Welcome to the cutting garden

A small but fruitful little flower plot in Nottinghamshire

Our cut flower plot or cutting garden, is styled to fit within the setting of the house, yet inspired by rewilding in agricultural practices, so there are formal areas designed for displays, as well as a growing area reserved just for the flowers and wilder edges and shady corners.

Here we take you around the plot and how we have planted it up for the year ahead.

The Greenhouse and Polytunnel

Ultimately used to get a jump start on each season the greenhouse is often packed with seedlings most of the time. We are currently growing Matthiola incana (Stocks) in apricot and dusty pink for 2021, with our Ranunculus (Persian buttercups) and Anemone corms snuggled up for the winter - ready to plant out in spring.

The polytunnel is new to the cutting garden this growing season. The beds inside will feature some Ranunculus and Anemones and will give way to Larkspur, Nigella and some Dahlias later in the season where we aim to lift the cover on the tunnel and let the summer sunshine do it thing.

The old vegetable plot

Giving us a small amount of open space, this little area is positioned between the greenhouse and the polytunnel, allowing some protection from the wind. The soil here is heavy clay and although nutrient rich is can become claggy with water.
This year we have already planted some Cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus) and will look to direct sow some Bells of Ireland (Moluccella laevis), Calendula and Wild Carrot (Daucus Carota)

The raised apple tree bed

An experimental area for 2021. We’ve planted this up with fritillaries and some spring bulbs. Due to the amount of light the area gets we have also planted a number of young peony tubers. The area is a little windy, however peonie do like the chill, and we already have some nice pink buds displaying on the tubers. Wind defences may be part of our work in 2021.

This is a long term bed, a watch and wait, adjust as necessary, young peonies can take 2/3 years to bloom and reach their full potential - hopefully we will have a few blooms show their display in May, yet these will be protected (not cut) and grown on to hopefully flower year after year.

Pond Corner

There is no house at Pond Corner. however it is home to bamboo and some newly planted grasses. This area has a small bug hotel and its where we make our leaf mould. Fruit bushes and rhubarb can be found along the fence and we are trialling some young roses here as its protected from the wind alongside the polytunnel.

The pond itself is a small kidney shape frequented by frogs who produce a mass of frogspawn in the spring. It also provides a good bathing area for the birds and we ensure we keep a hole in the ice throughout the winter.

The medlar bed

Named after the tree at its centre (chosen as its origins were grown in Nottinghamshire) the Medlar bed is the shape of a crescent moon, allowing the sun still to reach its corners when the tree is in full leaf.

This bed is crammed full of bulbs, for the spring, as well as Crocosmia and gladioli for later in the summer. Two white roses have been placed at each point of the crescent to allow for as much light as possible.

The sunken garden

In front of the old goat shed there is a small sunken garden that this winter was planted up with some new roses. A little minature rose garden as such. Surrounding the rose is a raised bed full of ferns and herbs.

Although there is a large section of sage (purple and white) this year the aim is to refresh the herbs and create a little scented corner.

The walnut bed

Named after the large walnut tree in the edge of the bed, the walnut bed has been planted up with a variety of alliums for the summer. Alliums are a favourite at the plot, their structure and colour really act as a sign of summer. They are great as a dried flower and each year we try to include more varieties each planting season.

Next to the walnut bed is a large patio currently used as the plant nursery for seedlings and perennials that need growing on on pots. There is a fantastically large camellia bush to the back. This is a big development space this year. So keep your eyes peeled on our instagram feed!

The hot bed!

Distinctive from the palm tree that grows in the centre, the hot bed sits in full sun and is very dry. Amongst the grasses growing here is echinacea, echinops, eryngium and acanthus (grows here like a weed!) So quite a spikey bed of floral delights softened by the spread of scabious and orange lanterns.

The container garden

Surrounding the patio at the back of the main house is the container garden. I often plant my bulbs in containers for spring, refilling them with British flower seedlings such as Ammi majus, larkspur and snapdragons.

Later in the summer the containers make way for some dahlias, yet this area is ever evolving to test what grows in pots well and to grow flowers that aren’t keen on clay soils. Lavender currently edges one edge of the area adding a sweet scent to afternoon tea and a haven for bumble bees and butterflies in the summer months.