An abundance of cutting gardens is easily manageable with just a bit of planning. Most cut flowers require full sun and rich soil for optimal bloom.
Seed packets typically recommend 18″ spacing between seeds; however, for cut flower gardens it can be beneficial to plant closer together using grid or row planting for easier harvesting and maintenance.
Soil
By growing your own cut flowers, you’re protecting yourself against chemicals and preservatives found in imported bouquets. Prior to planting, amend the soil as much as necessary before fertilizing with liquid organic flower food for best results in plant health and bloom production.
Mulching flower gardens is an effective way to control weeds while simultaneously improving moisture retention, temperature regulation and soil health. The optimal time and place to mulch a flower garden is two weeks after the last frost has subsided in late spring.
Plan the layout of your garden plot so as to include cutting perennials and annuals at different bloom times for maximum variety and continuity of blooms, while paying attention to color, heights, textures and arrangements. Harvest your flowers early morning or evening to reduce heat stress; sharp pruning shears or snips work best when cutting stems before immersing them into cool water with flower preservative. Allow at least an hour of rehydration time before arranging arrangements.
Water
Cut flower gardens require clean, weed-free water in abundance – therefore amending the soil with organic matter can improve water retention.
An ideal cutting garden should consist of annual and perennial flowers as well as shrubs, fragrant herbs, and plants with interesting foliage to provide texture and volume in its arrangement. Plant similar blooms together so your arrangement looks its best!
Sunflowers are essential elements in any cutting garden – their easy growth produces armloads of vibrant blooms lasting two weeks in your vase! If you intend on harvesting them as cut bouquets, plant single stem varieties 9″ apart while 18″ for branching varieties.
Plant flowers with differing needs in the same beds or at least within the same season – for instance, planting sweet peas in spring and zinnias in summer will prevent one from out-competing another.
Sunlight
Starting your garden from seeds can seem like magic; those tiny, seemingly lifeless seeds sprout and transform into lush plants with armfuls of blooms to cut. So selecting an area where your flowers have the best chance at success is of critical importance.
Your garden should receive at least six hours of sun per day – and ideally more. Morning sun provides light and heat that flowers require to flourish.
Once you’ve chosen a site for your cutting garden, sketch out its layout on paper first to help visualize and avoid making mistakes with planting, spacing, or watering. For easy access when cutting flowers, plant in wide rows with no gaps between rows – that way cutting flowers is much quicker! Additionally, consider including both perennial and annual varieties within your cutting flower garden for added interest.
Temperature
Seed starting flowers is not only enjoyable and cost-effective; it also avoids chemicals used on imported blooms that could contain preservatives that may pose risks.
Start by choosing a sunny location for your garden and amending its soil with organic material to improve water retention and nutrient availability. Raised garden beds provide you with full control over its quality.
Select an assortment of easy-to-grow annuals and perennials to maximize blooming potential. Perennials will return year after year while annuals allow you to experiment with various colors, heights, textures and planting styles. Plant your flowers in rows or blocks for an attractive yet low maintenance approach or use vertical planting with hanging baskets or trellises for compact space saving solutions. If space is an issue pinch back the stems when they reach 10 to 12 inches height using fingers or clean shears – this will encourage branching and longer stemmed plants! To encourage branches, pinch back with fingers or clean shears when reaching 10-12 inches height.