The Marigold Potager – A Zone 3 Prairie Garden

As soon was Christmas is over, I started dreaming about the summer garden and sourcing out my seeds. I am expanding my cut flower garden(s) this summer so am going to need a whole lot of flowers.

Starting from seed saves so much money while also offering a much larger selection of flowers and colours. Unique and new varieties not always available at the garden centers in spring. You have an exciting array of plants to choose from. For just a few bucks, the price of a six pack, you have dozens of seeds that quickly and easily fill out your garden. Inexpensive, quick, and easy to grow flowers to fill your pots, garden beds, and hanging baskets.

I choose my colour scheme in winter, before I start ordering. This keeps me in line, keeps me from buying everything I see… which is a real and true hazard. I love to grow! I love to sow!

Even better is when I make a mood board of my colour scheme, whether on paper, on an actual pinboard, or on Pinterest, for a visual reminder. I can then check if that new and exciting flower fits into the theme.

This years theme is light pastels with whites and creams blended in. Maybe I will plant them in blocks ranging from lightest to darkest?

Some of my favourite flowers for the cutting garden are cosmos, zinnias, sweet peas, amaranth, and snapdragons.

My favourite flowers to feed the bees and other pollinators, are sweet peas, calendula, geraniums, marigolds, nasturtiums, and sunflowers.

Herbs are also lovely in both cutting gardens and in pots or baskets.

• beebalm!!!
• catmint
• borage
• chamomile
• dill
• hyssop
• lavender
• oregano

For the cutting gardens, I tend to use mostly annuals so that I can change out the colour scheme from year to year. However, I often also add favourite perennials and bi-annuals that are drought tolerant, great for cutting, and feed the bees.

Perennials and bi-annuals from seed have to be started earlier in the year as they take much longer to germinate and grow. Start in January or February, or as listed on the packaging.

Here are some of my most favourite Canadian flower seed companies…

• Annapolis Seeds
• Antonio Valente Flowers
• Circle Farms
• Fraiche Flower Farm – pinks and whites, sale starts on Jan 4th and seeds sell out quickly. Be ready!
• Heritage Harvest Seeds – mostly vegetables, but carries heirloom flowers to feed the bees.
• Incredible Seed Company
• OSC Seeds – also mostly vegetables, but has some nice companion flowers.
• Stems Flower Farm
• T&T Seeds
• Vesey’s – has everything!
• William Dam Seeds

These small boutique Canadian flower seed companies that I have not yet tried, but have heard great things about. On my list to buy from this year!

• Lily Stone Gardens – gorgeous statices!
• Martha’s Garden Seeds – has the most amazing array of varieties!
• Rainbow Seeds – lovely veggie options, plus a page or two of flowers.
• Seeds of Imbolc
• Summerhill Seeds
• Whistling Prairie Flowers

Starting Flowers From Seed

There are two ways to start seeds. My favourites are always any seeds that one can direct sow.

Put the seeds directly into the garden as soon as the threat of frost is gone, cover with soil, tamp them down lightly, water. Easy peasy.

Seeds I always direct sow…

• cosmos
• calendula
• larkspur
• sunflowers
• sweet peas
• zinnias

On Vancouver Island, in a zone 7, the last frost date was April 28th but I would direct sow on any dry day from mid to late April, whenever the garden soil was workable.

Here on the prairies, in a zone 3 with a last frost date of May 20, I sow anytime in May that we have conducive weather.

The other way to start your seeds 6 to 8 weeks ahead of time in little pots and seed trays, so they are a bit bigger when you want to put them in your pots and gardens come spring.

Use this method for all the others, especially with any plants you want to put into your hanging baskets, like the Black Eyed Susan Vine in the picture above. You want nice little starts for your baskets so you can get a head start on them so they are full and pretty right from summer’s start.

Are you ready to get going? Ready to start planning?

• Make your plan
• Make your wish list of flowers for the cutting garden, your pots, planters, hanging baskets.
• Order soon so you have the seeds when you are ready to start sowing.

Finally, it is time! Happy Planning & Dreaming ~ Tanja