Cut Flower Garden Infrastructure Day! 💪🏻🌱🥵

This weekend we tackled all the supportive infrastructure that makes this garden bloom. We installed new pathways, repaired irrigation lines and set new t-posts for supporting our snapdragons and heirloom mums! If a cut flower garden is on your wish list, these are must-have items for your garden.
As always, wishing you a beautiful day in the garden!
Kate
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Videos Mentioned
Small Space Makeover | From Forgotten to Treasured 💕
• Small Space Makeover |...
Oak Street Renovation - Phase TWO! | SUPER Simple Drip Tape + Orbit B-Hyve Installation 🐝
• Oak Street Renovation ...
Drip Depot:
Pro Punch - 1/4" Hole - www.dripdepot.com/product/pro...
Irritec 5/8" Drip Tape End Closure - www.dripdepot.com/product/irr...
Perma-Loc Tape x Barb Tubing Takeoff Adapter Valve - www.dripdepot.com/item/perma-...
P1 Ultra 5/8" drip tape - 15 mil - 6" Emitter Spacing - Flow 0.25 GPH - 1000' - www.dripdepot.com/item/p1-ult...
Home Depot
Deadblow Hammer - www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-45-...
Fence Post Driver - www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-...
Landscape Fabric
www.greenhousemegastore.com/p...
Landscape Pins
a.co/d/09Y14InH

[@MichelleSuggs-ls1ki]

Flower patch 101 is awesome. Love how you are explaining it all.

[@HelloGarden]

Thank you so much! I’m so happy with how far we’ve come. It certainly hasn’t been easy, but when the netting goes in… it feels OFFICIAL. ☺️

[@gardeningonthewestforkwith8994]

Oh my so enjoy watching other gardeners work hard sweat and be so very productive your plants are going to love you back and you are going to love looking at this space . Congratulations I love this anxious to see the flowers !!

[@InHisGardenCreations]

I am learning so much from you with drip tape, landscape fabric, t posts, and now that cool stretchy netting! I see so many applications in the vegetable garden! And you and Brian are so cute!

[@HelloGarden]

Oh I'm so glad to share what has worked for me! I may be a professional designer, but I am first and foremost a gardener. And Brian... we feel so much gratitude to have found eachother and make KZbin and gardening part of our life's journey.

[@tonisherwood1038]

We are all glistening messes when we work in our gardens. Welcome to the club! Lol

[@HelloGarden]

SO. MUCH. GLISTENING. 😂😂😂

[@moomoocho1196]

Kate your such a good teacher 😊

[@HelloGarden]

Thank you! 😃 I come from a long line of teachers and considered going into education in college. I wanted to teach high school English literature. But here I am in the garden… apparently unknowingly having returned to my desire to teach. 💕

[@jagodaperich-anderson5058]

Wowza, that was a lot of productive work. So worth it for the long term, though, isn't it? BTW I love the bird's eye view of your cut flower garden from your deck.

[@HelloGarden]

It’s a fun view, right?!? I think the best part is honestly looking back down at the garden and seeing how far we’ve come in a single day. It helps me appreciate all the hard work.

[@DiMarie-6b]

Stunning. You are such a wonderful teacher!

[@mercury_rising]

Looks great! So much hard work. Drip irrigation is a total mystery to me!

[@HelloGarden]

Oh it doesn’t need to be! If you have ever played with legos or any other building set, it’s super easy. And it also gets to be a sort of “choose your own adventure”. You can totally do it!

[@petefredrick3784]

Your garden is looking so good! You will appreciate the fabric paths. I hate weeding! My garden has 9 rows of 120 ft. It has kept my sanity. I use the netting on almost everything I grow. Just keeps the flowers growing upright and you never know when a big storm comes and blows everything down. This year I got the green netting and installed it on my dahlias. So much easier than the twine method when you plant over 700 tubers. Looking forward to more updates from above when your flowers are blooming!

[@lorindachristine3291]

Thank you for sharing all of your wisdom, once again. Many screen shots taken 😊 Do you mind sharing re your sun shirt? Gardening as a redhead has its perils! 😂

[@HelloGarden]

Oh I am SO pale and super sun sensitive so sun shirts have been a saving grace. This one is by Hang Ten (found it at Costco). I also have one by Athleta that is awesome! One with a large collar or hood is next. I find my skin is more photosensitive as I age.

[@pattyvalinote4612]

Hi Kate, you are such a hard worker! Learning so much from you! Thank you ☺️. BTW… love your laugh ❤

[@HelloGarden]

Patty, you make me smile every time I see a comment from you! Gardening is NOT for the lazy… that’s for sure. 💕

[@rhondaschenk5727]

Way to go Kate! I have to think the landscape fabric will be a game changer for you! Thanks for sharing! Say hello to your garden for me! 😀

[@HelloGarden]

☺️ I’m super excited about the fabric. We used the more inexpensive stuff and weeds just popped through and it perished under sun exposure. I just thought, why not use what my commercial nurseries use?!?

[@debs-more-plants]

You are the cutest glistening mess! 😂 great video!!!!

[@ACozziGarden]

The end of this one is going to have me grinning all day! 😋😂😂💕

[@HelloGarden]

You’re not alone… I’m still giggling! 🤣

[@karenchisholm623]

That is such a good idea about the tennis balls. THANK YOU!!

[@HelloGarden]

It just came to me in the moment! My mom watched the video and reminded me her dear friend is a tennis player and has a mountain of spent balls… looks like I have a phone call to make!

[@jasminelouisefarrall]

It’s looking fantastic 🥰🥰

[@tracythomas343]

🤣🤣🤣 that was great, it was in your pocket! 🤣🤣🤣📱

[@bobr9895]

Thats a new one, ive never seen that netting before, good information 😊

[@HelloGarden]

Isn’t it great? I do a ton of industry research and follow the work of a few cut flower farmers so I am taking some commercial applications and adding them to this space! The Hortnova netting is so durable and awesome.

[@rhondaschenk5727]

You’re such a hard worker, Kate! We love our gardens! How about cut off pool noodles to cover the T-posts?

[@HelloGarden]

Oooooo… that’s another good one! I have a free stash of balls from a tennis-playing friend, but that is in the lineup if the balls don’t work!

[@user-yw9vm9gv9e]

The garden is coming along nicely. I enjoy seeing your progress. I have back issues so I can’t do some of my usual garden work. But I do what I can in small increments. Really loved seeing the patio update.Beautiful transformation.❤

[@HelloGarden]

Oh no. It's so hard dealing with chronic pain. Wishing you at least a few pain-free days in the garden! And that is also why I love doing containers... I feel like it's such an accessible journey for so many with mobility/pain issues in the body.

[@user-yw9vm9gv9e]

@@HelloGarden thank you

[@amylouie4529]

Amazing video. Informative and real!

[@HelloGarden]

Thank you so much! Those, funny enough, are always top goals for me. ☺️

[@tessagray1167]

I use small terra cotta pots on top of my post for eye protection. We need those eyes lol...

[@HelloGarden]

Someone else mentioned this! And it’s SOOOOO much more charming than tennis balls.

[@janmasisak156]

Saw 2 cut flower bloggers using webbing also for supporting lisianthus, one in OK and other in NY.

[@HelloGarden]

Totally! That Hortnova netting is durable and a cut flower staple.

[@pcrice-lr2dn]

Thanks. I turn small clay pots over mine ,whatever put something over them 🍃🌿

[@HelloGarden]

Oh that is SO much more charming than a tennis ball. 😍

[@user-de3gr3bm3q]

Thank you for sharing the cut flower garden with the weed fabric. I have been looking to use fabric in my garden but wanted something more heavy duty. The pins look great as well. Question: I have a heck of a time with shoes in the garden. I noticed your shoes look like they slip on and maybe are easy to clean? Would you mind sharing the purchasing information with me. I sure am learning a lot of the nuts and bolts of gardening from all of your fantastic advice; thank you!

[@HelloGarden]

This are Pendleton slip on rain boots. I’ve gone through two pairs! They are what I slip on most days. However, I LOVE my Blundstones. That will be, most often, the other shoe you see me wear. The last pair I love in the garden are my Xtratufs. Having relatives in the fishing industry, they are my #1 go to when I need waterproof boots.

[@amandakennedy8316]

Hi, Kate- I love your videos! Kind of envious of your sandy soil; mine is glacial rock deposit. Everything from gravel to boulders- I don't think it's possible to pound a stake in. 😅

[@HelloGarden]

Oh wow! You probably have to be incredibly creative with your supports... or maybe you're an above ground gardener? Sending your garden a heart-felt "hello"!

[@deborahburgart561]

Wow!!! Your cut flower garden is looking great Kate!! 😊 Could you plant an Evergreen vine on the chain link fence to gain more privacy and screen the houses behind? It would soften the fence like a green screen and add a cozy feel maybe? Keep pushing on. You're doing a fabulous job!!! 😊

[@HelloGarden]

Thank you so much, friend! And that chain link fence is “uglier than sin” (to quote my grandma.) We have purposefully left it blank because we are still digging out bindweed and massive blackberry roots. Once it’s better controlled, a landscaping solution is absolutely necessary!

[@deborahburgart561]

@@HelloGarden Your Grandma sounds like a hoot 🤣 😁😃

[@denisewade6439]

Wow it’s looking so beautifully done Kate! I’m learning sooo much from you and thanks to Janey for introducing your channel ! Also, where did you get your adorable sun shirt! We’ve been 102-114 for the last 2 weeks! We are literally baking! lol! Appreciate any links to your UV shirt! ❤️🌸🧤👒

[@HelloGarden]

102-114?!? I would perish. And also, thank you so much. It’s been a giant labor of love. The sun shirt in this video is actually a Hang Ten one I bought several years ago. I also own one by Athleta that loops down over the tops of my hands. I wore it in Costa Rica too. Both are excellent and keep me surprisingly cool! My next purchase though will be one with a hood or collar I can pop up. I’d like to give that a try.

[@denisewade6439]

@@HelloGarden thank you Kate!

[@Heather0804]

@@HelloGarden have you seen Jenny from gardening with creekside’s hat? It has a slot for a ponytail built in and it’s got a longer / wider brim at the back than it has at the front so it covers your neck generously whilst not impeding your face especially when you are on your hands and knees working in your garden.

[@meridabowes3796]

Hello from Port Angeles. WA! I also garden on a city lot and am learning so much from you. Our native soil has so many rocks. Could you share some ideas to deal with this issue? I did put in raised beds for veggies but the existing flower beds around the house always seem so rocky even after top dressing the year before.

[@HelloGarden]

Well this is a challenge. I like to just let some of it go. For example, I actually have quite a few rocks. With that, I will dig quite a large hole when planting, remove as many rocks as possible, and then just know the next time I'm weeding and run into more rocks, I'll remove them if they are in the way. Also, raised beds will be the best course of action with veggies. You might also explore adding a large edge piece that you could utilize to elevate your beds and keep top dressing.

[@GraceinGardening01]

Kate, let's talk about those boots. I need some as I garden in my berks. I am in GA and it's beyond hot and humid so I need to not die with my shoes. Thoughts? Care to share? :)

[@lainyjane4581]

there is a gardener in OK. Sydney Dorman channel that bought linda vader old house. she recommends HISEA and can get coupon from her. i'm in hot hot TN.

[@HelloGarden]

Interesting! So HISEA actually reached out to me for a partnership, but I have been hesitant to recommend anything unless I can wear them through 4 seasons of super heavy work. I might check them out! As far as my shoes, this is my second pair of Pendleton ankle boots that I picked up at Costco. They haven't lasted as long as I'd like, but I've also put them through the paces. My longest lasting boots have been Blundstones and Xtratuf's... HANDS DOWN. In fact, we just bought a pair of Xtratuf ankle boots for Brian!

[@jeaniemcdaris8276]

❤

[@HelloGarden]

💝💝💝

[@Heather0804]

Great video. Are your kids at an age that you could buy inexpensive standard tennis balls and some fabric pens or paint and your kids enjoy decorating them for you? Could make super cute, individual and fun toppers 😊

[@HelloGarden]

Well… I have two teenage boys and a 10 year old… so they’re growing out of some of that lovely arts and crafts age. But I bet it would make for an entertaining garden space! I might just see if they’d help their mama out.

[@Heather0804]

@@HelloGarden Or friends or family members kids if your boys feel they are too old for all that. I’m sure most parents would love something different to keep the kids entertained for an afternoon and even better if they don’t have to do any of the prep for it 😊

[@parkerallen848]

Kate how is your airplant you got when visiting janey?

[@HelloGarden]

Ugh. I forgot it at Janey’s house after our long day of filming. 😖 I was so mad at myself!

[@Truongthikimcuong92]

❤❤❤🌹🌹🌹

[@HelloGarden]

🌻💝🌻💝🌻

[@najwaseiya]

💝💝🧡🧡💛💛💛💛

[@HelloGarden]

💞💞💞🌻🌻🌻💝💝💝

[@juliamorrisey5541]

I have several astilbe that I have planted in various levels of shade. I seem to have issues maintaining their health. Any thoughts or suggestions about their general needs with regards to water and fertilizer? One of them started to generate the shoots for the plumes but they appear to have dried up. I do keep them well watered.

[@HelloGarden]

Oh hello! When you mention that the shoots dry up, that tells me they may need more water than you may be providing. Can you dig down in the soil to check your moisture depth? Also, if the soil in that area has dried up significantly, it can be hard to regain moisture. Definitely add lots of mulch to help with that. Also, I would add fertilizer at least once a year as they are about to set buds (or as the first buds emerge). That is when the plant will appreciate it the most. Also, I can tease astilbe into part sun, but it always needs extra moisture when I do that. Hope that helps!

[@juliamorrisey5541]

@@HelloGarden thank you. I will definitely try to guage the soil better. I do try to insure they ate well watered but may need to water more than once a day.

[@Heather0804]

@juliamorrisey5541 I’m in the UK and have had my astilbe really not do well when planted in a north west facing clay soil flowerbed that was in far too open a position and it’s outer leaves consistently turned brown and dried / burnt from the harsh wind mainly I now suspect whilst it’s inner leaves went yellow and it never produced a viable bloom from its bloom stems. I took a chance, potted 2 up and left them in a sheltered / protected south east position in my garden. The wind and the rain comes from the east across my garden so they have been sheltered from harsh extremes but still receiving a good amount of strong morning type sunlight for at least 8 hours. Unfortunately, over the last 4 or 5 years they were neglected and untouched for personal reasons but produced leaves and an occasional spike that came to nothing and ending up pretty crispy by the end of each summer to where I thought each year I had lost them. This year I’m taking back my garden, much like Kate with her cut flower area and it’s the first year in ages I’ve seen absolutely gorgeous pink blooms on both the astilbe’s. I haven’t moved them but they had sunk about 3 inches in the pot and become root bound, so much so they had rooted into the soil under the gravel they stood on (small blessings as it’s probably what kept them going in all honesty). I removed them from their pots added fresh soil to the bottom of the pot to increase the height of the plants in the pots and backfilled with new compost whilst keeping the existing soil intact around the plant as I didn’t want to risk shocking them too much, gave a good watering and dose of granular fertiliser and replaced in sheltered south east position ‘with all my other extra care pots’ which gets plenty of morning light from 6am till about 3pm (the UK has apparently decided it’s not having a summer again this year so we are still very wet with average of 18 degrees Celsius (65f)). It’s blooming wonderfully for the first time as I’ve fertilised it twice and kept it watered in addition to the excessive UK rainfall because it was so pot bound and dried out but I have recently noticed the interior leaves turning yellow and crispy so I’m overwatering it now even though it’s in a free draining pot so it’s roots must not want to sit in any excess moisture at all. Anyway, all this to say, don’t give up, gardening is trial and error and each garden has its own challenges and unique pockets where the unexpected happens and I think my astilbe ‘survived’ in its very small 12 inch pot because it was in a more protected / sheltered position with very free draining soil and it has thrived this year because of the granular fertiliser and the small amount of new soil it received at the bottom and sides of the pot. Bear in mind the UK has very wet winters (and summers as of late) but typically we don’t stay much below freezing for very long. Next spring the astilbe’s will be placed pride of place in a new flower bed that’s in the plans but this year I’m enjoying seeing their gorgeous light pink blooms against the dark green foliage for the first time in my garden, safe in the knowledge that I can now make them the specimen plant they deserve to be in a flower bed and hopefully have the knowledge to keep them happy for years to come 😊

[@juliamorrisey5541]

@@Heather0804 Wishing you the best with reclaiming your garden. As I did not get a peony bloom until year 4 I am used to waiting for things. My Astlbe are well protected from the elements but I think I need to focus more on watering and protection from squirrels that dig them up.

[@robinstokes3602]

What do you do with your garden waste?

[@HelloGarden]

Seattle has a robust recycling program for green waste. Some weeks it is WAY more than my can will hold so I will run to our local transfer station with a load of green waste. They compost everything received and resell it. It’s pretty cool!