Lessons Learned From a New Garden

A young gardener shares what’s working and what needs a new approach

My name is Hayden Brown , and I am a 28 - year - sometime gardener in Hillsboro , Oregon , Zone 8 .

Having acquire up on a farm , gardens and the open were a vast part of my puerility . I was often task with weed the vegetable patch and spread mulch , so it was a particular treat to accompany Grandma to local garden club meetings where there were few pot and a tidy sum more flowers .

But it was n’t until my husband and I purchase our own half - acre dimension that I really became serious about gardening . What started as a meek interest in thecottage gardensI saw in my favorite British television receiver shows became a full - blown compulsion .

In the crepuscule of 2020 , after months of preparation and planning , I plant my very own cottage - style garden . It ’s now been one year since planting , and I ’ve been think over on what I learned and how I would do things differently in the future tense .

Here are some photos of my process — both successes and failure , and some before and after .

One area is a 60 - infantry by 30 - animal foot corner that I planted in the declension of 2020 . I pass the year prior collecting hundreds of plant life by way of press clipping and divisions from friends , startingperennials from source , and plant barter .

The other section is a 20 - foot by 30 - foot plane section in front of our 80 - year - oldgreenhouse . This space is dedicated tocut efflorescence , and I finish off the cottage garden palpate with a path made of repurposed brick .

What I love most about this garden is all thewildlifeit attracts . Goldfinches , juncos , chickadees , and hummingbirds are a constant presence , and I ’ve seen more variety show of bees in my garden than anywhere else .

There are sure plant that have pulled their weight for calendar month on end . Yarrow(Achillea milifolium , Zones 4–8 ) is one of these . It started blossom in other June , along with poppies(Papaverrhoeas , annual ) and foxgloves(Digitalispurpurea , Zones 4–9 ) , then blended absolutely withconeflowers(Echinacea , Zones 4–9 ) and salvias(Salviasp . ) after in the summer .

Alliumsare another favorite . The first ‘ Purple Globe’(Allium‘Purple Globe ’ , Zones 3–9 ) started bloom in early spring , followed by arresting white ‘ Everest ’ ( Zones 4–9 ) , then finish with ‘ Millenium ’ ( Zones 5–8 ) . The seed heads add interest after the color has passed .

Lessons learned

Mulchin the fall . When I planted everything in the fall , I assumed that since it was a newfangled garden , I would n’t have very many problems withweeds . Turns out that ’s not the case . I emphatically should have mulched last fall , so this class I ’ll be sure to add a thick layer to help block out the weeds .

strong-growing self - seeder . My initial architectural plan was to let plantsself - seedas they desire . I really wanted that bungalow garden tone ! But now I ’m face with yard of niggling seedlings ; the poppies , foxgloves , nigella , andsunflowershave much taken over . I ’ll be a little more discerning next year and cut off seed heads before they overwhelm the garden .

occupy in opening . Since my garden is young and I did n’t require to overcrowd , there are peck of gaps between perennial . While I mixed in a fewannuals , I regret not adding more . Where there ’s a gap , a Mary Jane will grow !

Successes

Color all time of year . A day has n’t go by since April without lot of blooming in the garden ! My planning pay off . The layers ofbulbs , perennials , and annuals guarantee constant people of colour .

Few problem with pests / diseases . My destination is to garden without the habit of sprays and chemicals , so from the beginning I focalise onattracting good insectsandbirds . When we first buy the belongings a few years ago , I had major problem withaphids . By induce the garden an invite place for wildlife , now I have zero major problems withpests !

What’s next

Now that one street corner of my property has been transformed , I ’ll tackle another plane section . All year I ’ve been call for plants for my new prairie - styleornamental grassborder . shortly I ’ll start the whole mental process again and begin tearing out the lawn , amending the soil , and — my favorite part — planting ! !

Poppies ( Papaverrhoeas , yearly ) blossom in front of yarrow .

Fading allium seed head with regal coneflowers ( Echinaceapurpurea , Zone 4–9 )

Purple coneflowerswith blueEchinopsritro , Zones 3–8

slow planting produce a lavish , cozy , cottage - garden face .

Towering sunflowers ( Helianthusannuus , annual ) fend out in this planting .

Furry garden helpers

Columbines ( Aquilegiavulgaris , Zones 3–9 )

Peonies ( Paeoniahybrids , Zones 3–8 ) show off in saltation .

tall sunflowers in the middle of a dense garden bed

magniloquent spires of foxgloves ( Digitalispurpurea , Zones 4–9 )

Lawn out , richcompostin , Modern spaces getting quick for plant !

you’re able to see more of Hayden ’s garden on her instagram@theperennial.victorian

white poppies with purple flowers behind

Have photos to deal ? We ’d love to see your garden , a finical aggregation of plant life you love , or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit !

To submit , broadcast 5 - 10 photos to[email protected]along with some data about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos . We ’d hump to find out where you are located , how long you ’ve been garden , success you are proud of , loser you learned from , hope for the future , favourite works , or funny taradiddle from your garden .

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close up of flowers

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pink flowers next to blue flowers

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tall sunflowers in the middle of a dense garden bed

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