Planning an effective cut flower garden will significantly decrease the time you need to spend tending it. For maximum efficiency, combine perennial and annual varieties into your design for best results.
Cosmos, Larkspur and Sweet Pea are annuals that produce multiple blooms when cut, and should form the basis of any cutting garden.
Choose the Right Plants
Successful cut flower gardens rely on selecting flowers with long stems and superior vase life. When purchasing seeds, look out for scissors icons in catalogs or packets as these will indicate varieties which are better suited for cutting.
Select perennials (those that return year after year) and annuals (those which grow, bloom and die within one season). Plan your garden on paper prior to planting so as to avoid creating any empty spots in your flowerbeds.
Planning is key when growing flowers successfully in your zone. Consider which varieties can handle frost or heat. Also keep track of each bloom time for continuous supply throughout the season.
Prepare the Soil
Cut flower gardens should be located in sunny spots with rich, well-draining soil, free from competing weeds and grass for easier maintenance. When starting from scratch, loosen the soil before mixing in several inches of organic matter for improved water retention and drainage.
If planting from seed, begin sowing several weeks prior to the last frost date. When purchasing plant starts from reputable growers and selecting varieties with similar growing conditions and bloom times. Consider planting in raised beds for added soil control. Tall annual flowers like zinnias and sunflowers may require support such as trellises or netting in order to avoid flopping over as they grow taller.
Water
Cut flowers require rich, well-draining soil with ample sun exposure – usually, the back of each seed packet will indicate how much direct sun they require.
Staggering your flower planting schedule will ensure each variety blooms gradually and lasts as long as possible. Deadheading (pruning spent blooms) regularly to extend life of cut flowers is also helpful in encouraging new growth and prolonging their beauty.
To prevent weeds and make accessing plants easier, plant in rows rather than borders. Leave enough space between each row so that all flowers can be reached efficiently.
Fertilize
Cut flower gardens can add interest and draw beneficial insects while also drawing pollinators activity to your landscape. By mixing vegetables and herbs together in one bed, this is an effective way to attract beneficial pollinators activity while adding beauty.
Plan your cut-flower garden carefully, taking note of bloom cycles. Annuals – such as cosmos, larkspur, and sweet peas – that produce additional blooms after being cut should form the backbone of the garden.
stagger the planting of different flower varieties so you’ll always have access to fresh, vibrant blooms. Deadhead them regularly so as to promote rebloom.
Deadhead
Your cut flower garden should be created with ease of access in mind. This means planting wide rows so as to avoid having to bend over in order to access the flowers and leave plenty of space between each row for working in your garden.
Maintain a neat flower garden by regularly deadheading the plants to remove unsightly seed heads and prevent energy being expended on maintaining old blooms.
Some plants, like sedum, feature attractive dry flower heads that add visual interest in winter landscapes, while others, like purple hyacinth vine, create lovely lavender flower pods to brighten summer gardens.
Harvest
As with any garden, proper planning and layout are vitally important to success. To ease harvesting, plant rows that make weeding and staking (if required). Tall flowers like sunflowers or zinnias should be planted at the back, with medium-sized plants placed between the rows and shorter-stature varieties situated nearer to the front.
As full sun is essential to most cut flower cultivation, making sure your garden gets ample exposure is crucial for their bloom. Carnations, sweet peas and snapdragons tend to prefer acidic conditions while delphiniums and dahlias prefer alkaline environments.
Keep cutting flower production high by providing them with liquid organic flower fertilizer every two or three weeks. To minimize postharvest losses, always place cut stems into buckets of cool water immediately following harvest.