Your cut flower garden adds beauty and functionality to your garden, whether for market bouquets or simply to enjoy. Zinnias, sunflowers and cosmos make great annual choices for cutting gardens.
Starting indoor seeds between March-April, and planting outdoors once all frost has subsided in May is key to success. Make adjustments in watering to account for weather fluctuations.
Annuals
Starting your garden off right can be daunting, so ensure the soil you use has plenty of drainage. Most flower varieties need full sun so locate an area with at least 6-8 hours of direct sun every day; also pay attention to how the sunlight moves throughout the day and shade spots may spring up unexpectedly!
Include an assortment of flower sizes and shapes in order to create an eye-catching arrangement. Consider including round, ball-like blooms like zinnias and sunflowers; angular ones like delphiniums, snapdragons and larkspur; as well as airy fillers such as baby’s breath or ammi majus.
Save yourself time and effort by direct sowing annual seeds in winter for cool-season annuals like sweet peas and snapdragons, hardening off seedlings when ready to plant outside, then planting according to your garden plan. Don’t forget regular and deep watering; good drainage ensures less fungal diseases and stronger roots!
Perennials
No matter whether your goal is bouquets or pollinator support, perennial flowers (and shrubs) make an invaluable addition to a cut flower garden. Examples of perennials that do well in cut flower gardens include rudbeckia (Rubia elegans), black-eyed Susans (Senecio spp), ornamental kale, sedums and heucherellas – perfect perennials!
If you opt for perennials with shorter bloom times, sow them several weeks apart so as to extend their cutting season and add depth and texture to your arrangements. Consider planting lavender or sage as these offer unique foliage textures for added depth and interest in arrangements.
Always plant perennials at the same depth they were in their pots, taking care not to bury the crown – the area where roots and stems meet – which should remain visible after planting. A good soil preparation, with regular watering for optimal performance is also key in helping your perennials flourish; for an early start consider Direct Sowing in Spring or Indoor Seed Starting as well as deadheading faded blooms to promote consistent blooms.
Sunflowers
Sunflowers are an easy and enjoyable addition to any cut flower garden, providing full sun conditions with average to good soil conditions. We suggest planting them along with other varieties with varied bloom times so you have fresh bouquets throughout summer and fall.
Your choice of sunflower will dictate its space needs; there are branching and non-branching varieties, the latter taking up more room while branching varieties can be planted more closely together. Sunflowers should be harvested when their first ray flowers begin opening but before their center disk lifts off of its position. This ensures hydration for maximum vase life.
Start seed indoors a few weeks or even months in advance of your last frost date for optimal results; alternatively, sow them directly into the ground once frost risk has passed.
Sweet Peas
Sweet peas are stunning centerpieces in any garden, boasting thick and lush vines that create a captivating focal point. Fragrant and with long sturdy stems – making them easy to cut – they make excellent cut flowers! Easy to grow, Sweet Peas also last for several days in vase arrangements (perhaps more with floral preservative).
Planting sweet pea seeds directly in Spring or starting them indoors (we have an informative post on indoor seed starting here) are both viable strategies for producing a robust crop quickly, but for optimal results pre-soaking seeds for 12-24 hours before sowing will guarantee 100% germination rates.
Add organic material such as compost to the soil both in autumn and spring to quickly improve poor conditions and promote balanced, healthy soil throughout the season. Make use of a drip irrigation system to keep soil consistently moist but not saturated so as to avoid fungal diseases; and don’t forget harvesting and deadheading regularly to extend blooming periods.