Scissors, paper and glue are all you need to get your brand new patch planned out
Think in manageable squares as even a small piece of ground can make you feel unsure where to start. For the sake of easy maths, I divide my patch into squares of 25x25cm. So my 2x2m plot becomes a grid of eight by eight squares. I draw this out on a piece of paper as a start. Next I look through my list of flowers and note the recommended planting distances (see our pull-out chart on page 34). Now I have the idea of what will fit in a grid square.
With something as large as a dahlia – at least 45cm between plants – I’ll have to give it four squares all to itself, whereas a panicum seedling will only need one square. Once I’ve done this for all my plants, I go for an old-school scissors and glue approach and cut out squares and play around until they fit my grid. Once the grid is complete, I can see where everything will go and how many of each plant I need. This is my plan for the coming summer:
Focal flowers
DAHLIA
4 plants = 16 blocks I can’t get enough of dahlias and have fallen head over heels for the fashionable ‘Café au Lait’. I have space for four (around a quarter of my patch), so I’m plumping for two dinner-plate size ‘Café au Lait’, the spiky apricot ‘Henriette’ for a different shape and texture (highly recommended as a partner for ‘Café au Lait’) and finally ‘Karma Choc’, as I like the idea of a dark red velvety contrast in my vase – and something that looks rich and dramatic on its own, too.
Supporting flowers
SWEET PEAS
12 plants = 4 blocks I’m trying some mixed pastels plus ‘Mollie Rilstone’ – a rich cream with a pale pink frilly edge – recommended by Erin at Floret Flowers. These will be the tallest flowers I grow and need a wigwam of sticks. I’ll use six sticks and plant two seedlings at the base of each. I may smuggle in a few extras as I've learned what striking foliage they add to a bouquet. Cut before they flower, they’ll trail beautifully.
ZINNIA
4 plants = 4 blocks
I’ve chosen lime green as it works well with any other colour. All zinnias have a tremendous vase life and look interesting at different stages of opening.
COSMOS
6 plants = 8 blocks
A must, as they’ll keep on flowering through the summer and beyond to give me both flowers and impressive feathery foliage. ‘Purity’ is my tried and trusted variety. Grown through net to support them (see page 122), I can get six plants into a space o
