Establishing a cut flower garden may seem intimidating at first glance, but the process is actually quite straightforward. To maximize productivity in your cut flower garden design it carefully.
Cutting gardens require a specific area with long rows and plants spaced closely for efficient harvesting and maintenance, with some tall annuals such as Zinnias or Sunflowers needing support from either netting or trellises for efficient growth.
Sunflowers
Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) add classic flair to any garden while making beautiful cut flowers. These annuals come in an array of hues – from lemon yellow and butter yellow, all the way through reds and peach hues. Look out for pollen-free varieties when purchasing cut flower varieties for use as cut blooms.
Seed packets often suggest spacing your planting 18″ apart; for cutting flowers however, I would advise spacing them 9″. They don’t care much for soil conditions but do need full sun and good drainage.
When picking sunflowers as cut flowers, it’s essential that they be plucked before fully opening – this ensures they last longer in your vase and promotes healthier growth. Also be sure to cut them first thing in the morning so as to prevent wilting!
Zinnias
Zinnias are beloved summer blooming flowers that boast an astonishing variety of hues and forms. Ideal as both supporting flowers in bouquets and as focal pieces in arrangements, zinnias can easily be grown from seed directly in the garden for continuous harvest throughout summer. Due to their susceptibility to both fungal and bacterial diseases such as powdery mildew, take special care not to overwater your foliage when watering and plant accordingly in order to prevent powdery mildew from appearing.
Keep your zinnias producing by regularly cutting spent flowers (known as deadheading). This will refocus their energy into producing more blooms instead of going to seed, thus prolonging bloom time and stopping seed formation. When deadheading, cut stems early morning or evening when temperatures are coolest to prevent wilting while using clean shears that won’t spread bacteria further. Once cut, submerge them in water mixed with flower preservative until ready for arrangement.
Gerber Daisies
Gerbera daisies feature long stems, making them ideal as filler flowers in bouquets. When harvested early morning or late evening, their vase life can reach one week. Furthermore, these beauties grow very well in containers when given support via trellises or similar structures for their vines to climb on.
Seeds or plant starts can easily be found at local nurseries and garden centers, while seed catalogs and online resources offer even greater options to find varieties suited to your region.
Attempts at growing gerbera daisy plants from seeds must wait until their flowers have finished blooming, then remove and dry spent flower heads before harvesting the seeds that look similar to dandelion seeds, with white fuzz on their ends to help spread.
Marigolds
Marigolds are an easy, colorful bedding plant to grow and are an integral component of many cut flower arrangements. Their multiple stems offer multiple opportunities for cutting. Marigolds make great additions to bouquets as fillers or can even stand alone as focal pieces in arrangements.
Roses thrive in both heat and humidity; however, in particularly warm areas they may enter a rest period during the sweltering days of summer. Use shears to remove dead blooms, while maintaining moist soil by watering regularly.
An essential step to creating an exemplary cut flower garden is selecting an optimal mix of annuals and perennials that suits both your gardening skill level and space constraints. Be sure to include flowers that have performed well in previous years while trying new varieties each year; it can be an interesting way to discover what works well!
Petunias
Petunias form dense mounding plants that cover the ground with colorful blooms. Their blooms come in single, ruffled double, “spreader”, window box or container varieties – and even singles! Their flowers make excellent fillers and bouquet fillers – they make harvesting effortless!
With their strong fragrance, citrus oils help repel aphids and other insects from invading. A thorough cleaning, quick water spray-down, and regular inspection may dislodge early invaders before they have time to multiply.
Build an attractive cut flower garden that requires minimal upkeep by selecting easy-to-grow flowers that bloom readily in your growing climate and planting them in blocks of the same species. Choose perennials and annuals compatible with your climate for best results, and arrange the garden rows or grid systems to facilitate harvesting while minimizing bare spots between the plants.