Before planting, ensure the area receives ample direct sunlight, amend the soil with compost or slow-release flower fertilizers, and consider raised beds if the existing soil type is poor.
Add perennials that are easy to cut back, such as rudbeckias, dahlias and penstemons. Also include annuals with long vase lives such as yarrow and snapdragons.
Choose the Right Plants
Cut flower gardens consist of flowers and foliage grown specifically to be cut for bouquets. These perennials or annuals may be planted directly from seed or purchased as transplants for easier growing. In order for it to succeed as a cutting garden, its mix of colors, heights and textures must create pleasing bouquets.
Consider each plant’s growing conditions carefully, especially the amount of sunlight it requires for proper development. Many cut flowers require at least 6 hours of direct sun per day as well as well-draining soil; using an online resource such as North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox will assist in finding appropriate species to match with your site conditions.
Experiment with a balanced mixture of perennials and annuals to provide blooms throughout the entire growing season and allow you to try out different colors, shapes, textures, heights and shapes. Try including tall plants like hydrangeas and peonies as anchor flowers while short to medium blooms such as snapdragons, delphiniums and tulips as short to medium blooms as anchor flowers; include some interesting foliage options like ferns and ornamental grasses for extra variety.
Plan Your Layout
Cutting gardens are dedicated planting spaces or sections within existing flowerbeds dedicated to cutting flowers for indoor arrangements. It is best to select an area with sunny exposure and good soil where your cutting garden will thrive best, to make harvesting flowers as effortless as possible.
For limited spaces, perennial cut flower plants should be an integral part of your garden borders and interspersed with foliage and flowering shrubs. Multitasking annuals (such as sweet peas, snapdragons and zinnias), alongside filler flowers like baby’s breath and gypsophila will offer plenty of blooms throughout the season for arrangements.
If you are planning a dedicated cutting garden, choose a sunny area with good soil for planting beds that encourage long stems. Also keep in mind that regular weeding and picking of flowers will be needed; thus choose an area in which it will be easy for you to access both beds without accidentally trampling on any blooms.
Planting
Cut flower gardens can be created as separate spaces or integrated into existing gardens or ornamental plantings. Either way, they should be easily accessible so that flowers can be harvested quickly.
Evaluate your area and select a spot with sufficient sunlight. Most cutting garden plants prefer full sunlight; however, some thrive even under partial shade conditions.
Check each plant’s bloom timing and arrange them accordingly. Perennials should be planted together since they return year after year; when it comes to annuals, group them according to their growing requirements (sunlight, soil conditions, watering needs and nutrients).
Some plants require additional support; to facilitate this, group them together at the back of your garden or near a fence so you can easily add stakes. You might also consider adding slow-release organic fertilizers in spring to promote consistent and abundant growth.
Harvesting
If you’re planting a cut flower garden, include blooms that bloom at various times of the season to guarantee a steady supply of fresh blooms for bouquets and arrangements. Plus, it makes harvesting easier when they are at their full bloom instead of when their petals have started to fade!
Be sure to provide your cutting flowers with plenty of water and nutrients when cultivating them. Overwatering can lead to root rot and fungal diseases while under-watering will leave them looking stressed out and withered.
fertilize your flowers regularly with organic flower food and add compost or manure to the soil in your cutting garden for healthy soil that encourages successful plant growth. When harvesting flowers for arrangements, be sure to do it first thing in the morning when their moisture content is highest and clean up all pails, vases and cutting tools before beginning your task of cutting flowers.