you dead head and water regularly. I would put in a few dahlia tubers for late colour and maybe add some blue larkspur seeds as it looks so much like delphiniums. I also love cerinthe major and the salvia blue clary. They both make excellent fillers and go with almost any colour of flower you put them with. Finally I would add some cosmos – you cannot beat it for a relaxed airy look in your vases.
Thank you, they all sound lovely, good advice to keep things simple in my first year, I will definitely add some Dahlias too.
Your cutting beds should look amazing with all the different varieties you have planned – I am looking forward to seeing pictures of them as the year progresses. My own plans are very simple as I don’t have as much room as you to play with but I still get excited at the thought of sowing all my seeds in readiness.
Thank you Elaine – it is surprising how much you can grow in a small space – especially if you look after the soil well by adding plenty of compost.
I am in hospital at present so your blog is bring me much cheer. Miss my garden. Away from it for 3 months.
Oh Judy – I am so sorry you are stuck in hospital for so long and I am very pleased if my blog is able to cheer you up a bit! Please do keep in touch – you can come here for a little vicarious gardening.
Your cutting beds will look fantastic through the year with all the colour that you plan, can’t wait to see the photos!
Thank you Pauline – I am looking forward to taking the photos! Keeping my fingers crossed that it all comes together well.
Am starting a cutting patch myself this year, but dont have very much room it will be only one metre by about two metres, do you think I should stick to annuals or could I add a couple of perennials as well, if so any suggestions for anything white if possible. Thanks for your wonderful blogs, really inspiring.
In a small space my inclination would be to stick to annuals as perennials will expand in size and can quickly take over a plot. Do think about using your vertical space – sweet peas are the obvious choice, but large flowered clematis cut well and don’t take up much ground room. If you would really like to add something perennial I would suggest white scabious and verbena bonariensis (although this is purple) – both are airy plants that have a small base and the more you cut them the more they will flower.
Julie, glad you are feeling better–it’s always nice to be out in the garden. I read your cutting garden plans with interest and will look forward to following your project for inspiration in my own garden.
Thank you – I would love to hear about your plans – it is always good to be able to share ideas!
I think a cutting garden is a brilliant idea as like most gardeners I can’t bear to cut flowers from my main displays.
A good choice of plants. Ammo majus is wonderful for arrangements
Thank you Chloris – yes – you are right that it feels good to be able to pick away without worrying about depleting the garden borders. I love ammi – it seems to work with everything. I noticed today that the first ammi seeds have just germinated in the greenhouse.
You definitely sound as if you are on the mend Julie and enjoying being out in the garden again 🙂
Thank you Anna and yes – I am back to full health now, which is a great relief as there is so much to do outside now!