Most of the garden is utilitarian. Rows for food. Paths for not breaking your ankle. Structure. Function. Dirt.
But this one row (and the north side of all the beds) is for looking nice, for feeling beautiful, and for attracting pollinators.
The flower row runs closest to the road, which is part of our very deliberate plan to make the garden pretty from the outside. It’s where I get to mix form with function: herbs and blooms sharing space, keeping the pollinators happy and giving us (and the neighbors) something pretty to look at from the road.
Like the veggies, I started all the flowers from seed – tiny green promises in trays under lights. Now they’re out there, all lined up, the baby versions of what will eventually become a riot of color, if everything goes to plan.
What’s Growing
Here’s the lineup:
Petunias
Purple Wave: vivid and dramatic
Debonair Dusty Rose: understated and romantic
Supercascade White: crisp and classic
Snapdragons
Cherry Twist: bright and cheerful, like summer candy
Echinacea
Magnus: tall, pink-purple, and hardy: kinda the backbone of the row, I hope, along with the sage
Lisianthus
Cessna White: delicate and dreamy, like fancy icing
Russian Sage
Blue Steel: feathery, fragrant, and surprisingly tough
Rudbeckia
Goldsturm: all sunshine and bees. So was the hope, but only a couple sprouted. So I’m leaning into the pink/purple/white color scheme, which I think could be really pretty
Zinnias
Key Lime Pie Mix: friendly daisy shape, with white-and-green colors
Sprinkled in between are a few herbs… basil, oregano, dill, cilantro, parsley, chives – because if you’re going to make something beautiful, it might as well smell good and be edible. And let’s face it – herbs are gorgeous too.
And at the north end of every row: sweet peas and nasturtium to climb the trellises and make things look pretty.
The Aesthetic Plan
Right now, it’s all seedlings: tiny dots of green lined up in the dirt. It’s not flashy yet, but it’s full of potential. The idea is to have layers: tall things in the back, big color in the middle, little things trailing up front. Basically, it’s a reverse-mullet garden: party in the front, business in the back.
It’s also my experiment in restraint. I’m trying to leave room for things to fill in, not cram every square inch with seedlings out of impatience. (It’s hard. I’m doing my best.)
What’s Next
Keep the seedlings alive (low bar, still important)
Mulch the row once everything is settled
Fill any empty spots with direct-seeded annuals or herbs
Watch the front of the garden bloom like it’s got something to prove
The vegetable beds might feed our bellies, but this little flower row should feed the soul.
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