Best strategy for “cutting garden” in small space!

[Anonymous]

I have a full-sun area about 7 feet by four feet that is now just gravel with dirt underneath. Against a fence. I would love to use this space to grow as many bright, showy “cutting” flowers as possible.

My dream is dahlias, peonies, irises, cosmos but it seems like some of these take up too much space...

Trying to figure out a strategy that would maximize the space. Would you dig out a traditional bed? Have a tall raised planter in back and lower planters in front? Appreciate any suggestions.

[Anonymous]

I'd probably forego the Peonies and irises, and focus on plants that bloom longer term. The bloom periods of peonies and irises are very small, and they will occupy a disproportionate amount of the tiny space you have.

[Anonymous]

What other flowers would you suggest? I guess I’m looking for tall and skinny… echinacea?

[Anonymous]

It’s not really the size, it’s the brief period of bloom. Irises and peonies bloom for a week or two, but something like cosmos, zinnia, dahlias will bloom for months if you keep harvesting them.

[Anonymous]

I grow about 100 dahlias every year, in the ground, in containers, wherever there’s an ounce of space. I have a small yard. They give you a lot of bang for the buck. Perennials have defined bloom periods, annuals will go from spring to frost.
Zinnias, marigolds, sunflowers, snapdragons and Mexican sunflowers also do great. My neighbor grows the most beautiful gladioli. He plants bulbs every few weeks so he has non-stop flowers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What other flowers would you suggest? I guess I’m looking for tall and skinny… echinacea?

Gladioli.

[Anonymous]

This is wonderful advice, thank you. I didn’t realize annuals would bloom so much longer? (I tend to think of annuals as all those begonias in rows)

In terms of maximizing the physical space, any thoughts on bed v planters?

[Anonymous]

Bed will get you more blooms because you have more space, more access to soil nutrients, more soil moisture, etc. Plants in pots need a ton more fussing than plants in the ground. I am a very good gardener and I don’t do pots. Too much fussing when they could take care of themselves, instead.

[Anonymous]

Is that true for annuals as well as perennials ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is that true for annuals as well as perennials ?

Yes. Pots require a lot more upkeep.

[Anonymous]

You can do containers as long as they’re big enough. The main challenge will be to keep them properly watered. I put down slow release fertilizer (Osmocote) twice a season.
Follow Claus Dalby on Instagram if you want some container eye candy.

[Anonymous]

OP back. PP, I absolutely love Claus Dalby and how he arranges his pots! I discovered him through an interview on the Floret blog.

Also love presenter Nick Bailey’s all container “border” https://www.instagram.com/p/CrGtyJDKlNS/?img_index=1

I also happen to just love pots. Bergs, Whichford, etc. The problem is the ones I can afford are too small to grow enough of the flowers I seem to want for cutting. So I’m deciding between huge plastic containers, raised wooden boxes and beds

[Anonymous]

Orlaya and annual phlox (drummondii not paniculata) start out short but with repeating cutting get taller.

Frankly just for ease (and, increasingly, color palette) I am not without zinnias in my cutting garden.

Next year, if you can get a narrow gauge trellis and can amend the soil with a lot of aged manure or compost, sweet peas aren’t all that difficult. They don’t like wind though, are heavy feeders and peter out in the heat so maybe they’re too fussy.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I’m in dc and produce a decent amount of compost each season but have never tried manure. I adore sweet peas and am willing to try! Do I buy it at a farmers market? Thank you for these wonderful ideas!

[Anonymous]

OP, keep in mind that if the fence is wood, the purpose of the stone border is to protect the fence from rot.