Strategies to replicate Joanna Gaines's garden in your own property:
Artfully Garden Like Joanna Gaines: A Guide to Bringing Her Charm to Your Yard
Joanna Gaines, a celebrated designer and media personality, is well-known for her stunning modern farmhouse interiors, but her lush, stylized garden might have slipped your notice. As spring sets in, kick-start your green-thumbed ambitions with tips from landscape architect Kevin Lenhart from Yardzen on transforming your yard into a picture-perfect Gaines-inspired oasis.
- Kevin Lenhart, Design Director at Yardzen
Embrace the Raised Garden Beds (With Long Narrow Aisles)
A distinctive feature of Gaines' garden is her raised garden beds. Lenhart suggests choosing materials carefully- wood, aluminum, corten steel, or natural stone. But if you're aiming for that charming Gaines touch, like her, opt for natural wood (possibly cedar). Your selection should consider a well-draining soil, rich in organic matter (a popular formula is 75% topsoil and 25% compost). To accommodate extensive root systems, ensure the bed is at least 12 inches deep. Remember that raised beds tend to dry faster than in-ground gardens, requiring regular watering, especially during hot weather.
Carefully Select Companion Flowers for Aesthetics and Planting Success
Gaines' garden showcases an interesting blend of anemones and ranunculus, sharing similar growth needs. Lenhart's advice for flower bed designs is to group plants with similar sun, water, and soil preferences. This way, your garden will not only appear cohesive but also be simpler to care for and more resilient. Pairings like lavender and roses, echinacea and rudbeckia, zinnias (a Gaines favorite), and yarrow and cosmos are recommended.
Opt for Both Form and Function with Garden Hoops and Trellises
Striking a balance between visual width and height is an essential design principle, and Gaines achieves this with her long garden beds and garden hoops and trellises. These hoops serve as support for cloth plant protectors, shielding plants from harsh weather and pests. Trellises, as the centerpiece of Gaines' garden, offer climbing surfaces for vining plants.
Cover the Surrounding Ground with Pea Gravel
The ground surrounding Gaines' garden beds appears to be white-gray gravel or small river rock. Lenhart suggests using pea gravel as a cost-effective, versatile, and low-maintenance choice. While it requires regular raking and the use of landscaping fabric beneath it to control weed growth, pea gravel is elegant and available in a variety of sizes and colors, making it easy to find a complementary option for your landscaping.
Contemplate a Cutting Garden
Regularly sharing flower clippings and arrangements, Gaines demonstrates the joy of her cutting garden. Lenhart reveals that cutting gardens, which feature flowers grown specifically for harvesting indoors, have gained popularity recently as a means of extending gardening enjoyment beyond the yard. Annuals, like zinnias, cosmos, snapdragons, sunflowers, and dahlias, are popular choices for cut flowers and thrive in various climates. Be sure to verify that the plants you choose suit your lighting conditions, water needs, and USDA zone.
Enrichment Data:
A cutting garden similar to Joanna Gaines' consists of various vibrant annual flowers and careful garden design. Here are some recommended flower varieties and maintenance tips to achieve a stunning cutting garden:
Popular Annual Varieties
- Zinnia Mix: A Gaines favorite, zinnias come in captivating colors such as orange, red, and pink. They thrive in most soil types and conditions[3].
- Sunflower: Standout with tall, statuesque sunflowers. They require full sun[2].
- Coneflower: A drought-tolerant choice, coneflowers bring striking purple or pink hues to your garden[2].
- Cherry Tomatoes: Though usually used for their produce, cherry tomatoes add visual interest with their bright red fruits[2].
- Annual Wildflower Mix: This mix of various species offers a diverse display of colors and textures, attracting pollinators.
Tips for Care and Compatibility
Garden Design
- Choose a Sunny Spot: Many annuals, like sunflowers and zinnias, thrive in full sunlight (6 or more hours)[2][3].
- Soil Preparation: Utilize well-draining soil with ample organic matter. Annuals like zinnias and sunflowers can tolerate a variety of soil conditions but benefit from rich organic matter.
- Garden Layout: Arrange taller varieties towards the north to avoid blocking smaller plants, and create pathways for easy access to cut flowers.
Climate Considerations
- Hot Climates: In warm climates, opt for drought-tolerant varieties like coneflowers and provide afternoon shade for sensitive plants to prevent scorching.
- Cool Climates: Select rapid-maturing annuals like sunflowers or use row covers to extend the growing season for such varieties.
Lighting Conditions
- Partial Shade: While many annuals require full sun, cherry tomatoes and others can tolerate partial shade (though fruiting and blooming may be reduced).
Maintenance
- Watering: Ensure adequate moisture but be mindful of overwatering, which could lead to root rot.
- Pruning and Deadheading: Regularly prune and deadhead flowers to encourage more blooms and maintain garden appeal.
- Fertilization: Periodically add a balanced fertilizer to support healthy growth and blooming.
Gardening Accessories and Tips
- Quality Tools: Invest in durable tools such as an enamel watering can and a copper rake, akin to those found in Joanna Gaines' Seed Bar collection[2].
- Pollinator Support: Incorporate a mix of flowers attractive to pollinators like bees and butterflies to boost biodiversity and beauty[3].
By following these guidelines and incorporating numerous popular annual flowers, you can craft a striking cutting garden emulating Joanna Gaines's unique style and celebrating the beauty of nature.
- Joanna Gaines' garden embodies raised garden beds made from natural wood, such as cedar, with long narrow aisles, providing an excellent foundation for home gardening.
- Gardeners can create cohesive, easy-to-maintain flower beds by carefully selecting companion plants, like pairing lavender and roses or zinnias and yarrow, as seen in Gaines' garden.
- To achieve a balance between organization and visual aesthetics, consider incorporating garden hoops and trellises, as showcased by Joanna Gaines in her lush outdoor garden.
- Introducing pea gravel around garden beds is a practical choice for a low-maintenance and cost-effective ground covering, adding a stylish touch to your home-and-garden.
- Consider cultivating a cutting garden, like Joanna Gaines, for regular access to fresh flowers, featuring annuals such as zinnias, sunflowers, and cosmos.
- To create a stunning, Gaines-inspired cutting garden, opt for popular annual varieties like zinnia mix, sunflowers, coneflowers, and cherry tomatoes, while being mindful of sun, soil, and climate considerations for successful planting.
