Hello GPODers! If you’re social media savvy and your IG page is filled with gardens that make you say, “How do they do that??” you might recognize today’s poster, Valerie or @cottageandblossom. Today we’re taking a look at her enviable greenhouse and gorgeous cutting garden:
We built our greenhouse/garden house 2 years ago. Shortly after completing the project, we had a storm in the fall that knocked down 7 mature maple trees in our yard. We then erected two retaining walls and built a cutting garden on the side and back where it is now sunny.
Last year was my first year growing cut plants and I grew everything from seed and also used dahlia tubers. I was blown away by what I created from just seeds. The garden was dominated by zinnias, dahlias, cosmos, sunflowers, crimson string beans on the trellis, watercress around the base of the flowers and hydrangea bushes along the fence.
I also grow grass, onions and some climbing plants in the greenhouse such as grapevines, climbing hydrangeas and ivy.
Thanks a lot!
Great moment when your plants blend with the sky! The sunset makes for a spectacular scene in this photo, but Valerie’s garden has competition for the money.
Another sunset a little earlier in the season, but the garden still had beautiful colors and textures (I love foliage so the fewer flowers didn’t bother me).
A closer look at Valerie’s raised bed garden reveals the richness and attention to detail. Building some raised beds is really as simple as loading up a truck with lumber or buying a quality tool kit. However, by really thinking about the placement and arrangement of your raised beds, you can create an efficient space that looks great and is fun to work in.
Because who wouldn’t want to spend all day harvesting and weeding this space?
Before the harsh Canadian winter sets in, Valerie’s picturesque greenhouse is the perfect place to admire the chrysanthemums and other last flowers of the season.
Even as the season passes and the colors begin to fade, there is still much beauty to be seen from Valerie’s porch.
A garden staple, Valerie has had a great year with her Zinnias. It appears to be a cross between ‘Zinderella Peach’ (zinnia ‘Zinderella Peach’, annual) with common zinnia (zinnia elegantannual).
Purple and green is one of those color combinations that almost never goes wrong. Alliums pair perfectly with variegated hostas and get an extra pop of color from pale pink columbines.
A greenhouse that’s even more beautiful on the inside than the outside I know I just said I’d be spending the day toiling away in Valerie’s garden, but she might have to drag me out of her greenhouse first!
Thanks for sharing your wonderful garden with us, Valerie! Be sure to follow her on Instagram: @cottageandblossom
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