WE E LN CO OM MN Y R VEA TTOI O
KITCHEN GARDEN
Sustainability reaches further into how we are enhancing what we learnt during the Covid pandemic when many of us began kitchen gardens. The drive to be self-sufficient is set to grow even stronger this year
Duncan Guy shows off some of the fruits of his labour.
BY DUNCAN GUY
in
THE VICTORIAN era, in order not to deplete the ornamental gardens of wealthy land owners, separate areas, usually walled, were set aside for cut floral material to decorate their stately homes. In many of today’s properties, where garden space is limited, borders would quickly become depleted if plants were picked for floral work. The answer is to set aside part of your garden as a cutting garden where you can grow your favourite flowers for the vase.
THE RIGHT PLACE The cutting garden is a functional garden where appearances are not important; where seasonal annuals, perennials and bulbs are grown in a variety of colours, shapes and textures. Screen the area from the rest of the garden with shrubs for picking that can also act as a windbreak. A trellis screen can be both decorative and practical as support for climbing roses,
clematis and sweet peas. There is a wider choice of plant material if the cutting garden gets five to six hours of sunshine a day, with easy access to beds and water. Soil should be free-draining with generous amounts of compost and a slow-release fertiliser to keep plants healthy through the season. Refresh the soil when planting new crops. A grid of squared wire stretched across plants and
Pelargonium leaves make attractive edgings for posies and table arrangements. Pictured, Pelargonium exotica ‘Tricolor’. PICTURE: LUKAS OTTO
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