Don’t have enough room for a cutting garden? Try a cutting container instead. I’ve come up with several good combinations for beautiful spring containers. Definitely plant more than one so you can have one to cut from and one to display on your porch or patio.
Each combo requires a pot that’s at least 12-15” deep and 18-24” in diameter — really the bigger the better but you can use multiple smaller pots. Fill with a good quality potting mix— whatever is available at your local garden center, preferably an organic mix if possible. Potting mixes are designed for good drainage so I recommend those over a straight compost or mixing your own (unless you really know your soil). Most potting mixes already contain fertilizer but if it doesn’t, try a granular fertilizer that has equal parts of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus (also known as a balanced complete fertilizer).
Our plants come in 6 or 8 plug strips so buying one combo will actually give you enough to plant 2-3 pots. Make one for display, one for cutting and one to give away!
After filling with organic potting mix, space your seedlings 6'“ apart in the pot. Water thoroughly after planting and make sure the plants stay watered well for the first few weeks while they are establishing. During the winter, water when they are dry. If your pots sit in an uncovered area, monitor to make sure they don’t stay constantly wet. We have wet winters in Upstate South Carolina and you are more likely to loose plants to rot than to cold. Moist soil will also help prevent your plants from cold damage but too much water will cause rot. So moist soil not drenched soil!
Alright— ready for our combos?
Combo 1
Anemones and Ranunculus- this will be a long blooming combination with the anemones starting to bloom in March and the ranunculus beginning in April. They’ll bloom together until mid May. Any combination of colors you like. My choices would be hot pink ranunculus and blue anemones or salmon ranunculus and maroon anemones. With this combo, you’ll want to keep cutting off the spent blooms— this will produce more lovely flowers. Feel free to cut blooms for your vase from this container!
Combo 2
Sweet pea tripod trellis- One pack of sweet peas is perfect for planting on a tripod style trellis. My choice of sweet peas would be the blue mix. Plant around the outside edge of the container about 6” or so apart depending on pot size (just space evenly). You can wait until early March before putting up your tripod poles. You’ll want one pole for each plant. Sweetpeas can get tall so think 6-7’ for your poles (Bamboo canes work well). Tie them together at the top. You can also use a flat or ornate style trellis.
Combo 3
Campanula, Blue Anemones, and Magenta Dianthus- Plant 2 of each variety in the pot grouping like plants together. If your pot is not round and you are planting front to back, place the campanula in the back because it’s the tallest and then the dianthus in front of the campanula and the anemone in the very front.
Combo 4
Snapdragons, Tropical Mix Ranunculus, and Coral Dianthus- Plant 2 of each variety in the pot grouping like plants together. Snaps in the back and mix the ranunculus and dianthus in the mid section and front.
Combo 5
Peach Foxglove, Lemon or Cream Ranunculus, and Maroon Anemones- Foxgloves are the tallest here so in the back or center and mix the ranunculus and anemones in front or circling around the foxgloves. 2-3 of each variety depending on pot size.
Combo 6
Lavender Foxglove, Purple Sweetpea Mix, and Pink or Maroon Anemones- You’ll need a flat trellis in the back of your pot - plant sweet peas 6” apart and then plant the foxglove in front of those then the anemones in the very front of the pot— a square pot would work well for this one. All of these 3 require 6” spacing so plant how ever many your pot will hold with the recommended spacing.
Combo 7
Yarrow, Coral Dianthus, and Snapdragons- This pot has some later blooming varieties and will start late April and go through May. All 3 things are pretty tall so I would suggest planting evenly spaced (6”) and position this pot in the back of a grouping of pots.
Combo 8
Salmon Ranunculus, Peach Foxglove, and Pink/peach Sweetpea mix- The ranunculus will bloom first in this mix so position them towards the middle or front. The sweetpeas will need a trellis to climb so plant them towards the back. The foxglove would look nice off to one side or maybe framing the sweetpea trellis.
Combo 9
Magenta Dianthus, Lavender Ranunculus, and Campanula- The tall spires of campanula will make a good tall focal point for the back of the container. Then mix ranunculus and dianthus in the middle and front regions of the container.
Combo 10
Pink Anemones, Snapdragons, and White/Blush Sweetpea- Place a trellis in the back for the sweetpeas, then add the snaps in front of the sweetpeas. The anemones will fit in the front of the container.
Feeling inspired? Take a look through our Fall Plant shop and pick out a winning combo that will produce beautiful blooms all spring! Or contact us with your color needs and we’ll suggest some beautiful combinations sure to make your porch or patio dazzle!