From the Ground Up: Building a Spring Cutting Garden - Small Space, Big blooms

Mar 53 min read

Ever look at a space and think, what a mess?

This is such wasted space.

I could never create something I love here.

That was my little side yard.

For years, it was nothing more than an overgrown patch of grass, more weeds than lawn, a pain to mow, and honestly, a hassle to clean up after the dogs. It wasn’t a space that brought joy. It was just… there.

A little over a year and a half ago, we lost one of our dogs. She was the absolute best, and the thought of her not being with us was more than we could bear. So we brought her home and buried her in the side yard. I had this vision of creating a beautiful, dog-friendly space in her memory, something peaceful, something that felt like her.

But life happened. The project kept getting pushed to the back burner, and if I’m being honest, I wasn’t even sure that vision still felt right.

Spring has always been my favorite season. I love watching something that looks dead breathe in new life and bloom into something beautiful. And that’s exactly what this space needed, a fresh start. It was ugly, overgrown, uninspiring.

After months of thinking, brainstorming, and scrolling Pinterest, I finally settled on a cutting garden, a place to experiment, grow, and get my hands dirty. A space that feels alive again.

Clearing the Space & First Steps

We started by clearing the area, picking up all the stepping stones, and pressure washing them. When we put them back down, we decided to leave space between them to allow for a soft, low ground cover to grow in. I ordered Creeping Thyme seeds from Eden Brothers, fingers crossed they take off. I’ll keep you posted!

We added a gutter to the side of the house to keep the rain from beating down on the flowers and to keep our dirt in place.

The space is a little tricky when it comes to sunlight. It’s only about 12 feet wide, with the house on the east side and a fence on the west. It doesn’t get a ton of sun, and both sides get very different light throughout the day.

Choosing Plants That (Hopefully) Thrive

For the west side, next to the fence, I decided on hydrangeas since they’ll get some morning sun before shifting into the shade. You got two of the 'Big Daddy' variety and two of the 'Rock-n-Roll.' I found these just coming out of dormancy at a local ACE Hardware. They looked way healthier and heartier than the full-bloom ones at Lowe’s. Something told me those wouldn’t make it, so I went with my gut.

On the house side, I want a more playful, ever-changing space. We’re starting with sunflowers from seed, and I’ll fill in the lower space with zinnias, marigolds, and wildflowers as we go.

The Details That Make It Feel Like Home

To define the space, Richard built a beautiful border with garden timbers, separating the walkway with creeping thyme from the mulched flower beds.

We also lucked out and found a solid stone fountain at ACE, a display piece they had marked way down. It adds such a peaceful touch and gives the space a little more structure.