Planting a cut flower garden is an easy and reliable way to ensure fresh blooms for bouquets or creative projects with flowers. The key to successful cut flower gardening lies in selecting annuals and perennials with blooms that bloom at various points during the season, rather than all at the same time.
Consider fragrance, height and texture when selecting plants for your home or garden. Remember to cut stems at an angled cut-point and refresh water levels regularly in vases to maintain maximum bloom potential.
Preparation
If you want to grow cut flowers, select a sunny spot with well-draining soil. When possible, plant in raised beds as these will make upkeep easier than with traditional gardens which often become overgrown and disorganized over time.
Choose an assortment of annuals, perennials and bulbs to give yourself year-round blooms. Most annuals and perennials only bloom for one season at most; some such as dahlias or sweet peas will rebloom when pruned back after blooming ends.
To increase flower lifespan, regularly prune back and deadhead them. Harvest when temperatures are cool – early morning or evening is best – then immerse them immediately into water mixed with flower preservative. Make sure the tool used to cut stems is hygienic; any traces of dirt could spread bacteria that causes faster rotting of blooms. Finally, consult your seed packet to know exactly how much sun the plants require for best growth.
Planting
Cutting gardens can be designed as standalone spaces, or they can incorporate flowers into existing perennial or vegetable gardens. Jennifer and Adam O’Neal of PepperHarrow Farm recommend amending soil with compost or slow-release flower fertilizer before planting their cutting gardens, according to their book Small Farm, Big Dreams.
To simplify care for a cut flower garden, group together flowers that share similar needs. For instance, dahlias require staking while snapdragons require fence or grow-through netting to support them. You can also incorporate filler flowers such as kale, nasturtiums, portulaca or verbena into the arrangement to provide ground cover, curb weed growth and add color and texture.
Select flowers that will bloom throughout the season to provide stems for floral arrangements throughout. Consider including perennial plants that can be replanted annually as well as annuals grown from seeds or starts.
Care
Maintaining a cut flower garden requires regular care and maintenance. Just as with any garden, watering, weeding and fertilizing must take place regularly to ensure optimal conditions for blooming flowers. In addition, regular deadheading (pinch off flowers just below where their base meets the stem) helps the plant focus its resources on producing new blossoms while permitting some flowers to go to seed so you have an ongoing source of new blooms for use in flower arrangements is key to its continued bloom.
Planning your layout means taking into account both sun and soil conditions where you will be cultivating plants. Once determined, determine each perennial’s hardiness zone as well as their individual water, soil and nutrient needs for flowering plants. Group plants according to their cultural requirements so you can ensure they receive what they need; additionally plan staggered plantings of different varieties so there will always be blooms throughout summertime!
Harvesting
An ornamental garden requires more than watering, weeding and fertilizing; to maximize success it’s wise to include perennial plants that return each year as well as annual blooms that add vibrant hues, height and textures to the space.
Before planting flowers, take into account their sun, soil and nutrient requirements. Group perennials and annuals with similar needs together so it will be easier to care for your crop as a whole. Some tall blooms require support; placing these together allows you to easily attach stakes when required.
Plan to harvest flowers early morning or evening, when their water content is highest. Be sure to have a bucket or vase full of clean water nearby where stems can be immersed right after cutting; remembering to change out vase water regularly to avoid bacteria build-up that shortens vase life!