By Carla Burgess| March 2010

• Intro
• Tips for Garden Quilters
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Tips for garden quilters:

• Start your quilt on graph paper, sketching the pattern and deciding plant placement.
• Look for free quilt block templates online.
• Choose patterns with a linear design or soft angles. Log Cabin is a good beginner’s pattern.
• Select plants that don’t vine or spread to help the quilt keep its shape. Look for repeat-bloomers that don’t need deadheading. Avoid plants that aggressively self-sow. Marigolds, pansies, begonias, impatiens (New Guinea or sun-tolerant ones for sunny sites) and coleus are good choices.
• Choose plants that will grow at about the same rate and be about the same height at maturity. Also, look for plants with the same watering requirements.
• Use stakes and string, paint, garden hoses or other markers to delineate the planting area.
• Allow proper spacing between plants when you put them in the ground.
• Take advantage of a planting site on a slight slope so you can appreciate it fully.
• Play with location—colorful shade-lovers can provide a splash for shady sites.
• Be creative—consider a lettuce quilt for your vegetable patch or a miniature quilt made of dwarf plants for a container.
• Sedums or low-growing grasses can provide color and texture.
• Look beyond flowers and foliage for a unique touch—ornamental peppers are popular in the arboretum’s fall garden.
• Keep your budget in mind. With advance planning, you can start many of your plants from seed.

Thanks to Clara Curtis, garden designer Gail Janssen (www.essenhaus.com) and Jane Hogue of www.prairiepedlar.com, a nursery owner and avid quilt gardener, for their advice.