In the August 2010 Hempstead News, we referred to ideas for a cutting garden, the diary for a cutting garden reads as follows (weather permitting!):
| July | Plan where you want to put it, considering well-drained, fertile soil, easy access (you will be walking amongst the plants), sunny but sheltered site, watering facility nearby. The end result is often best where the palnts are in rows, you can walk in between them to tie up and stake, deadhead, pick, water etc. |
| September | Prepare the ground , remove weeds, turn the ground over, add well rotted manure |
September/
Early October | Plant perennials |
| November | Plant tulips if required 200cm deep. Sow sweet peas seeds or wait til Spring |
| March | Create mechanisms for tying into, stakes, frames, canes etc. And mulch round newly emerging perennials. |
| April/May | Plant annuals direct into the ground |
For planting, there are hundreds of plants to choose from, but I include some of my favourites here. Some plants are excellent for arrangements when they have dried, such as Alliums, Helipterium or Echinacea – experiment to see which you like.
| Perennials | Annuals | Foliage |
| Achillea (Coronation gold) | Amaranthus caudatus (Love Lies Bleeding) | Artemesia |
| Aconitum (poisonous) | Anemone | Asparagus |
| Alchemilla Mollis | Arctotis | Coleus |
| Alliums | Calendula | Eucalyptus |
| Alstromeria | Callistephus Chinesis (Aster) | Euphorbia (Snow on the Mountain) |
| Aster | Cape Marigold | Flowering Cabbage |
| Campanula | Celosia | Lavender |
| Carnation | Cleome (Spider Flower) | Sage |
| Centaurea (Bachelors' Button) | Cosmos | |
| Chrysanthemum, (inc Shasta Daisy ) | Dianthus | |
| Campanula (Globerata, calycanthema and Pyramidalis) | Geranium | |
| Coreopsis | Gomphrena (Globe Amaranth) | |
| Dahlias | Gypsophila | |
| Delphinium | Helichrysum (Strawflower) | |
| Dianthus, Deltoids (Pinks) | Helipterium (Everlasting flower) | |
| Digitalis (Foxglove) | Lisianthus | |
| Echinacea (Purple Coneflower) | Marigold | |
| Echinops Exaltatus (Globe Thistle) | Nicotiana | |
| Gladiolus (100 days to flower) | Nigella (Love In A Mist) | |
| Gypsophila (Baby's Breath) | Matthiola (Stocks) | |
| Helianthus | Mignonette | |
| Helemium | Molucella (Bells of Ireland) | |
| Hesperis (Sweet Rocket) | Rudbeckia | |
| Kniphofia (Red Hot Poker) | Salpiglossis | |
| Lavender | Salvia Farinacea | |
| Lobelia | Snapdragon | |
| Lupin | Statice | |
| Nicotiana (Flowering Tobacco) | Sunflowers | |
| Phlox | Sweet Peas | |
| Rudbeckia | Verbena Bonariensis | |
| Scabiosa | Zinnia | |
| Solidago, (Goldenrod) | | |
| Veronica | | |
Achillea Coronation Gold |
Amaranthus caudatus
(Love Lies Bleeding) |
Artemesia |
Aconitum |
Anemone |
Asparagus |
Alchemilla Mollis |
Arctotis |
Coleus |
Alliums |
Calendula |
Eucalyptus |
Alstromeria |
Callistephus chinesis (Aster) |
Euphorbia (Snow on the Mountain) |
Aster |
Cape Marigold |
Flowering Cabbage |
Campanula |
Celosia |
Lavender |
Carnation |
Cleome |
Sage |
Centaurea |
Cosmos |
|
Chrysanthemum |
Dianthus |
|
Campanula (Globerata, Calycanthema and Pyramidalis) |
Geranium |
|
Coreopsis |
Gomphrena (Globe Amaranth) |
|
Dahlias |
Gypsophila |
|
Delphinium |
Helichrysum (Strawflower) |
|
Dianthus, Deltoids (Pinks) |
Helipterium (Everlasting flower) |
|
Digitalis (Foxglove) |
Lisianthus |
|
Echinacea (Purple Coneflower) |
Marigold |
|
Echinops Exaltatus (Globe Thistle) |
Nicotiana |
|
Gladiolus |
Nigella (Love In A Mist) |
|
Gypsophila (Baby's Breath) |
Matthiola (Stocks) |
|
Helianthus |
Mignonette |
|
Helemium |
Molucella (Bells of Ireland) |
|
Hesperis (Sweet Rocket) |
Rudbeckia |
|
Kniphofia (Red Hot Poker) |
Salpiglossis |
|
Lavender |
Salvia farinacea |
|
Lobelia |
Snapdragon |
|
Lupin |
Statice |
|
Nicotiana (Flowering Tobacco) |
Sunflowers |
|
Phlox |
Sweet Peas |
|
Rudbeckia |
Verbena bonariensis |
|
Scabiosa |
Zinnia |
|
Solidago (Goldenrod) |
|
|
Veronica |
|
|
| 