Written by: Bex Partridge
Planting a cutting garden for drying is much easier than you'd imagine. Now is a great time to get planning to ensure you have bountiful blooms for drying later in the season.
With the weather becoming more and more unpredictable, with cold springs and heavy rain throughout the winter and subdued temperatures in the summer, I've begun to shift my focus away from annual plants towards perennials when it comes to the garden. Perennials by their nature are hardier and more reliable than annuals, as well as offering beautiful, interesting textures and tones to work with. A perennial cutting garden also offers us year round interest in the garden in a way that annuals simply don't.
When planning my perennial garden I will consider the location of the site, for example I'm surrounded by trees in my garden here in Devon so I will look at light levels and choose plants that can handle a little shade. Other factors to consider to help you decide which plants are right for your garden are your soil type (heavy clay here!) as well as the impact from any prevailing weather. Living on top of a hill means we are continually buffeted by strong westerlies so I introduce grasses to sit alongside my perennials to offer them structure and support when the winds are blowing.
I will also pay attention to the shapes of the flowers and grasses. I'm interested in sculptural heads of flowers and seed heads coupled with the flow of ethereal grasses to complement and soften. This applies to both whilst the plants are growing in the garden and then also when they are to be worked with. When it comes to knowing which plants will dry well, this all comes down to experience and experimentation. From early summer right the way through to the end of November I'll be cutting stems to bring inside to dry. Most grasses will dry really well and with perennials it is worth considering them for both their flower heads and latterly their seedheads. Make notes of picking times and how they dried so you can remember for following years. I will always leave a few flower stems in situ for the insects to over winter and to ensure structural interest in the garden is maintained.
