This Week’s Finds

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After an abundant June in the garden, with a symphony of colors and scents, and plenty of blooms to pick – peonies, lupine, iris and delphiniums – the garden is experiencing a dip in productivity, as am I. The Shasta daisies and echinacea are the only flowers going strong right now, attracting some of the most gorgeous butterflies I have ever seen. Some as big as the palm of my hand. The limelight hydrangeas have been rather shy bloomers this year and are taking their time forming their frothy panicles. Just when I thought my hydrangea luck had turned. 

Not surprisingly, some of my most peaceful moments this month have been spent in the company of The Land Gardeners and their course on Cut Flower Gardening offered by Create Academy. It has been an inspiring experience, one that has taught me a lot about designing a flower bed that will provide armloads of blooms throughout the seasons – a wonderful perk considering the amount of time, effort and money gardeners invest into their gardens each year. I’ve also learned to be less shy myself when it comes to cutting flowers. Rather than hurting the plant, picking blooms actually encourages plant growth. Better to pick than deadhead. 

As I am reaching the end the course, my mind is buzzing with ideas about new plants to bring into the garden, plants I’ve never even considered or heard about, as well as ways to improve soil quality. Ours is a compacted, heavy clay in desperate need of amendments, made worse by the heavy rainfalls of this summer.

But before I can bring new plants in, I must carve out the necessary space for them to thrive. In the past, I’ve made the mistake of crowding plants and, while some enjoyed the competition, some – the most delicate ones – did not do so well. So, inspired by Henrietta and Brigitte of the Land Gardeners, I’ve been slowly implementing their advice and refining plans for larger flower beds that will allow sufficient room for plants to mature and come into their own. 

The romance of old world cottages and the appeal of an English cottage garden have guided my gardening efforts lately. There’s nothing quite as charming as a crisp white picket fence for structure, fragrant roses and blousy flower beds overflowing with scents and color and wildlife.  Bird feeders, bird houses and teepees offer focal points, and the opportunity to observe nature up close. We’ve had so many humming birds romancing our hostas that I’ve decided to embrace this New England staple and add more throughout the garden. Luckily, they need dividing every couple of years, so if you or a friend have some, it’s an easy and cost-effective way to attract wildlife and pollinators.

So, on the theme of summer gardens and gardening, here are this week’s finds:

A Year of Cut Flowers with Create Academy and The Land Gardeners 

A detailed review of this lovely class to follow soon, but if you’re intrigued and would like to start learning about cut flower gardening right away, Cafe Design readers get a 15% discount using the code cafedesign15 at checkout. The discount  code applies to all Create Academy classes, not just this one.

Bird feeders & Bird Houses 

I’ve been very happy with our bird feeder – we got this one from Easy – and am looking for a companion bird house for a different part of the garden. In case you, too, are looking to add some cottage garden charm to your yard, with a bird house or a feeder, I highly recommend this Etsy shop: 

Amish Home Decor

Copper Roof Bird House

Large Victorian Bird House 

Large Copper Roof Bird House, Amish Handmade

Cedar Obelisk

Terracotta pots are an eco-friendly (not to mention beautiful) alternative to the plastic planters we see everywhere these days. Here are a few lovely ones which, if you care for, will last you for years to come. 

Fluted Edge Terracotta Pot – small

Fluted Edge Terracotta Pot – 6.75″ Tall