Get to growing garden goodies grow a long way in the beautification process of the spring flower and vegetable garden.
Planting cool and warm season crops in the South is common practice with many farmers and gardeners who believe Good Friday to Easter represents a symbol of fertility and rebirth.
Get to growing garden goodies inspiration often comes from a flower or vegetable garden sight to behold.
House & Garden Magazine is a phenomenal source for lawn & garden inspiration, and it is my pleasure to share these enchanting examples.
English cottage gardens visually fascinate me.
At our last house I designed and planted a small cottage garden, and although small in size, it commanded a large presence among the total landscape.
Osmanthus Tea Olive Shrub with White Fragrant Flowers
Planted in the garden right outside our bedroom window was a sweet olive tree.
Fragrant scents floated through the late afternoon into evening air, making spring into summer deck sitting times an aromatherapy session of sorts.
fragrant
adjective
having a pleasant scent or aroma; sweet-smelling; sweet-scented:
a fragrant rose.
delightful; pleasant:
fragrant memories.
In regards to planting your own English cottage garden, there’s no need for a large parcel of land or sprawling estate.
Better Homes & Gardens offers plans for creating the perfect cottage garden suited to your taste, zone, and design vision.
Here’s the link: Garden Plans for Cottage Style
Illustrations by Mavis Augustine Torke
Aim to create a quaint garden space rich in color, fragrance, and charm.
The design objective of the cottage garden is refined undesign.
“I am rooted, but I flow.”
— Virginia Woolf
Quote means something altogether different, but I thought it fit the occasion.
Laying out the design of a cottage garden is similar to styling a coffee table.
High, medium and low is a working concept with considerations to factor in.
When I’m styling a coffee table I sit down on sofa, chair, etc… and choose the primary sight line.
X marks the center spot- the prime location for a medium or low height object placement.
Outer areas balance the method with graduated heights to continue the flow, theme, and visual engagement.
Color bursts runs intertwined in greenery grandeur.
Mix and mingle annuals with perennials, textures and patterns, the shabby with the chic.
Contrast produces an informal, romantic, distinctive and visually pleasing aesthetic.
Weave unique planters, chippy garden statues, and accents of interest throughout.
When planting and placing, work with the design rule of odds.
Groupings of three or five fashion the essential casual yet elegant design concept of the cottage garden.
Fencing of wood, iron, or hedge complete the desired intention of creating an intimate space.
Montebello Wrought Iron Garden Edging
Knockout roses.
Climbing roses.
“There is simply the rose; it is perfect
in every moment of its existence.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
Thankfully, the ice storm spared both the flowering quince and azaleas.
Did you know azaleas are classified as an evergreen shrub?
Harsh winter weather was cause for concern with so many of our plants and shrubs; however, these Southern Indica azaleas are rated for down to zero degrees Fahrenheit.
Spring’s in full bloom gift graces the vases and tabletop places in the home.
Our Deep South planting soil to temperature zone indicates the essential need for particular plants to be planted in the ground and growing by Easter in order to be strong enough to survive the heat of this region.
Some planting zones, climates, and soils ready for spring gardening quicker than others.
My steadfast rule and suggestion to fellow gardenistas is to first consult a zone map to know the best time for planting vegetables and/or flowers in your part of the world.
Two gardening go-to sources I consult is the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map and the Louisiana Vegetable Planting Guide from the LSU AgCenter.
In this area April is the time for planting eggplant, okra, squash, cucumbers, peppers, snap and lima beans.
Based on information gleaned from a host of gardeners in the know, azaleas, jasmine, viburnum, camellias, and flowering quince are prime for pruning as soon as they finish flowering.
What, how, and when to cut back to promote new growth is a question for our local extension service- a get it growing source of valuable lawn & garden information and get it growing tips.
Beauty and the bee is all the buzz, and you know I’m all about the theme.
Marble Honeycomb Salad Servers
Antique Royal Bayreuth Bavaria Pumpkin Tomato Creamer
Pass the buttermilk dressing.
Outdoor Throw Pillow in Bee Script
Outdoor spaces decked (porch or patio) out in color, texture, and pattern invite the look of the season to sit in style for awhile.
House & Garden – Photo by Johannes Mueller
Crisp lettuce.
Leaf Lettuce “Tom Thumb” Seeds – Butterhead
Home-grown tomatoes.
Beefsteak Heirloom Tomato Seeds
Fresh from the garden vegetables deliciously complement spring and summer grill it up favorites.
There’s a whole host of reasons for gardening.
Gardening is:
Therapeutic.
Relaxing.
Visually gratifying.
Expresses creativity.
Early spring is an excellent time to plan, plant and Easter parade your flower and vegetable gardens accented with get to growing garden goodies.
