Create a beautiful garden full of blooming annuals like zinnias and sunflowers as well as perennials that produce blooms all season long without needing acres of space or an expert green thumb.
Consider growing flowers in raised beds for greater control over soil quality. Taller flowers like sunflowers and zinnias require additional supports such as netting to avoid them flopping over as they grow taller.
Sunflowers
Sunflowers are essential additions to any cut flower garden. Easy to care for and thrive in hot climates, they produce an abundance of blooms over an extended period of time. There are two varieties of sunflowers that make excellent cut flowers: branching and single-stem varieties (the latter of which includes Procut series varieties that produce one bloom per stem – ideal for beginners).
Branching sunflowers can become quite large and require plenty of room. To maintain manageable height, plant 18-24 in (45-60 cm).
Group the plants you want to include in your cutting garden by their growing conditions, from those needing support (like dahlias and delphiniums) to those requiring netting ( like snapdragons and bachelor’s buttons). This will ensure each receives the care it requires without being overshadowed by taller ones. Start seeds indoors a few weeks to one month prior to the last frost date or plant them directly out when weather warms up in order to give each enough time to flourish before planting directly outdoors!
Sweet Peas
Sweet peas are essential additions to any cut flower garden, boasting an extended blooming season from summer through to autumn. Choose fragrant cultivars like Erewhon with beautiful bicolour blooms and delectable fragrance, or Mollie Rilstone which boasts mid-blue blooms with excellent growth habits for optimal performance.
To extend your harvest season, stagger the planting of sweet peas and other annuals by sowing every two or three weeks. Regular trimming and deadheading also helps plants bloom for longer. In order to ensure optimal yields from these efforts, supplementing their feedings with liquid flower fertilizers at both planting time and periodically throughout the growing season is key for high yields.
Sweet peas are vine-like plants, so they require support to allow for vertical growth. You could use anything from trellises or stakes tied together with twine, to the cordon method involving tying individual plants onto bamboo canes as they mature. Pruning when plants reach four to six inches (10-15 cm) encourages branching and more flowers compared to unpinched plants.
Zinnias
Zinnias once considered outdated are back in fashion as cut flower gardens gain in popularity. Zinnias feature an expansive palette of colors, shapes and sizes and are easy to grow from seed.
Make sure that zinnias receive at least 6 to 8 hours of sun each day in an area with good air circulation, such as wet soil or humid conditions, to reduce their susceptibility to diseases like powdery mildew later in the season.
For maximum length, pinch zinnias when they reach 12 to 15 inches tall to induce them to send up more side shoots and bushy growth. As part of this practice, save seeds from spent flowers by allowing them to mature on the plants until dry before saving and placing in an envelope or container for storage; Zinnia seeds do not require cold storage for successful germination.
Marigolds
Marigolds (Tagetes) are tough, easy-care flowers that produce lots of blooms throughout their growing season, making them excellent filler plants or dried for use in flower arrangements.
Indoor seed starting can give your growing season a head start and increase the odds of success. For direct sowing of seeds, visit Old Farmer’s Almanac’s website and determine your hardiness zone and frost dates before following instructions on seed packets or catalog descriptions for planting directly.
Once the seeds are planted, arrange your garden with tallest flowers in the back and shorter plants in front. Be sure to leave enough space between plants so you can easily harvest when harvest time arrives; some varieties such as climbing nasturtiums and certain zinnias may need supports such as stakes to prevent them from flopping over during their growth process.