Installing a dedicated cut flower garden in your backyard is easier than you might think, with designated beds providing easy access for planting, weeding and harvesting flowers.
Once you know your growing zone, select perennial flowers that return every year or are easy-to-grow annuals from seeds or starts. Consider which plants need additional support such as climbing nasturtiums and specific varieties of zinnia.
Sunflowers
Sunflowers are one of the premier cut flower selections, blooming throughout summer to create eye-catching centerpieces and bouquets with other plants including perennials or shrubs with striking foliage.
Sunflower seeds should be planted directly outside after the last frost, 18 inches apart and in full sun locations with well-draining soil and proper drainage. Ample amounts of compost or aged manure should also be tilled into the soil in order to improve texture and nutrition for best results.
Sunflowers are heavy feeders; after planting them, provide monthly irrigation with a water-soluble fertilizer to promote bigger, brighter flowers.
Roses
To successfully plant and harvest cut flower gardens, select an accessible location with easy planting, watering and harvesting access. Ideally locate beds within sunny spots for optimal success.
Many flowers require specific growing requirements to flourish; one such requirement is having rich, nutrient-rich soil. Organic compost can provide a simple way of improving soil health, keeping moisture levels in balance, and adding essential vitamins.
If you have the space available, consider raising garden beds as part of your cut flower patch if possible. Doing so will give you greater control over soil quality, helping you avoid weeds while simultaneously improving both overall health and yield.
Dahlias
Alicia, a dahlia farmer, suggests selecting varieties with long vase life and drought tolerance. For optimal soil drainage and richness, planting in raised garden beds may also help.
Flower farmers seek plants with high rates of floriferousness, or lots of blooms throughout the growing season, that will tolerate hot summer weather while producing large, long-lived cut flowers that will provide long-term cut flowers for sale.
To promote branching, pinch off terminal buds when Dahlias reach 12 inches tall to direct energy toward more usable stems. You may experience delayed blooms, but this should allow your plant to focus its resources toward building strong stems instead. Be sure to trim flowers either morning or evening using clean tools when cutting stems.
Gerber Daisies
As long as there’s a cutting flower patch within your existing borders, vases of homegrown blooms won’t need to be kept waiting in vases! A cutting flower patch makes an easy addition that fits right in with seasonal flowers and other garden essentials.
When creating your cut flower patch, group plants according to their cultural needs in order to make care easier and avoid accidental over or underwatering.
Plant Pink Whisper and Orange Capraia Gerbera Daisies in rich, free-draining soil amended with compost for optimal performance. Sunlight and warm temperatures will promote their success; just remember not to harvest before they have faded completely! This way you’ll ensure longer blooming.
Sweet Peas
Sweet peas are essential in any cut flower garden. Their long stems hold up well in bouquets and they flower all summer long – providing an ideal filler.
Plant them closely together and secure with supports to avoid flopping over as they grow. Best results come from sunny, open environments.
Assimilate organic matter into your soil to enhance water retention and drainage while helping keep weeds at bay. Water regularly and deadhead flowers to extend picking season; when cutting, always use clean tools; dirty ones spread bacteria that causes cut flowers to wilt more quickly.
Zinnias
Zinnias are an integral component of many bouquets and come in an array of hues. Popular cultivars include Peppermint Stick Mix and Pop Art varieties with red spots on white or yellow backgrounds that stand out.
To ensure your zinnias are at their peak for cutting, harvest them early in the morning. Also remember to pinch off spent blooms from plants throughout their season – known as deadheading – so as to encourage more flowers instead of going to seed.
When designing your cut flower garden, group together flowers with similar growing conditions so it will be easier to provide their needs without too much work required from you.