Yesterday's blog post was about garden design in general but today I want to get into the nitty gritty of actually choosing the plants you want to grow in your garden. I wanted to give you plant groupings for three different types of gardens: the fragrant garden, the cut flower garden, and the perennial garden.
Each one of these gardens can be grown in a garden bed or in a host of containers. A garden bed includes both raised beds and borders.
But first, what are annuals and perennials anyway?
Annuals
Annuals are a group of plants that have their life cycle over only one season. At the end of the season, you pull them up and will need to replant them each year.
Perennials
Perennials, on the other hand, can come back year after year. Some plants come back for decades even. They lie dormant over the winter and come back in the spring.
FRAGRANT GARDEN
As the name suggests, a fragrant garden focuses on plants that give off a rich scent. Along with the color design, and growth habit, scent can be the overall purpose and goal of your garden. For this grouping, I've chosen the color scheme of buttery yellows, white, purples and pinks.
1. David Austin Rose - Charles Darwin English Shrub Rose
2. Lavender - (Lavandula x Intermedia 'Provence')
3. Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)
4. 'Rose of Attar' scented geranium
5. Phlox 'Creme Brulee'
6. Spanish Lavender (Lavandula Stoechas 'Otto Quast')
7. Heliotrope (Heliotropium arborescens)
8. Salvia greggi 'Pink Preference'
Cut Flower Garden
A cut flower garden is what I have switched to and I am very partial towards it. I make arrangements for my home every couple of days bringing my garden inside my home with me. It's so hard to put together a specific color palette for this because I grow a lot of different colors so I always have ingredients for my arrangements. Instead, I'm going to create a grouping filled with ingredients that include: star focal flower, supporting flowers, airy accent, and textural ingredient.
1. Blizzard Dahlia - Focal flower
2. Rip City Dahlia - Focal flower
3. Cosmos Apricot Lemonade - supporting flower
4. Cosmos Double Click Mix - supporting flower
5. Zinnia 'Queen Lime Orange' - supporting flower
6. Zinnia 'Zinderella Lilac' - supporting flower
7. Yarrow 'Summer Berries' - supporting flower
8. Basil Aromatto - textural ingredient
9. Frosted Explosion Ornamental Grass - Textural /Airy accent
10. Celosia 'Flamingo Feather' - Textural
Perennial Garden
A perennial garden is the least work out of the above gardens since it does come back every year. However, that means you don't get as much variety as you do with some of the others year after year. This is a garden that doesn't require as much upkeep.
1. Begonia - this is an annual but blooms the entire season.
2. Echinacea - purple coneflower
3. Rudbeckia - Black-eyed susan
4. Phlox paniculata
5. Miscanthus grass
6. Russian Sage 'Little Spire'
7. Hydrangea 'Limelight' - loves the sun
There are an infinite amount of combinations for a garden bed. What's the most important aspect to you? Scent? Ease of care? Giving bouquets to friends?
Drop me an email or comment below about what plant combinations you are using?
