With some careful planning and patience, you can cultivate an abundant cut flower garden. Before getting started, locate an area in full sunlight; observe various parts of your yard throughout the day to determine how much direct sun each spot receives.
For easier care, group flowers with similar growing requirements together. Some species, like zinnias and sunflowers, may benefit from pinching to encourage branching as they expand.
Sunflowers
Sunflowers add an array of vibrant hues and sizes to bouquets. Their single stem (such as the Procut Orange variety) or branching varieties come in an array of colors and flower sizes for you to choose from.
Beginners often find growing succulents to be easy, making it an excellent option. All it requires for success is full sun exposure and an area free from weeds to be planted in.
Be sure to plant in a sunny location and amend your soil with organic matter for improved water retention. Sunflowers should also be deadheaded regularly in order to produce consistent flowers; simply pinch off faded flower heads using clean pruning shears or scissors as soon as they begin to fade, thus encouraging additional blooms while lengthening stems for enhanced vase life.
Gerber Daisies
Gerber daisies are the star attraction in most cut flower gardens. Boasting blooms that span from late spring through to fall and long stems that make cutting easy, these hardy perennials grow easily from seed while tolerating some heat.
Autumn brings with it a wide array of annual flowers like rudbeckias (Rudbeckia spp), dahlias and sweet peas as the centerpiece. Don’t overlook perennials such as aster (Aster spp), ornamental kale and flax (Linum usitatissimum), which add structure and interest to bouquets.
Deadheading faded flowers on a regular basis promotes repeat blooming. Use clean gardening shears to avoid scuffing their leaves, then apply a balanced fertilizer such as one rich in nutrients such as slow release ones.
Sunflower Seeds
Select annual and perennial flowers that bloom throughout the summer for optimal bloom production. Annuals such as cosmos, larkspur, and sunflower seeds will return year after year while perennial varieties like rudbeckias and garden phlox offer lasting beauty to your garden.
Make sure your cutting garden receives plenty of sunlight; few cut flower varieties thrive without full sunshine.
Group plants with similar cultural requirements together to simplify watering and feeding. This will reduce accidental over- or underwatering.
Pinching annual cut flowers like zinnias and celosias is beneficial, encouraging them to branch out more and produce longer stems. Do this when reaching a certain height so as to stimulate more branching out and ultimately longer stems.
Dahlias
Start flowers from seeds and watch them blossom into beautiful bouquets is an exhilarating experience, but to achieve success you must also tend to their specific needs.
Dahlias require full sun in order to bloom beautifully, so for maximum multiple flowering pinch off their lead shoot when it reaches 6-8 in height – flower farmers use this trick as it redirects energy from this key shoot to new side shoots that produce multiple blossoms.
To prevent dead spots in your garden, group plants with similar growing needs together. This will enable you to give each the amount of water required without unwittingly over or underwatering other plants.
Petunias
Now that the vegetable garden has come to an end for another season, it is time to turn your attention towards your cut flower garden. Now is an excellent opportunity to tidy up beds, dig up dahlias if necessary and overwinter tender perennials such as phlox and cosmos.
Annuals like petunias flourish in sunny beds or planters and produce blooms all summer long. Regular deadheading (removing faded flowers) helps redirect energy away from seed production to new growth and blooming.
Evaluate your planting area’s sun needs. While most flowers thrive under full sunlight conditions, it is crucial that morning sun exposure be maximized in order to limit exposure to harsh afternoon rays.
Orchids
Start by selecting your site. Most flowers thrive best with at least six hours of direct sunlight daily; take note of how much light hits this particular location over several days to gauge it properly.
Plant perennials and annuals with blooming times that overlap, to provide you with a steady supply of flowers for cutting. Keep in mind that most flowers only bloom for one season before their production stops altogether.
Deadheading your flowers – particularly Phalaenopsis orchids – regularly is key to prolonging their lives in a vase. Simply pinch off faded blooms near their bases, just above healthy leaves or buds.