It’s one of gardening’s funny ironies is that lots of us are reluctant to cut our flowers and turn them into a nice bouquets. What we can do is to create separate garden for cutting and bring the best of both.
So, shall we begin................
Step 1: Decide What You Want:
Think about the types of flowers you want to grow—both annuals and perennials—and make a list. Focus on flowers with longer stems, the best for cutting and arranging. Include a few of each that bloom in spring, midsummer, and late summer to keep you in business all season long. Also make a little research how much space each plant needs; some of your favorites may require only eight to ten inches (say, pansies), while others may need two to three feet (dahlias). Depending on the plants you choose, a three-by-six-foot bed can hold up to about 20 plants.
Think about the types of flowers you want to grow—both annuals and perennials—and make a list. Focus on flowers with longer stems, the best for cutting and arranging. Include a few of each that bloom in spring, midsummer, and late summer to keep you in business all season long. Also make a little research how much space each plant needs; some of your favorites may require only eight to ten inches (say, pansies), while others may need two to three feet (dahlias). Depending on the plants you choose, a three-by-six-foot bed can hold up to about 20 plants.
Step 2: Scope Out Your Spot:
As flowers prefer lots of sun, around six hours or more per day. Choose a sunny site that is well drained (the ground shouldn’t stay wet at all times). The ultimate size of the plot depends on how much space you have and how much time you can devote to taking care of it. A cutting garden isn’t supposed to look like a mixed border of plants, so there’s no need to get hung up on design principles. Visualize it more in terms of crops: You’ll be planting in rows.
As flowers prefer lots of sun, around six hours or more per day. Choose a sunny site that is well drained (the ground shouldn’t stay wet at all times). The ultimate size of the plot depends on how much space you have and how much time you can devote to taking care of it. A cutting garden isn’t supposed to look like a mixed border of plants, so there’s no need to get hung up on design principles. Visualize it more in terms of crops: You’ll be planting in rows.
Step 3: Prep the Planting Area:
If you’re making a new bed in an existing lawn, first remove any turf grass and roots. Then enrich the growing area by working a layer of four to six inches of organic material (compost, chopped leaves, peat moss, etc.) into the top eight to ten inches of soil with a spading fork. If your ground is very sandy, swampy, or rocky or high in clay content, do yourself a favor and consider making raised beds with a simple kit and filling them with amended soil purchased in bulk. This saves you the daunting, near-impossible task of trying to turn bad soil into good.
Step 4: Sketch It Out:
You’ll get the easiest and quickest results by purchasing seedlings or small pots rather than starting from seed, but either option works. Before you hit the nursery, create a simple sketch of the bed on graph paper and decide how many of each kind of plant you want. (Don’t forget to allow space for you! There has to be enough room between rows to get in there to weed, fertilize, deadhead, stake, and, of course, harvest.)
You’ll get the easiest and quickest results by purchasing seedlings or small pots rather than starting from seed, but either option works. Before you hit the nursery, create a simple sketch of the bed on graph paper and decide how many of each kind of plant you want. (Don’t forget to allow space for you! There has to be enough room between rows to get in there to weed, fertilize, deadhead, stake, and, of course, harvest.)
Step 5: Shop:
Planting can begin sometime in spring, depending on where you live. (Check the website of your local cooperative extension for the average date.) Even though plants will be available for sale before then, don’t be seduced into buying too early (unless you have your own greenhouse), or else late frosts could wipe out your investment. Whether you go to a garden center, farmers’ market, or roadside stand, ask for feedback on your plans from someone knowledgeable. And pack your reading glasses, because plant tags reveal a wealth of information, from size at maturity to care requirements. Even the most experienced gardeners read the fine print to ensure the varieties they choose fit their needs. You’ll also need to assemble a cutting kit that includes sharp, pointed scissors; by-pass pruners; a small hammer for smashing woody stems; and a pair of lightweight gloves. Store it all by the door closest to the cutting garden with a supply of three-foot bamboo stakes and a roll of garden twine for supporting top-heavy stems and propping up foliage that could be broken by rainstorms.
Throughout the growing season, plants need consistent moisture. Cutting stems regularly and removing faded blossoms will encourage plants to keep blooming as frequently and for as long as possible. To give heavy blooming plants a boost—especially later in the season when they tend to slow down—every couple of weeks apply a liquid fertilizer dissolved in water. When early season annuals and bulbs are finished, pull them out, cultivate the soil a little, toss in a tablespoon of granular fertilizer, and replant the area with new seedlings of later blooming flowers like zinnia or chrysanthemum.
• Cleome (spider flower)
• Cosmos
• Dianthus
• Gomphrena (globe amaranth)
• Gypsophila (baby's breath)
• Marigold
• Nicotiana (flowering tobacco)
• Nigella damascena (love in a mist)
• Pansy
• Phlox
• Snapdragon
• Sunflower
• Sweet pea
• Verbena bonariensis
• Zinnia
Perennials
• Achillea (yarrow)
• Alchemilla mollis (lady’s mantle)
• Aster
• Carnation
• Chrysanthemum
• Coral bells
• Delphinium
• Dianthus (pinks)
• Echinacea (purple coneflower)
• Heuchera (coral bells)
• Lavender
• Leucanthemum (shasta daisy)
• Lupine
• Paeonia (peony)
• Rudbeckia (black-eyed Susan)
• Solidago (goldenrod)
• Veronica
Foliage
• Coleus
• Dusty miller
• Eucalyptus
• Euphorbia (snow on the mountain)
• Ferns
• Flowering cabbage
• Flowering kale
• Hosta
• Sage, tricolor
Step 6: Plant Away:
Just before you plant, mix some fertilizer into the top few inches of soil. This will help keep nutrition consistent during the growing season. For easier maintenance, group together flower varieties with similar sun, water, and drainage needs. Tall plants should be placed in the back of the bed so they won’t shade out their shorter neighbors.
Step 7: Water and Mulch:
Once everything is in the ground, water each plant carefully and thoroughly to settle it and eliminate air pockets. Then spread a two- to three-inch-thick layer of mulch around the plants. (Use shredded bark, salt hay, pine needles, or whatever else you prefer.) This will suppress weeds and help retain moisture.
Step 8: Maintain and Replant:
Step 9: Harvest (Blooms and Compliments):
Do your cutting during the coolest part of the day—early morning—and bring a tall container of tepid water along with you. Plunge the stems into the water immediately after snipping them to prolong their vase life. When you’re back inside and ready to start arranging, make a fresh cut on the stems and add a floral preservative to the water to further prolong their lives.
Do your cutting during the coolest part of the day—early morning—and bring a tall container of tepid water along with you. Plunge the stems into the water immediately after snipping them to prolong their vase life. When you’re back inside and ready to start arranging, make a fresh cut on the stems and add a floral preservative to the water to further prolong their lives.
What to Plant:
Annuals
• Ageratum (floss flower)