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ENGLISH COTTAGE GARDENS
This garden has been designed to be low maintenance, easy care
and provide a succession of blooms from early summer through
fall.
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Placement map |
No. of Plants |
Description |
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1 |
2 |
Delphinium (Delphinium elatum) |
|
2 |
3 |
Yellow Perennial Foxglove (Digitalis grandiflora) |
|
3 |
3 |
Hollyhock (Alcea rosea) |
|
4 |
1 |
Heavenly Blue Morning Glory (Ipomoea) |
|
5 |
1 |
Cosmos (Single Sensation Mixed Colors) |
|
6 |
1 |
Monarda (Bee balm) |
|
7 |
1 |
Gloriosa Daisy (Rudbeckia hirta) |
|
8 |
1 |
Nicotiana (Dwarf Domino Red) |
|
9 |
1 |
Nasturtium (Alaska) |
|
10 |
1 |
Maiden Pinks (Dianthus deltodes) |
|
11 |
1 |
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) |
|
12 |
1 |
Early Sunrise (Coreopsis grandiflora) |
|
13 |
1 |
Dwarf Sunflowers (Sunset) |
|
14 |
1 |
Parsley (for Black Swallowtail butterflies) |
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15 |
1 |
Buddleid (Butterfly Bush) |
SOIL PREPARATION
If you're beginning a new garden in an area that is now lawn,
you'll first need to eliminate the grass. Do not power-till the
grass into the soil, or the grass roots will return as weeds
in your flowerbed. It's better to remove the sod entirely, using
a rented sod-stripper or a spade. Be sure the soil is moist,
but not wet or soggy, when you begin working. To mark the circle
Place pole or stick in the center of the circle. Tie a string
toward the bottom of the pole approximately 2 1/2 feet in length.
Pull the string taut and using garden lime or spray paint draw
a circle by moving in a circular direction while holding the
string. This should make a 5 foot circle. Use a spade or a half-moon
edger to cut down into the sod along the lime marker. Then begin
to strip off the sod with a spade by angling the flat end of
the spade's blade just under the grass roots and pushing with
your foot. Slice off the sod in easy-to-handle sections. You
can add the sod to your compost heap where it will quickly rot,
or replant it elsewhere. After the sod is gone, dig into the
soil as deeply as you can with one spade depth or 1 1/2 feet-using
a power tiller or a shovel or spade to turn it over. Loosening
the soil creates a fluffy soil that's easy for roots to penetrate.
With clay soil, you might want to loosen the soil down deeper
with a garden fork. Push the fork into the subsoil and rock it
back and forth without turning the soil over. Spread organic
matter (rotted manure) in a 2 to 6 inch deep layer over the surface
of the loosened soil. Then mix it all into the top 1 foot of
soil, and smooth the soil with a garden rake.
Well prepared soil gives perennial plants the best start possible
- they'll send deep down roots and grow into healthy specimens
that will bring you pleasure for years to come. Because perennials
live so long, you won't get another chance to work the soil this
deeply unless you renovate the entire bed, so take this opportunity
to create the best soil possible.
When planting the birdhouse garden, work from the center outward
to avoid trampling the plants. Anchor the pole into the ground
at least 3 feet. Use 3/4 inch galvanized plumbing pipe and attach
a galvanized flange to the bottom of the birdhouse and screw
onto pipe. The pole will stand 8-12 feet above the ground. You
will need a pole at least 12 feet in length (i.e. 3 feet underground)
and 8-9 feet above. You can find this at any hardware store.
To save time I recommend a time released fertilizer that you
use once (Osmocote vie or Once) and it will continue to fertilize
up to 9 months. Dig the hole for each perennial. Place a heaping
teaspoon of fertilizer at the bottom of each hole. The roots
of the plants will be on top of the fertilizer. Water well. (Remember
to place plastic markers to identify plants).
I do not recommend mulch because some of
the flowers will go to seed and fall into the soil and come back
again next year. If mulch is present the plant will not be able
to reseed (i.e. Sunflowers, Cosmos, Nicotiana, Nasturtium and
Morning glory). In the fall you will find that the birds love
the seeds from these flowers. Allow the flowers to go to seed,
do not cut down the plant as it allows a perch for the birds
to land upon while feeding.
You'll notice pods on the Morning glories and Nasturtium, tuck
some of the seeds into the soil around the same area and they
will likely grow again next year. Do the same with the seeds
from the Cosmos, Nicotiana and Sunflowers -allow the seeds to
shake down under the plant and land on the soil. Over the winter,
rake leaves as usual and place several inches over the perennials
to provide a protective mulch for all the other perennials (tuck
in around the dried flower stalks to hold in place) that will
return next year. The following year in April after the last
snowfall, remove the leaves by hand to not disturb some of the
annual seeds from taking root. Cut down dead flower stalks and
discard. Sprinkle time released fertilizer on top of soil, about
one heaping teaspoon per plant. Water well and enjoy for another
summer! Picking flowers for beautiful bouquets will encourage
more blooms
EXTRA TIPS
Cutting Foxglove and Delphinium before going to seed will promote
another bloom.
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