The term ‘flower garden’ might seem puzzling at first. Surely, by their very nature, all gardens are to some extent floral, whether they display just a handful of seasonal blooms or a riotous exhibition of colour. So what earns a garden the description of flower garden in particular? In researching this book I’ve had the opportunity to look closely at what it is that people enjoy most about growing flowers and the characteristics that unite the gardens they create. Whether they grow them as a cut flower or herb, or strictly for the ground or garden pot, nurturing flowers is for many people an act of immeasurable satisfaction.
Keeping any given area in bloom is no simple task; nearly all plants spend a great deal of their life neither in flower nor bud, the flowers being merely the climactic peak of their lifecycle. Where other gardens might give room to long-lasting evergreen forms, the flower garden devotes centre stage to a sequence of striking performers, creating maximum impact with a range of plants designed to bloom in sequence. This undertaking becomes even more impressive when you consider the gardeners who have applied the same principle to restricted spaces.
Over the course of six chapters, My Tiny Flower Garden explores the remarkable ways in which people have sought to accommodate flowers, often in unexpected circumstances. Whether by maximizing a display with inventive techniques or taking a resourceful approach to repurposing found objects, the gardeners in this book illustrate that no space is too small when it comes to making room for flowers. From jam-packed little borders to rooftop wild flowers, the 25 gardens featured here celebrate the diversity of flowering species and the many different ways in which we can benefit from them.
With practical tips and instructions, this book aims to demonstrate that flowers needn’t require a large plot and that there are a great many ways in which to bring their captivating charms right to your doorstep. Ten projects show you how to make your own crafty plant containers, miniature meadows and even tea bags using your back-garden bounty. Celebrating the creativity and skill behind a host of floral triumphs, My Tiny Flower Garden hopes to inspire you to get stuck into your own patch, however large or small.