Designing my Garden as a Floral Artistry

Garden-Led Floral Design

There's something magical about having a little plot of land, no matter how big or small, to call your own. To be able to watch it throughout the seasons, beautiful in all of the big, brilliant blooms of summer as well as the stark, barren barks of winter, it never ceases to amaze me at the brilliance and magic of nature. In my work

For me, the garden has always been a place of inspiration for my floral design work. Those floral art installations you see at events, with flowers flowing down, those are all inspired from naturally rambling roses, clematis and honeysuckle that we, as floral artists, have stored away in our inspiration buckets and used at weddings, special events, etc. In my creative practice, it all starts with viewing the garden as art. 

The Garden as Art: A Creative Process

Since the garden has always been an overflow for my creative brainspace, I wanted to start sharing my process there more, especially since I view it as a blank space to be flowered similarly to an artist looking at an empty canvas. So, here in end of January, it's the perfect time for me to share the planning process for my artist's garden as we creep towards spring. 

Planning My Cutting Garden

I'm gonna be talking a lot about my garden in the blog over the next months, as I'm designating an area to specifically be a cutting garden for my floral work for the first time. When I envision my garden at this stage, it's a lot about creative direction in my own space. I'm asking myself, "What does that empty corner need?" "How would that look over there?" "What would make my garden a creative retreat space?"

Even though I've been a gardener for years, this is the first year I have an active goal of growing flowers for a cutting garden that I plan to use in my floral designs. A good place to start is always a sketch, so I've been working on filling in existing plants, and finding the optimal spot for full sun raised beds in my backyard. 

The huge ice storm that just tore through Nashville unfortunately took a huge portion of a River Birch tree out, and as of now, I'm not sure exactly how much of the tree will have to get cut back. There could be a bright side to this, of a lot of new full-sun area in the backyard once the tree company finishes work. 

My Garden's Color Palette via Floral Choice

This is the tricky part for me.  I wish I could try to grow EVERY flower, lol. But, unfortunately, I don't have a garden the size of the Biltmore Estate with a greenhouse and staff to monitor it all, lol. I've been looking through all the seed catalogs coming in, and gotten a for now list together of my dream florals to have right outside in my cutting garden to work with. I'm choosing based on my growing zone, ease of growth, and what varieties I gravitate towards using in my floral designs anyhow. 

Planning the garden by color palette, texture, shape

I'm trying to focus this down to 5 varieties, but on my short list of seeds to get right now are: 

• Delphinium / espuela de caballero
• Foxglove / dedalera
• Snapdragons / boca de dragon
  
• Chrysanthemum (Aster) / crisantemo
• Feverfew / matricaria
• Scabiosa / escabiosa
• Daucus / zanahoria silvestre
• Cosmos 
• Marigold / calendula, cempasuchil
• Sweet peas / guisante de olor
• Sunflowers / girasoles
• Zinnia

Flowering Perennials: Recurring florals as artistry in the garden

Typically, when I'm picking perennials for my garden, I go heavy on the roses and flowering perennials that will give me a lot of years of beauty and growth. Tennessee's growing zone has been officially changing recently, and the state now ranges from 6a to 8a, meaning there may be some varieties that are now hardy in my area! 

I'm still trying to decide if the cutting garden will have any perennials, or if it should be all annual focused. That would allow me to revive the soil each year between growing seasons, if they are annual blooms. For now, though, here are the perennials I'd like to add to the garden in other areas this year: 

• 2nd lilac bush
• Climbing or rambling rose for the front fence
• New wisteria planted closer to my pergola
• Coneflower for the front garden

Why Raised Beds?

Any gardener or farmer knows that a lot of soil issues can be solved with a raised bed, as well as issues with space. For me, I have a LOT of that awful crabgrass in my area, that is really strong and tricky to get out once it gets it's suckers into an area of the yard. I'm hoping to use the Hugelkultur method, and use composted yard waste from over the winter as the base for my raised beds, then fresh dirt on top. Hopefully the frames for the raised beds will help it all to just stay in place well, and prevent crabgrass from being able to get into the tops of the beds. 

My Go-To Resources for Planning an Artist's Garden

I'm approaching the garden as a floral creative director. Color palette is foremost in mind, especially what choices I make with color in my floral design work day to day. I want the same shifts in color an tone in the garden as I have in my fine art floristry. The planning phase is all fun and dreaming, just as when I'm designing for events. As I'm getting this year's garden plan pulled together, I've got color inspo, seed catalogs and reference books all spread out on the table at the same time as my sketchbook, lol. It's a big, beautiful mess! Several go-to's that I'm using for inspiration, planning and logistics are: 

1. The Flower Farmer by Lynn Byczynski: an excellent book to have on hand for gardening in general, but focuses in on how-to of growing and selling cut flowers. Lots of details on varieties to choose, bed building and more!
2. Seed & Flower Bulb catalogs!!! My faves are: 
   1. Eden Brothers
   2. Johnny's Selected Seeds
   3. John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds
   4. David Austin Rose Catalog
   5. VanEngelen Flowers
3. Monty Don's YouTube channel!!! Always an amazing source of inspiration for home gardens. 

What's Next?

Can't wait to share more with you! If you're enjoying the blog and interested in working with me on a floral project, get in touch today!

xx
Meg