Visiting My Flower Cutting Garden
So much is growing and blooming, especially in my flower garden.
My flower cutting garden, located between my main greenhouse and my equipment barn, is only a few years old, but I am so pleased with how it is developing. Every season, I add a number of flowering plants. My gardeners, Ryan and Wilmer, carefully place and plant each specimen - taking into consideration mature plant size and growth habit. This year, we planted a lot more roses - both bushes and climbers. We also planted trays and trays of flowering cultivars that were nurtured from seed right here at the farm - all of them are thriving.
Many flowers have already opened - enjoy these photos and have a warm and memorable Memorial Day weekend.
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- My large flower cutting garden, which measures 150-feet by 90-feet, is growing more and more lush each year. I wanted the plants to be mixed, so every bed is planted with a variety of specimens. Every row of flowers is interesting and colorful.
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- Icelandic poppies, Papaver nudicaule, require very little care if they are grown in soil that drains well and gets full sun. The only downfall – poppies have a relatively short bloom span.
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- I have Iceland poppies in shades of yellow, orange and white. They come in more than 80 varieties. The flowers also attract birds, butterflies and bees.
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- The columbine plant, Aquilegia, is an easy-to-grow perennial that blooms in a variety of colors during spring. With soft-mounding scalloped leaves and delicate blossoms nodding on flower stems, columbine is ideal for borders, cottage gardens or naturalizing wooded areas.
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- There are more than 65 species of columbine, most ranging in height from one to three feet tall.
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- Here is another columbine in rich, dark purple. The bonnet-like flowers come in single hues and bi-colored in shades of white, pink, crimson, yellow, purple and blue.
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- Lupinus, commonly known as lupin or lupine, is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. The genus includes more than 200 species. It’s always great to see the tall spikes of lupines blooming in the garden.
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- Lupines come in lovely shades of pink, purple, red, white, yellow, and even red. Lupines also make great companion plants, increasing the soil nitrogen for vegetables and other plants nearby.
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- Geum, commonly called avens, is a genus of about 50 species of rhizomatous perennial herbaceous plants in the rose family, widespread across Europe, Asia, North and South America, Africa, and New Zealand. They produce flowers on wiry stalks, in shades of orange white, red, and yellow.
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- Geum is a relative of the strawberry. Its bright and showy, cup-shaped flowers appear in late spring.
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- Geum require at least six hours of sun a day, but appreciate afternoon shade. They also require moist, well drained, rich soil.
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- Chives is the common name of Allium schoenoprasum, an edible species of the Allium genus. Chives are a commonly used herb and can be found in many home gardens. I have a wide row of it growing in this garden.
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- There are numerous types of dianthus – most have pink, red, or white flowers with notched petals.
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- The dainty dianthus plant is also called Sweet William, Dianthus barbatus, and has a fragrance with cinnamon or clove notes. The plants are small and usually between six and 18 inches tall. The foliage is slender and sparsely spread on thick stems.
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- Among my favorite flowers is the peony. The peony is any plant in the genus Paeonia. Peonies are considered rich in tradition – they are the floral symbol of China, the state flower of Indiana, and the 12th wedding anniversary bloom.
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- Here is another peony just beginning to open. I have peonies in this garden, but I also have a garden filled with only herbaceous peonies in shades of pink and white. Peonies love cooler climates where they get pronounced winter chill. Some will do well in warmer areas. All are also worth a try in dappled shade.
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- Johnny Jump Ups are a popular viola. They are native to Spain and the Pyrennes Mountains and are easy to grow. Small plants produce dainty, fragrant blooms – some in deep purple and yellow.
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- Once established, these flowers grow very well, even if left unattended. Soil should be moist, but not wet, and spent blooms should be deadheaded to promote additional flowers and to keep the appearance neat and beautiful.
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- I have many roses in my flower garden. Many of them were transferred here from my home in East Hampton a few years ago. I also planted many new rose bushes and climbers this year from rose hybridizer, David Austin.
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- I have roses in a variety of colors including shades of pink, apricot, white, and yellow.
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- Violets are easy to love. They’re beautiful, fragrant, and virtually maintenance free. Violets like full sun, cool weather and consistently moist soil.
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- Comfrey, Symphytum officinale, is a tall, easy to care for perennial plant that is often grown for its beauty. Comfrey plants shoot up quickly, early in the season, and can easily reach heights of around five feet.
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- The leaves are coarse and hairy with winged stalks and stems. Flowers come in violet, pink or creamy yellow born on forked cymes. Comfrey loves full sun to partial shade.
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- Everyone loves pansies. These short-lived perennials thrive in cool weather; summer heat or prolonged frost kills them, so they are usually grown as annual flowers.
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- Anchusa is a hardy annual, biennial or perennial plant. Common names include Summer forget-me-not, Alkanet, Bugloss, Italian Bugloss, Dyer’s Bugloss and Cape forget me not. Anchusa plants have very intense flowers of deep blue.
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- Euphorbias are easy to grow perennial plants. Popular for their richly colored leaves and unusual flowers, euphorbias are an excellent addition to borders, rock gardens, and meadows.
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- Iris flowers can begin blooming in late winter to early spring. A range of varieties provide extended color in the flower bed. Iris care is minimal once the growing iris is established. I have many iris cultivars growing in the garden.
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- Iris flowers bloom in shades of purple, blue, white and yellow and include many hybridized versions that are multi-colored.
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- Here is a beautiful white iris.
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- And a collection of purple iris.
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- The most commonly planted iris in the United States is the bearded iris. Height of the bearded iris plant ranges from three-inches for the shortest of dwarf iris flowers to four feet for the tallest.
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- I love these pink and yellow iris blooms – so pretty. Irises require at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight. Some afternoon shade is beneficial in extremely hot climates, but in general irises do best in full sun.
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- This bearded iris is a deep shade of burgundy.
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- And this iris is a bright blue and white.
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- Bearded irises thrive in most well drained soils. Heavy soil should be amended with humus, compost, or other organic material to improve drainage.
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- Iris × hollandica, commonly known as the Dutch iris, is a hybrid iris developed from species native to Spain and North Africa. This bulbous iris has narrow linear green leaves and bears largish blue to yellow to white flowers.
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- We continue to plant more and more flowering plants in this garden. I will share photos as more blossoms appear. What flowers are blooming in your garden? I would love to hear from you.
Martha Pins
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