To maximize the yield from your cut flower garden, select plants that thrive in your climate and can easily be grown such as annuals such as zinnias and sunflowers.
Sweet peas and delphiniums are ideal plants to add reblooming characteristics to your garden beds; plan them around their specific bloom times for maximum flowers each time!
Plan Ahead
An effective cutting garden is key to providing a steady supply of flowers throughout the season. Consider growing both annual and perennial varieties with differing bloom times for maximum flower production and add in aromatic or fragrant blooms as fillers as well as foliage plants to complete your planting plan.
Plan your cut flower garden so it is easily accessible from your house, with full sun. This will make harvesting the flowers simpler without disturbing their plants or having to step through other parts of the garden.
Remember that many flowers, like zinnias and celosia, will require regular pinching of their central stem in order to encourage branching and produce longer stems for cutting. This practice helps promote more branching while creating longer stems suitable for cutting purposes.
Soil Preparation
To ensure the success of a cutting garden, the soil must be free from weeds and rich in organic material. Before planting your seeds, incorporate several inches of compost or leaf mold into the soil to improve drainage and boost nutrient content.
Be mindful of each flower’s cultural needs when planting annuals like zinnias and sunflowers. Some require support such as trellises, while sweet peas and climbing nasturtiums need their vines woven into a netted system to prevent flopping over.
Most flowers don’t bloom simultaneously, so be sure to plan a mix that allows you to harvest them throughout the season. Additionally, planting bulbs that bloom late winter or early spring can extend harvesting season further.
Planting
Start off right by selecting an area in your yard which receives full sunlight, with most cut flowers preferring at least six hours each day, though morning sun offers all its advantages while limiting heat build-up.
Cutting gardens should feature both hardy and half-hardy annuals that bloom throughout the season, such as snapdragons, cosmos, zinnias and sunflowers. You should also add perennials like yarrow, garden phlox, larkspur and peonies for extra effect.
When planting seeds, spread them closer together than suggested on their seed packet to encourage longer stems and promote branching. You can pinch plants at about one month old to increase flower production and promote branching.
Watering
Start with easy-to-grow annuals such as zinnias and sunflowers; select those with staggered planting times for continuous blooming throughout summer. If space is an issue, try growing flowers vertically instead or in containers.
When choosing a location for your cutting garden, take into account both available space and sunlight availability. In windy environments, robust staking will likely be necessary for taller plants.
When harvesting flowers, be sure to do it early morning or late evening so they can immediately begin absorbing water, lengthening their vase life. Always use clean gardening shears so as to minimize stress on the plant.
Harvesting
Harvesting requires cleaning tools such as pails, vases and cutting tools thoroughly prior to starting. Also be sure to change out water frequently in vases in order to eliminate bacteria growth. When harvesting flowers for cut bouquets it is best to harvest in the morning when flowers have had time to fully hydrate themselves before cutting begins.
Organise your flower garden according to flower type – grouping together plants with similar growing requirements so it is easier for you to provide exactly what they require and prevent accidental over- or under-watering of individual areas. For instance, group perennials together and annuals like zinnias in one spot while planting taller blooms such as sunflowers at the back and shorter species like snapdragons nearer the front for optimal sun exposure and development of full potential blooms.