Planning Your Garden (for beginners)
Stop putting off your garden plans and get growing already!
Planning Your Garden (for beginners)
“This is the year”, you tell yourself. “I’m finally going to plant that garden I’ve always dreamed of.”
But the same thing happens every year. The more you think about putting in a garden… the more overwhelmed you become.
“How big does it need to be?”
Where should I put the garden?”
“What if I do something wrong?”
“Where do I even start?”
And just like that, your dream of a garden… it’s pushed to the back burner. Again.
But not this year. ;)
Over the past 18 years, I’ve created dozens of new gardening/growing areas and I have a few tips and pointers that can save you time, and reduce the confusion and overwhelm.
Let’s get you started so you can make that garden dream come true!
Location, location, location
The first thing to consider is location. This can make or break your gardening success. When surveying your site, here are some things to look for:
Full Sun: most veggies and cut flowers need 8+ hours of sun.
Access to water: you’ll likely need to water at least once a week, so make sure it’s easy and convenient to get water to the garden.
Good soil: avoid heavy clay or dry sand if possible.
Not all hope is lost if these things are unavailable to you.
Perhaps you have a neighbor or relative who would allow you to use part of their land.
Maybe you could rent a plot at a community garden (and make some new friends!).
If your soil is terrible, you could always build raised beds and bring in new soil.
Mapping your space
Once you’ve chosen a good location, measure your space and start mapping it out on paper. Start small, especially if you are a beginner.
It’s better to start small and learn as you go, instead of biting off way more than you can chew and getting discouraged.
I started my gardening journey 15 years ago with a 10’x10’ garden and so can you!
Personally, I’m a fan of 3’ wide raised bed gardens with 3’ pathways/aisles between beds.
You can get as nerdy as you want here. Some people are happy with simple sketches, others prefer to bust out the graph paper and the ruler. Ultra nerdy folk (like myself! Ha!) may even use software or spreadsheets to create a map. Do what makes sense for your brain and personality.
Below, I created an example of a cutting garden made up of three 3’x12’ raised bed gardens. This size garden is manageable, yet productive.
Deciding what to grow
I understand, friend. When you look through the seed catalogs, you want to grow ALL THE THINGS.
But again, I will suggest you start small. Learn to limit yourself.
CONSTRAINT IS THE SECRET TO SUCCESS!
Every single plant (veggie, flower and fruit) has slightly different growing requirements and it can be tricky to master them all at once. Many people try to do too many things at once, get overwhelmed and frustrated… then quit.
Constrain yourself and commit to 5-10 new plant species each season. Within 5 years, you’ll have mastered 25-50 different plant species! Your skill level will grow each season as you increase your confidence.
Here are a few cut flowers that are beginner-friendly:
For more ideas, read “5 Easy to Grow Cut Flowers for Beginners” and “My Top 10 Favorite Cut Flowers”.
Even better, enroll in “Cut Flower Confidence”, my mini-course designed to help you decide WHAT to grow in just 1 afternoon! It’s jam-packed with printable guides and spreadsheets to help you make a rock-solid plan that works for YOU.
Putting it all together
Once you have your garden map drawn out and have decided what to grow, it’s time to figure out how many seedlings/plants you can fit in your garden.
You can find the plant spacing information either on the seed pack or the plant label for any potted plants you may purchase.
Hint: If you’re planting cut flowers, you can take the spacing requirements as suggestions. I normally plant cut flowers closer together than advised, since tight planting encourages the flowers to grow longer stems.
Once you have your plan, it’s time to start turning your dream into reality.
There are several different ways to physically create your garden. In this blog post, “How to Create a New Growing Area”, I show my favorite method for creating new gardens. We’ve used this method multiple times and it works great.
Need more help? Check out the “How to Grow” series on the Three Acre Farm blog page to learn more about growing specific cut flower varieties.
Happy planning (and planting), friend! I can’t wait to see what you grow this year.
-Lori
READY FOR MORE?
If you’re serious about growing the garden of your dreams this year, register for my online course, “Backyard Cutting Garden 101”.
You’ll find everything you need to plan, grow, harvest and arrange your stunning blooms.
I can’t WAIT to help you grow! Click on the button below for all the details.
How to Start Seeds
Ready to start your own plants from seed? Read on!
How to Start Seeds
Ready to take your gardening to the next level?
Learning how to grow your own plants from seed is fun, rewarding and great therapy during the cold winter/spring months! Green growth is good for soul!
At first, growing your own seedlings may seem intimidating and difficult. Let’s face the harsh reality:
You WILL kill some plants.
Plan on it.
Expect it.
And when it happens… try again!
Don’t feel bad - it happens to everyone.
In this blog post, I’ll help set you up for success. You’ll stumble along the way and make mistakes, but it’s ok. This is how we learn!
We’re going to cover 4 main topics in the blog post:
Supplies You’ll Need (What)
Location Requirements (Where)
Timing of Sowing (When)
Method for Seed Sowing (How)
It never ceases to amaze me that that these tiny seeds turn into….
…. these incredible blooms!
Supplies You’ll need
Seeds: you can find some great cut flower options HERE.
Seed trays or “cell packs”: something to grow the seeds in. You can purchase new trays or reuse “cell packs” from plants you’ve purchased at a nursery.
Tray: to hold the seed trays or cell packs and prevent water spills. “1020” trays work great.
Dome lid: to help retain moisture and aid germination
Seed Starting Mix: “Potting soil” is ok, but try to find something specifically for seed starting. It’s finer and easier to work with. Scroll down to see some suggestions in the photos.
Plant ID marker/stick and Sharpie marker: so you don’t forget what you planted! I use wooden craft sticks and write the name and date with my trusty Sharpie.
Heat mat: to aid germination.
Light: a bright, south-facing window or artificial light, like a shop light with fluorescent or LED bulbs. PLEASE do not overcomplicate this part. People get all in a tizzy about having the “right” lights! If you are growing the plant for its ENTIRE LIFE CYCLE under artificial lights, of course, you’d want to invest in top-quality lights. But your seedling will only spend a few weeks under lights… so just get some lights. It really doesn’t matter what kind!
Location Requirements
It can be tricky to find the right place to start your seeds, but most people are able to find small space that can be used for a couple of weeks.
Please don’t overthink this or feel like it needs to perfect or pretty. Just take a look at my seed starting space! It works, despite crumbling stone walls, stink bugs and spiders. ;) Can you find all 3 of my seed starting buddies in the photo?
We start nearly all our seedlings in our basement under grow lights. When the weather begins to warm up (mid April), we begin transferring the trays to our solarium attached to the south side of our house, where the seedling will live for another month until it’s warm enough to plant outdoors (mid/late May).
Here are some things to look for:
Adequate Light: If you can’t use a south-facing window, or don’t get enough natural light in your climate (a real problem here in cloudy Michigan!), you will need to use artificial lights. Insufficient light will produce leggy, weak plants. The plants need about 16 hours of strong light each day. Again, do not overcomplicate this part. If you are growing the plant for its ENTIRE LIFE CYCLE under artificial lights, of course, you’d want to invest in top-quality lights. But your seedling will only spend a few weeks under lights… so just get some lights. It really doesn’t matter what kind!
Warmth: Many seedlings want to grow in conditions between 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit. While the basement may seem like a good space, many basements are too cold and the plants will grow very slowly. This can be overcome by leaving the plants on a heat mat to provide supplemental warmth.
Air Flow: If the space does not have good air flow, a small fan can provide the necessary air movement to prevent disease problems.
Safe from Pets: This can be a real issue! Cats love to lay on heat mats and flatten your tender seedlings (ask me how I know this. Ha!). They might even think your seed trays are litter boxes. Eek! Dogs may like to eat the soil.
Proximity to Water Sources: You will need to water your babies frequently, so be sure they are in a location that has easy access to water… or else you’ll get lazy and won’t water them enough (oh, is that just me?).
Timing of Sowing
It’s important to know your Average Last Spring Frost Date. Do a simple web search to find the Average Last Spring Frost Date in your area.
This is the date when it’s safe to plant most flowers, veggies and herbs outdoors. If you plant outdoors before this date, you risk losing your plants to a late spring frost. (There are some plants that are “hardy” or “frost tolerant” that can be planted out before this date. Check the seed packet to be sure.)
While it seems counterintuitive, err on the side of sowing seeds a bit later rather than earlier. Seeds that are sown too early can result in plants that are rootbound and stunted or may try to bloom at 2 inches tall. Eek!
Here are some rough guidelines/suggestions for commonly grown flowers, veggies and herbs. You may need to experiment to find the correct timing for your climate.
8-10 Weeks before Average Last Spring Frost
Carnation
Feverfew
Onion/Leek
Pepper (Hot or sweet)
Sweet William
Yarrow
6-8 Weeks before Last Average Spring Frost
Bells of Ireland
Delphinium
Herbs (perennial types, like chives, oregano, sage, thyme, etc)
Poppy
Sweet Annie
4-6 Weeks before Last Average Frost
Ammi (False Queen Anne’s Lace)
Bachelor’s Button
Basil
Broccoli
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Forget-Me-Not
Kale
Lettuce
Marigold
Morning Glory
Sweet Pea
Tomato
2-4 Weeks before Average Last Spring Frost
Cucumber
Melon
Nasturtium
Pumpkin
Squash
Watermelon
A mid-April view of our solarium attached to the south side of our house. Most seedlings are started in the basement, then transferred here to grow for another month before being transplanted outside in mid/late May.
Method for Seed sowing
Moisten seed starting mix until it’s damp but not soaking wet. I like to pour mine into a big Rubbermaid tote and mix it with water in the tote.
Fill your seed trays or cell packs with the seed starting mix. Tap it gently on the ground a few times to make sure it settles. Add more, if needed.
Carefully sow 1-2 seeds per cell, paying attention to the instructions on the seed pack. As a general rule, most seeds are buried twice as deep as they are in size. So for example, a tiny seed like Snapdragon will be barely covered by a sprinkle of soil, while a larger seed, like a Zinnia will be buried about 1/4 inch deep.
Gently tamp down the soil, to make sure the seeds are in contact with the soil.
Place the seed tray or cell pack in a tray and cover with a dome lid.
Place tray on a heat mat… then wait! Seeds can take 3-28 days to germinate, depending on type. Be sure the soil never dries out by using a spray bottle or “bottom watering”. Here’s how to do it: Fill the tray with water every other day (or as needed) and allow the seed tray/cell pack to wick up water for a few hours, then remove and discard the extra water. Do not leave the seed trays/cell packs in standing water.
When most of the seeds have germinated, move the tray to a warm, brightly lit place (window or artificial light). Seedlings need 16 hours of light to grow properly. If using lights, be sure to lower the light (or raise the tray) so the lights are hovering 2-3 inches above the seedlings. This helps prevent “leggy”, stretching seedlings.
Monitor your seedling every single day. The soil should never dry out completely. You’ll likely need to continue bottom watering until the seedlings are sturdy enough to handle overhead watering from a watering can.
About 2 weeks before planting your babies outdoors, begin “hardening them off”. This is the process of acclimatizing your seedlings to a new environment. On day 1, bring them outside for 1 hour, then bring them back inside. On day 2, bring them outside for 2 hours, then bring them back in. Continue this pattern, increasing the time they spend outdoors each day for about 2 weeks.
Now they are ready to plant! Tuck those babies into the ground, preferably on a cloudy cool day to minimize “transplant shock”. Be sure to water them thoroughly after planting and keep them well watered for the next 2 weeks while they establish a robust root system.
These tiny seedlings transplanted in mid May turn into….
… this in mid July!
Not sure WHAT plants to grow in your Cut Flower Garden?
There are so many choices!
And what if you choose the wrong ones and waste your precious time, energy and MONEY?!?
Imagine if:
You could follow a simple, step-by-step process to determine exactly what to grow.
You didn't have to wallow in overwhelm and indecision.
You could feel confident about your flower choices and have everything you need for beautiful bouquets.
With Cut Flower Conference, you’ll learn how to create your custom Growing Plan. You’ll conquer the overwhelm so you can get growing!
Each lesson in Cut Flower Confidence contains a powerful worksheet, guide or template to help you choose the best flowers for YOU.
The Secret for Stunning Bouquets
Creating beautiful bouquets is simple when you have these 3 ingredients.
The Secret for Stunning Bouquets
“When you plant a cut flower garden, be sure at least 1/3 of the plants in the cutting garden are grown for foliage/greenery.”
When I read this years ago, I scoffed at the idea. Yeah right. What did this person know? I wanted to grow a FLOWER garden, not a bunch of boring foliage and greenery.
I went ahead and planted the garden the way I wanted to… because I’m stubborn like that and think I know better than everyone else. Ha!
By mid-season, I was sheepishly standing in my garden with a bunch of Cosmos, Zinnias and Sunflowers, but sorely missing what I needed to make the beautiful bouquets I had imagined myself crafting.
It was a humbling moment… but my daughter and I were having fun and learning.
My bouquets were pretty uninspiring and quite honestly… they looked like something my 5 year old daughter had thrown together. ;) They were a mish-mash of whatever I could find, no structure or design. One of this, one of that… an eclectic, hodge-podge mix.
I’d started growing flowers with the intention of sharing them… but I was embarrassed by my frumpy bouquets that were obviously missing something (they were missing a LOT, actually). I knew I had a lot to learn!
I want to make sure this doesn’t happen to you, friend! I’m going to teach you a simple formula to make sure your “bouquet dreams” match your “bouquet reality”.
THE PROBLEM
It’s SO EASY to page through all the seed catalogs and go ga-ga over the big beautiful blooms… and completely overlook the vital elements you need to craft truly stunning bouquets.
Most new growers go for big and flashy flowers. I get it. The Zinnias, Dahlias and Sunflowers are show stoppers. No wonder they demand all our attention! We can’t take our eyes off of them!
But those flashy flowers alone aren’t enough to give us the full, lush look we’re going after.
We need more. But what?
THE SOLUTION
I like to keep things SUPER simple. When we create bouquets and arrangements at Three Acre Farm, we divide the ingredients in 3 basic categories:
1/3 Focal: The main flowers that capture the most attention.
1/3 Filler: The other flowers that compliment the Focal flowers
1/3 Foliage: The greenery that creates the foundation for the Focal and Filler flowers
My daughter and I taught a class about this topic at Fredrick Meijer Gardens over the summer (she’s all grown up now!).
The audience was delighted when they saw how easy it is to create a beautiful bouquet when you have all your ingredients divided into 3 buckets/categories:
One for Focal flowers
One for Filler flowers
One for Foliage
When my daughter and I make our bouquets together, we begin by pulling out our buckets of Focal, Filler and Foliage “ingredients” to make our bouquet recipe.
We lay all the “ingredients” out in front of us, just like the “mise en place” (French for “put in place”) concept of cooking/baking, which means everything is prepped and ready to go (stems have been stripped of leaves, rubber bands are ready, paper bouquet sleeves are set out, buckets for bouquets are prefilled).
We move down the workbench building the bouquets assembly line style, starting with Focal, adding interest and volume with Filler, and finishing with Foliage.
FOCAL + FILLER + FOLIAGE = COMPLETE BOUQUET
Most beginner growers make the mistake of only growing Focal flowers. They wonder why their bouquets look nothing like the full, lush arrangements they see on Pinterest.
My goal today is to teach you how to show some love and appreciation for the Filler and Foliage ;)
Let’s explore these 3 ingredients and how they work together to create lush, full bouquets.
*NOTE: These are “loose” categories and some plants can actually fit into multiple categories, depending on their size or stage of harvest.
FOCAL FLOWERS
Focal flowers are the big, flashy flowers that everyone loves to drool over. Because they are so big and bold, you’ll only need a few Focal flowers in your bouquet.
Examples of Focal flowers:
Dahlia
Lily
Peony
China Aster
Dahlia
Lily
Peony
Sunflower
Zinnia
FILLER FLOWERS
Filler flowers don’t get enough credit! The word “filler” makes them seem insignificant, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Filler flowers complement and enhance the Focal flowers and make up the bulk of the bouquet. We grow entire fields of Filler flowers to make sure we have enough.
Examples of Filler flowers:
Ageratum
Ammi (False Queen Anne’s Lace)
Ageratum, Amaranth, Ammi (False Queen Anne’s Lace), Celosia
Cosmos, Globe Amaranth, Salpiglossis, Scabiosa
Snapdragon, Statice, Stock, Strawflower
Field full of Filler Flowers
FOLIAGE
Foliage is structure, the foundation that supports the bouquet (figuratively and sometimes literally).
If you ever look at a bouquet and think “Something is missing…”, 9 times out of 10, it’s missing Foliage. The Foliage enhances the beauty of the Focal and Filler flowers.
Examples of Foliage:
Assorted Shrubs/Bushes/Trees (Baptisia, Eucalyptus, Ninebark, Sem False Spirea, Smoke Bush, Spirea, Viburnum, etc)
Herbs (Lemon Basil, Lemon Balm, Mint, Oregano, Sage, etc)
Ornamental Grasses (Frosted Explosion, Green Drops Grass, etc)
Scented Geranium
Shrub (Sem False Spirea)
Herb (Lemon Basil)
Peppergrass
Ornamental Grass (Frosted Explosion)
Scented Geranium
Buckets of Focal, Filler and Foliage prepped for our Stunning Centerpieces Class
Want to learn how to choose the best Focal, Filler and Foliage to grow in YOUR garden?
Join “Cut Flower Confidence” , where you’ll learn to use my exclusive D.R.E.A.M. Framework to choose the best cut flowers for YOUR skill level, YOUR climate and YOUR resources.
USING THE 1/3 RULE TO PLANT YOUR GARDEN
This Focal + Filler + Foliage Formula is not just for bouquet making.
I use this same formula for selecting seeds and planning my garden layout… AND YOU CAN TOO!
Plant 1/3 Focal flowers
Plant 1/3 Filler flowers
Plant 1/3 Foliage
When you’re paging through your seed catalogs and eagerly circling all the Focal flowers… I’m here to gently remind you to put down the Sharpie, friend, and start considering some Filler flowers and Foliage too ;)
I know, I know… growing Filler and Foliage isn’t as exciting as growing the Focals… but TRUST ME. Your future self will be so glad you had the forethought and wisdom to do it anyway.
GET STARTED
Now it’s time for you to get to work!
1. Read this blog post again to make sure you understand the importance of “Focal, Filler and Foliage”.
2. Start your seed/plant “Wish List”, divided into 3 categories: Focal, Filler, Foliage.
3. Order your seeds and get growing!
READY FOR MORE?
If you’re serious about growing the garden of your dreams this year, but you’re confused about what Focal, Filler and Foliage options to choose…
Then you need Cut Flower Confidence! It’s packed full of lessons, printable resources, spreadsheets and more to help you decide WHAT to grow, so you can build beautiful bouquets! Click the button below to get started today.
2024 Potager Garden Report
We built a Potager Garden! Read about it here!
This past summer, we created a Potager Garden at Three Acre Farm.
Over the growing season, I posted loads of photos and updates on my Instagram Stories, with the promise that I would eventually share a detailed Blog post illustrating the process of creating, building and planting the Potager Garden.
Ready to learn about the Potager Garden?
Let’s begin!
Warning: This is a LOOOOOOOOOONG post with lots of photos. ;)
August 17, 2024
WHY WE BUILT A POTAGER GARDEN
Before we started Three Acre Farm in 2017, we were homesteaders.
Homesteading has many definitions, but for us, it meant growing as much of our own food as possible. I trained as a Master Gardener and learned how to grow dozens of different fruits and vegetables. It was a full-time job managing my garden during the growing season!!!
Half of my original vegetable garden back in 2015 before I started Three Acre Farm
When I started flowering farming in 2017, working for Three Acre Farm became my full-time job… and I could no longer homestead and manage my giant vegetable garden. After years of neglect, we abandoned my old vegetable garden. It was just too much work.
Neglected vegetable garden. So sad! This is the space we transformed into the Potager Garden.
But I couldn't imagine life without a vegetable garden. Just like many of you, gardening is my hobby.
After a long day of farming, I look forward to spending time relaxing in my garden!
So we begin to reimagine what a “hobby” vegetable garden could look like for me…
I wanted it to be smaller, more manageable and most importantly, I wanted it to be BEAUTIFUL.
I wanted it to be a space of refuge and relaxation to help me unwind from the stress of farming.
I wanted it to be a place to nourish my body, mind and soul.
WHAT IS A POTAGER GARDEN?
I began researching different types of gardens and came across the concept of the “Potager Garden”.
“Potager” is a French word that literally means “for the soup pot”. It’s pronounced po-ta-jé.
These types of gardens are sometimes called “Kitchen Gardens”, since they are:
often planted close to the kitchen, almost as an extension of the home
full of veggies, fruits, herbs and flowers for the kitchen table
Another distinguishing feature is the emphasis on symmetrical design, a tradition that goes back to Medival times. Not only do these gardens value “function” (producing food), but they also value “form” (design, layout, aesthetics, beauty, etc). In other words, the perfect intersection of function and form, which is the ultimate goal in design.
I purchased the book “Designing The New Kitchen Garden” by Jennifer R. Bartley and I was absolutely mesmerized by the history, design concepts and functionality of the Potager Garden (I believe this book is out of print, so check your local library).
Fantastic book that includes the history of Potager Gardens
DRAWING THE PLANS
It took me about 2 years of sketching, dreaming and scheming to finally come up with the final plan for my new Potager Garden.
In the end, I went with a design that focuses on a central element (the fountain), 4 smaller beds and 4 larger beds.
Original Sketch, complete with coffee stains and dirty finger prints ;)
The inner smaller beds are 4’x4’.
The outer “L”-shaped beds are also 4’ wide but we adjusted the length on some of them to accommodate the grape arbor that would be installed at the entrance of the garden.
The entire garden is roughly 40’ x 40’.
We had a list of “must-have” elements to consider:
Proximity to the house. Ideally, I’d be able to walk out to the garden and harvest herbs and produce while cooking dinner.
Full sun and fertile soil
Spacious layout (we made sure we could easily navigate wheelbarrows around all the beds)
Raised beds made from long-lasting materials (we chose Oak beams. My husband found someone on Facebook Marketplace selling rough-sawn beams)
Central water source
Vertical elements, such as arches and obelisks to create a “garden room” space that would feel 3 dimensional
A fountain. It’s so soothing and relaxing to listen to the fountain while working in the garden!
BREAKING GROUND & BUILDING DREAMS
In Michigan, where I live, most people plant their vegetable gardens in mid May.
Springtime on a flower farm is absolutely INSANE and we knew there was no way we’d be able to get the Potager Garden built in time for May planting.
So we decided to wait until AFTER the majority of the farm planting was done to begin working on the Potager Garden.
This means that construction started around late May and planting began in mid-June, about a month late.
1st Bed being constructed on May 27, 2024
2nd Bed construction on May 30, 2024
My birthday is in May. All I wanted for my birthday was a fountain for my garden… but they are quite expensive! My husband, the “King of Facebook Marketplace Finds”, found this used fountain for me for my birthday. It doesn’t look like much when it’s in pieces but it’s beautiful when it’s arranged!
Sorry, I can’t tell you where to buy a fountain. You’ll likely have to look locally, as they would be incredibly expensive to ship.
The fountain!
As soon as John finished the outer beds, he began filling the beds for me so I could get plants in the ground ASAP. I was chomping at the bit to get my tomatoes and peppers planted!
He filled the raised beds “lasagna style” with a mix of the following ingredients:
Sand - for drainage. We used sand from our property, since our farm’s “soil” is pretty much like sand box sand ;)
Old leaves - we keep a gigantic pile of old leaves for planting and mulching, because leaves are INCREDIBLE organic matter
Native Soil - when we took apart the old vegetable garden, we set the soil aside to create the new Potager Garden beds
Goat & Chicken Compost - we keep goats and chickens on the farm. Their manure and bedding is composted for about 2-3 seasons before we use it. This stuff is BLACK GOLD and plants love it.
Leaf Mulch - we keep separate piles of old leaves. After 2-3 seasons, it breaks down into beautiful light airy mulch, full of beneficial bacteria, minerals and organic matter
Woodchip Mulch - our local arborist/tree trimmer drops off loads of chipped leaves, branches, trees
Filling beds on June 8, 2024
Putting Tomatoes and Peppers in on June 12, 2024.
The woodchip mulch on top serves 3 purposes:
Conserves moisture. They help keep the soil from drying out in the hot sun.
Weed deterrent. Bare soil WILL grow weeds, so always keep the soil covered with some sort of mulch
Soil Improvement. As the chipped twigs, leaves and woodchips slowly break down over the years, they add fertility to the soil and improve the soil structure.
Once I finished planting the outer beds in mid June, we started working on the inner beds and the bed for the fountain. During this time, we did a lot of walking around the garden, feeling it out, to make sure we left enough space between beds for wheelbarrows, benches for sitting, etc.
It looks like we could have made the pathways smaller, but by the time the garden was fully mature, I was SO GLAD we’d left more space!
Setting up the inner beds on June 20, 2024
The inner beds on August 26, 2024. Good thing we left enough space between the beds!
By June 27, we finally had most of the plants in the garden beds. It was finally time to start making the garden look pretty. We spent a lot of time weeding the pathways, then putting down a thick layer of mulch.
Some people may choose to lay down stone or pea gravel, but I prefer the look and feel of woodchips. We may add stepping stone or brick paver pathways some day… but for now, woodchips fit the budget ;)
Mulching the pathways on June 27, 2024
Even though we planted this garden 4-6 weeks late, we were SHOCKED at how quickly it grew. I was always worried about getting my garden in too late, but now I know better. Planting a few weeks before the Summer Solstice is fine! The long sunny days help the plants grow fast!
VERTICAL ELEMENTS IN THE GARDEN
Since this new Potager Garden was much smaller than my previous gardens, I wanted to make use of all available space to grow… so that meant growing UP! Instead of OUT.
I made use of vertical elements in a couple different ways:
Cattle Panel “walls” - I’ve been using this method for growing cherry tomatoes for years. We purchase “cattle panel” fence panels from our local Tractor Supply Co and secure them to rebar stakes driven into the ground. This trellis system creates a “wall “ of tomatoes.
Obelisks - these metal trellis structures are great for climbing plants.
Cattle Panel Arches - We used the 16’ long cattle panels from TSC and bent them into arches between the beds. We simply zip-tied or wired them to rebar stakes.
CATTLE PANEL “WALLS”
Cattle Panel “walls” on June 25, 2024. Cattle panel secured to rebar or t-posts using Velcro or wire. Cherry tomato plants are trained to grow on the wall using clips.
“Wall” of tomatoes in the outer beds by August 3, 2024.
GARDEN OBELISKS
Garden obelisk on July 10, 2024
Same garden obelisk on August 26, 2024
CATTLE PANEL ARCHES
Cattle Panel arches on July 2, 2024
Cattle Panel arches on July 17, 2024. Look at how much the plants grew in 2 weeks!
Tomatoes growing on cattle panel arches
PLANTS FOR THE POTAGER GARDEN
As a Master Gardener and flower farmer, I’m well aware of the rules about “plant spacing”. This refers to how much space should be left between plants.
Well, in the case of the Potager Garden, I completely ignored proper plant spacing and stuffed as many plants as I could in the beds. Ha!
I wanted to garden to feel lush, overflowing and abundant.
And it certainly did! It also led to a few issues, such as shorter planting being crowded out by taller plants and my tall plants getting SO big that their supports collapsed under the weight of them. Oh well!
Since I’m no longer homesteading and trying to grow our own food, I could be a little more discriminating in what I decided to grow. This garden is for feeding the body, the mind and soul… not just the body.
Mostly, I wanted to grow the ingredients for my favorite summer food, this AMAZING Cucumber Salsa. So naturally, I grew a lot of cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and herbs.
Just for fun, I planted a wide variety of vegetables, herbs and flowers in the Potager Garden.
Basil
Tomatoes
Jalapeno Pepper
Lettuce
Mouse Melons (Cukamelons)
Nasturtium
Nicotiana
Parsley
Poblano Peppers
Pole Beans
Scarlet Runner Beans
Sorrel
Swiss Chard
Thyme
Verbena
Verbena
Here are some of the notable standouts, in no particular order.
Swiss Chard - When I designed the garden, I envisioned beds with colorful Swiss Chard spilling out of them. The reality exceeded my fantasy! Even when the rest of the garden died after the frost in mid-October, it still looked amazing. Swiss Chard is gorgeous, productive, tasty, cold-hardy, heat-tolerant and long-lasting. I harvested it from June - December. What’s not to love?!?
Cucumbers - I’ve been growing the Japanese variety called “Shintokiwa” for a few years now and I’m convinced it may be the BEST cucumber ever. I harvested for over 3 months from the same 6 plants. You can find the seeds at Nature & Nurture Seeds in Dexter, MI.
Nicotiana - This beautiful blooming plant was super popular with the hummingbirds. I love coming out to the garden each morning to watch the hummingbirds feed.
Lettuce - Marvel of the Four Seasons. This delicious lettuce is more heat tolerant than most types of lettuce. It’s great for spring, summer, fall or winter growing. It truly IS a marvel!
Verbena - These violet blooms are loved by pollinators.
Tomatoes - I’ve tried dozens of tomatoes over the last 20 years and here are my favorites: The Bumblebee Cherry Series (Pink, Purple and Sunrise), Growing in Place (currant type from Nature & Nurture Seeds), Early Detroit (from Nature & Nurture Seeds) and Cherokee Purple.
Nasturtium - I planted these along the edges of the beds so they would spill out. They added so much whimsy and playfulness to the garden!
Gorgeous Swiss Chard
Nicotiana, Verbena and Zinnias… a pollinator’s paradise!
An eclectic mix of flowers, herbs and vegetables
“Growing in Place” tomato plants. Only 2 plants were grown on this arch! They are prolific!
A GARDEN FOR ALL FOUR SEASONS
What I love most about the Potager Garden is the structural elements.
Unlike a tilled-up patch in the dirt that looks nice for just a few months (a traditional garden), a Potager Garden has year-round appeal.
Because the beds are permanent, the Potager Garden can become a home for perennial herbs, flowers and vegetables.
The structure of the garden is pleasing to the eye, no matter what season or what is growing (or not growing) in the garden.
Spring in the Potager Garden
Summer in the Potager Garden
Fall in the Potager Garden
Winter in the Potager Garden
WHAT’S NEXT
We still have quite a bit of work to do to “complete” the Potager Garden project, including:
Fencing it in so my chickens don’t eat all my tomatoes ;)
The glass greenhouse featured in so many of these photos needed to be removed. We built a new garden shed and that will need to be incorporated into the Potager Garden.
Adding a few more small beds to the west for perennial herbs (in front of the new garden shed).
Rebuilding the grape arbor and training the grapes to grow on the Potager Garden fence.
Adding more vertical elements, such as a cable system suspended over the garden to encourage birds to linger in the garden (and eat all the pests that try to eat my veggies!).
But that’s the joy of gardens… they are always a work in progress, never fully complete.
They are full of endless opportunities for change and growth!
I hope you enjoyed this report on the Potager Garden.
I’m sure I’ll be adding more updates in the future!
-Lori
Winter Sowing
Dreaming about spring? It’s time to start planting your “cold hardy” annuals!
Winter Sowing
[Note: This post introduction was written on January 22, 2019]
When I woke up on Monday morning, it was -9 degrees Fahrenheit.
Yup. -9.
And guess what? I planted seeds on Sunday. In the middle of the winter.
No, we don’t have a heated greenhouse and no, I’m not growing the seeds indoors with grow lights.
Instead, I’m using a seed-starting method called “Winter Sowing”.
What is Winter Sowing?
Winter Sowing is a method of starting seeds in the winter that does not involve a greenhouse, heat mats or grow lights. This is a fantastic method for people who are tight on space and don’t have room to start seeds indoors.
Winter Sowing is just like it sounds - sowing seeds in the winter! As a general rule, you can begin Winter Sowing around the Winter Solstice (Dec 21) up until early March, depending on where you live.
Here is the basic concept:
1. Choose seeds from plants that are “cold hardy” (I’ll provide a list below). These are often plants that fall into the category of “Hardy Annual”, “Biennial” or “Perennial”.
2. Find a plastic container, such as milk jugs, soda bottles, lettuce “clamshell” containers, vinegar jugs, deep foil pans with clear lids, etc. Tall containers will need to be cut into 2 pieces, so you can access the bottom.
3. Poke drainage holes in the bottom of the container.
4. Fill the container with potting soil and sprinkle seeds on the potting soil.
5. Put the lid/top back on and secure it with duct tape. Make sure there are vents for air to escape and rain/snow to enter.
6. Place the containers in your backyard… and wait until spring!
Dara (Chocolate Lace Flower) is a great winter sown cut flower.
Why Winter Sow?
Depending on where you live, cold hardy annuals are planted either in the fall (climates with mild winters) or the spring (climates with harsh winters).
Hardy annuals are best grown as spring or fall flowers. They do NOT like heat and start to decline and die when temperatures rise in the summer.
In my climate (Zone 5b), it’s too cold to plant some hardy annuals in the fall.
If I wait until spring (March 21 - June 21) to plant the seeds, there isn’t enough time for the plants to grow and bloom before the heat of summer is upon them! Here in Michigan, it’s not unusual for the weather to fluctuate 60 degrees in a matter of weeks (or days!).
By Winter Sowing the hardy annuals, it means I have sturdy seedlings ready to go in the ground in early spring… which means I can get the plants to bloom BEFORE the sweltering heat of summer.
Winter Sowing is also a great way to use up “questionable seeds”, the ones you’ve had lying around for a few years and wonder if they are still good. You really don’t have much to lose… and lots to gain if they DO germinate!
IMPORTANT NOTE: Many people contact me in the middle of winter and ask why their winter-sown seeds are not germinating yet. Please note that winter sowing allows the seed to germinate, on its own, at the RIGHT TIME. The main point of winter sowing is tapping into the freeze/thaw cycles that help to break open the casing on the seeds.
Trust the process. The seeds know when conditions are right. You’ll likely notice the seeds begin to germinate when spring bulbs (daffodils, crocus, tulips, etc) begin to emerge.
“Green Mist” Ammi (False Queen Anne’s Lace)
“Cold Hardy” Plants
Not all flowers are a good candidate for Winter Sowing. Generally, it’s best to skip the heat-loving Annuals, like Sunflowers, Zinnias, Celosia, etc. and start those from seed when the weather warms up.
Be sure to look for clues on the seed pack, words like:
"hardy"
"direct sown as soon as the soil can be worked"
"direct sow in early spring"
"chill seeds before sowing"
"can withstand frost"
These are often plants that fall into the category of “Hardy Annual”, “Biennial” or “Perennial”.
Below is a list of “cold hardy annuals” that are good candidates for Winter Sowing. This list is by no means exhaustive!
If you notice certain flowers in your garden tend to “reseed” themselves or “self-sow” year after year, that is a clue that they might be good for Winter Sowing.
Corn Cockle (Agrostemma) performs best when winter sown.
Love-in-a-Mist (Nigella) is a great spring cut flower
Keys to Success
Basically, the containers are “mini-greenhouses” that will provide your seeds with the right conditions for germination.
There are a few keys to success here:
Drainage holes in the bottom
Clear or opaque plastic that allows light to enter
Vented top/lid to allow HOT air to escape and allow rain/snow inside. On a sunny day, your “greenhouses” will heat up quickly. Overheating/lack of adequate venting is the #1 reason why winter sown plants die - they can fry in hours, unless properly vented. Use a knife to poke holes or cut out vents. If using milk jugs, vinegar jugs, soda bottles, etc., simply remove the cap.
Adequate potting soil to retain moisture. You’ll need about 3-4” of soil in each container. Too little soil, and you risk the seedlings drying out quickly on a hot day.
Yarrow is a lovely addition to the cutting garden
“Mystery Rose” Chinese-Forget-Me-Not (Cynoglossum) is a beautiful spring flower
Preparing for Winter Sowing
Here is what you need to get started:
Cold hardy annual seeds
Winter Sowing Containers (milk jugs, vinegar jugs, soda bottles, salad clamshell containers, etc.)
Potting Soil (You should be able to find “Seed Starting Mix” at your hardware store)
Scissors or X-acto Knife
Screwdriver or nail for poking holes in bottom
Sharpie marker or labeling marker
Labels (Popsicle sticks, plastic plant markers, etc.)
Duct Tape
![20200115_100517[1].jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/582b872529687fd6acb7423d/1579104698078-YOW1FO1PR4H56IV4E86X/20200115_100517%5B1%5D.jpg)
Here is how to prepare a milk jug Winter Sowing Container:
1. Poke holes in the bottom of the jug for drainage.
2. Cut the container open, leaving a small section intact, so the two halves are still attached, but you can open up the jug.
3. Fill the bottom half of the jug with 2-4 inches of damp potting soil. Gently tamp it in place.
4. Sprinkle your cold hardy seeds on top of the potting soil. For small seeds, simply press the seeds into the potting soil to ensure good contact. For larger seeds (like sweet peas), sprinkle some additional soil on top of the seeds and press gently.
5. Put the two halves of the milk jug back together and duct tape the halves in place.
6. REMOVE THE CAP from the milk jug. This is the vent that allows hot air to escape and rain/snow to enter
Use the same method for others jugs/bottles. For clam shell containers (pictured below), simply poke drainage holes in the bottom and cut vents in the lid.
Getting ready to Winter Sow some Bells of Ireland seeds!
Put Those Babies Outside!
Once you’ve planted your seeds in your Winter Sowing containers, now comes the easy part!
1. Place the milk jug outside in a place sheltered from the wind (so the jug doesn’t blow away) that receives sunlight.
2. Avoid placing the containers next to the house or under eaves, where rain could pour down and damage or flood the containers.
3. Check on your containers periodically. You want to make sure the containers do not dry out. If the soil is dry, drip a bit of water in the container or heap some snow on it.
Bells of Ireland seeds outside
4. Waiting is the hardest part! You may think your experiment has failed, but trust that those seedlings will emerge at just the right time. The constant “freeze/thaw” activity helps the seed casing to break down and allows the seed to germinate. You may find seedlings popping up around the same time you notice tulips and daffodils coming to life.
5. As the seedlings grow and temperatures rise, you may need to add more ventilation. Frying your seedlings is the biggest threat at this point. They need to stay cool. Those mini greenhouses get hot!
5. Once your seedlings are sturdy and have 2-3 sets of leaves, AND your soil is thawed enough to work with, you can begin transplanting your babies out into the big wide world! By this point, they should be properly “hardened off” (acclimated to outdoor conditions) and ready to go!
6. If you sowed your seeds thin, you can “prick” out the individual plants and transplant them. If you sowed your seeds thick, you may end up with a “clump” of seedlings (often happens with tiny seeds, like these poppy seedlings). No worries. I use a clippers to cut the clump into “hunks o’ seedlings” and plant an entire hunk.
I cut this clump into small hunks and planted a hunk in each hole.
Within a month or two, the seedling grow and look like this!
Hope this was helpful! Happy Winter Sowing!
Ready for More?
If you’re serious about growing the garden of your dreams this year, register for my online course, “Backyard Cutting Garden 101”. You’ll find everything you need to plan, grow, harvest and arrange your stunning blooms. I can’t WAIT to help you grow! Click on the button below for all the details.