Grow a cut flower garden to add beauty and charm to your home from spring through fall. A continuous supply of long-stemmed blooms can fill vases, teapots and other containers to decorate.
Successful cut flower gardens rely on careful planning. You should group together blooming flowers of similar bloom time together and separate those which require staking (dahlias, sweet peas and nasturtiums) or climbing (sweet peas and nasturtiums). Wide rows make weeding and picking simpler.
Location
An ideal location for a cut flower garden is somewhere discreet within the landscape that can easily be reached without disturbing other parts of the garden. Most flowers suitable for cutting require full sunlight; however, some shade-loving varieties also perform well in these conditions.
An cut flower garden allows you to explore long-lived perennials like hydrangeas and lilacs as well as fragrant herb varieties such as lavender. Plus, flowering shrubs with interesting foliage add texture, color, and interest into bouquets!
Some flowers may need support or staking when cut; make sure these taller plants are placed towards the back of your garden so they are easy to access without trampling on other blooms or damaging blooms.
Soil
PepperHarrow Farm states that to successfully cultivate cut flower gardens requires well-amended soil, consistent sunlight exposure and consistent watering. Mulching (shredded leaves, straw or hay) helps discourage weeds while simultaneously decomposing quickly in summer to keep soil moisture levels at their optimal level.
When possible, grow a cutting garden in raised beds for optimal soil conditions and easy flower harvesting. This will allow for easier maintenance while providing access to all the flowers for picking.
Given that most flowers bloom at specific times of the year, succession planting is the key to long-term blooming success. When spring bulbs fade, consider planting hardy annuals like zinnias and sunflowers as hardy annuals to extend your blooming season and ensure steady supplies throughout the season.
Water
Most cut flowers require full sunlight for optimal growth; if your landscape doesn’t provide this opportunity, consider growing a container garden instead. Select long-stemmed perennials and annuals with similar bloom times and heights while including fillers like sweet williams and lupines to round out the mix.
Water your garden regularly but deeply to reduce evaporation and encourage root growth, and make sure the flower stems can dry before nightfall. Incorporating companion planting such as marigolds or lavender is also recommended to ward off insects and prevent diseases; both are great choices!
Fertilizer
Cut flower gardens can be standalone spaces or integrated into existing gardens and landscapes, with seeds planted indoors or directly outdoors in spring.
Cut flowers need rich, well-draining soil with at least six hours of direct sun daily for optimal growth. Dahlias and delphiniums require support staking or support stakes; sweet peas can benefit from grow-through netting (through which sunlight filters through).
Filler plants like kale, euphorbia, sweet alyssum or verbena can provide ground cover while controlling weed growth. You could also add fragrant perennials like yarrow and rudbeckia for additional fragrance and longevity – this combination creates the best combination of blooms and foliage for floral arrangements!
Pruning
Maintaining an orderly cut flower garden is key. Maintaining this condition encourages repeat blooming and increases the quantity of blooms available for cutting. When doing this, ensure you have gardening shears or snips designed specifically for cutting, as these should remain sharp and clean at all times.
Tall annuals such as sunflowers and zinnias may need staking or tying as they grow, while vining plants like sweet peas and climbing nasturtiums benefit from being netted as they spread. Careful reading of plant tag descriptions should reveal which support measures will be necessary.
If it isn’t feasible, some gardeners integrating cut flower crops into existing vegetable or ornamental gardens for easy cutting access.
Harvesting
An outdoor cutting garden allows you to harvest without depleting your regular flower beds or borders. For first timers, annual flowers may provide the most consistent blooms throughout summer – ideal for harvesting. Many perennials and bulbs also make excellent cut flowers; experiment with them too!
Make sure to plant tall plants near the back of the bed while shorter ones in front for easy accessibility. Vining species such as certain nasturtiums and sweet peas may need support such as trellises in order to stay upright as they mature.
Your cutting garden requires regular watering depending on weather conditions and its individual flower varieties. Water early in the day to reduce evaporation and give plants time to absorb it before nightfall.