Cut flower gardens don’t need to be separate spaces; they can easily integrate with existing gardens. A cut flower garden should be easily accessible for watering, weeding and harvesting flowers.
Flowers that boast long stems, good vase life and an array of colors make ideal cut flower candidates. Annuals and perennials grown for cutting should be fed a slow-release organic compost or fertilizer at planting time and periodically during their summer stay in order to provide maximum bloom potential.
Choose Your Plants
Before planting your cutting garden, determine the space available and what flowers best suit your needs. Perennials that rebloom year after year as well as those with long stems make excellent cut flowers; although combining annuals and perennials into an attractive bouquet is also possible.
Lay out your flower beds to maximize ease of watering, weeding, and picking. Group plants with similar sun, soil, and hydration needs together and plan for tall blooming cut flowers such as Dahlias or Delphiniums that require support (dahlias are excellent examples of such flowers).
Fill your beds with both “thrillers” (flowers that create the primary focal point) and “fillers” (less dramatic blooms that complement them), adding in some foliage like ornamental grasses, ferns, or hosta leaves for extra flair.
Sow the Seeds
Cut flower gardens typically consist of annual blooms as well as greenery or filler plants with an extended vase life, plus hardy perennials. Although a cut flower garden can be placed anywhere with sufficient sunlight and well-draining soil, ideal locations include ample sunlight exposure and rich, moist soil conditions.
Group plants according to blooming times, heights, textures and blooming times for maximum versatility in your garden design. For instance, plant tall flowers like sunflowers at the back and shorter plants like cosmos in front.
If you don’t have a dedicated space for planting cutting flowers, try scattering them throughout your existing flower beds and vegetable gardens for easy access. Remember to mulch regularly with organic material to regulate soil temperature and moisture levels.
Water
People tend to envision cut flower gardens as being filled with rows of daffodils or tulips, or perhaps an expanse of roses, all easily maintained plants that make excellent starter gardens. These varieties make good choices for newcomers because they require little care once established.
Cutting gardens can also be added into existing gardens and landscapes for easy weeding, watering and harvesting of blooms. Combine it with vegetable or herb gardens as many flowers work well in both!
As you plan your cut flower garden, think carefully about the length of time each arrangement needs to last in a vase and choose plants accordingly. Choose filler flowers that complement their color theme while also adding texture or lengthening your arrangement.
Fertilize
To maintain an ideal garden, it is necessary to regularly fertilize it. A liquid or granular product will work just as effectively in encouraging new blooms while simultaneously protecting against weeds.
Cutting flower gardens can range from small plots in sunny locations, to being an addition to existing vegetable or herb gardens. When planted in rows, accessing plants for watering and weeding should be easy; taller annual flowers like zinnias or sunflowers may need support from netting or trellis; vining plants like sweet peas or climbing nasturtiums require stakes as support.
Choose perennials and annual flowers to fill your vase all year, then introduce new color with seeds or seedlings each season. Selecting cut-flower garden plants ensures you always have access to fresh blooms for home arrangements at reduced costs compared to purchasing them from grocery stores or florists.
Harvest
Dani of Summer Skye Gardens suggests incorporating flowers with long stems and excellent vase life into existing beds to achieve long vase life and lengthier stems, even without enough space for an entire cut flower garden. When selecting varieties with desirable traits like longer vase life and lengthier stems.
Your flowers should be harvested either early morning, late afternoon and evening when they’re less likely to wilt, Louise advises. Keep a bucket of cool water nearby and cut your blooms at 45-degree angles just above a leaf node or bud, she advises.
Make sure to regularly inspect and remove deadheads from your plants to promote more blooms, and don’t forget to add fillers like Achillea (yarrow). They add height, texture and color.