Don’t need an expansive garden? No problem. A few square meters of sunny planting will supply your vase with seasonal bouquets all summer long!
Make an initial planting plan. Divide your garden bed into wide rows so you can access flowers easily for cutting. Select plants with diverse growing conditions, flowering times and heights for best results.
Sunflowers
Most people think of cut flower gardens when envisioning them; most commonly rows of tulips or daffodils and roses come to mind, although this list of popular choices doesn’t encompass all possible flowers that thrive well in these spaces.
Sunflowers are one of the easiest flowers to grow, making them one of the most popular cut flowers. Blooming prolifically during the hottest parts of summer and early autumn, all they require for proper cultivation is regular watering. There are both branching and nonbranching varieties; single stemmed varieties such as this gold lite one work best when cut for cutting purposes – they don’t contain pollen that could interfere with bees, so can easily coexist alongside other cut flower favorites like snapdragons or larkspur.
To maximize harvest, it is wise to stagger planting of sunflowers so they do not all appear at once. Also remember to use clean tools when cutting stems (dirty tools can spread bacteria that causes cut stems to quickly rot), submerge them in buckets of clean water immediately after cutting, and submerge into your compost heap or bin immediately afterwards.
Gerber Daisies
Gerbera daisies make an excellent addition to a cut flower garden as they have long vase life and easy care requirements. In cooler climates they can even be grown as perennials or as annuals depending on climate conditions.
As with other flowers, gerberas require quality soil, sunlight and water in order to thrive. One effective way of meeting their requirements is growing them in containers filled with fast-draining potting mix.
If planting them in the ground, make sure your site is well-draining and add a layer of organic compost to enrich and slow drainage. Add slow-release organic fertilizer in springtime for healthy plant development and bloom production.
Harvesting requires taking several steps. First, the flowers must be separated from their plants at their base and cut at their coolest part of the day; next it’s best to carry a bucket of water when harvesting as the stems can quickly dehydrate during this process.
Perennials
Your ideal cut flower garden location should feature sunlit soil with excellent drainage. Pick a site that can easily expand over time to ease maintenance efforts.
Consider including perennials that bloom year-after-year, like Echinacea (pictured here) or Lisianthus ‘Summer Beauty,” for reliable flower arrangements. Add annuals as needed, to introduce fresh colors and varieties each season.
To make managing your cutting flower garden simpler, divide perennial plants based on bloom times and heights into groups for easier management. This enables you to easily access blooms for floral arrangements without overshadowing shorter plants with taller ones; providing each variety with optimal conditions for success while using clean tools when cutting flowers to prevent bacteria spreading quickly that could wilt them quickly.
Annuals
Flower beds brimming with vibrant blooms make beautiful arrangements and offer fresh sources of homegrown blooms. A cut flower garden needn’t be an independent area; you can incorporate it into existing vegetable or landscape plans for added effect.
Include annuals like ageratum, snapdragons, sweet alyssum and gypsophila in your cutting garden for easy growth and extended flowering periods. They can either be planted in full sun or partial shade conditions to maximize blooming potential.
For ease of watering, weeding, and harvesting purposes, arrange your plantings according to height and bloom cycle. For instance, place taller annuals at the back and shorter ones at the front; note whether certain of your plantings require support (like tulips and hyacinths) or climb on vines (sweet peas and climbing nasturtiums) so they’re readily available for snipping; consider growing additional perennials as well.