These simple tips will help you start a cut flower garden overflowing with gorgeous blooms.
A cut flower garden doesn’t have to be anything fancy.
you could start by designating one flower bed for growing your favorite perennials andannuals for cutting.
Credit: Ed Gohlich Photography Inc
Then, you’ll have cut flowers whenever you want, plus a full, gorgeous garden.
Here’s how to get started.
Use these tips tostart a cut flower bedwhere you might pluck stems without worrying about leaving bare spots.
Choose a sunny, out-of-the-way spot.
A cut flower garden offers plenty of planting freedom.
it’s possible for you to mix and match colors, textures, heights, and varieties.
Make the bed simple to weed, feed, and cut by planting the flowers in rows.
You might even make your cut flower garden part of an existingvegetable or herb garden.
The crop-style planting will blend in, and your “production” gardens will be in one location.
Planning will help you avoid creating gaps in your cut flower garden.
Draw your existing beds on paper, noting varieties, bloom times, and heights.
Then pencil in the flowers you want to cut.
Use bloom cycles as your guide to creating a productive mix.
Plant a variety of perennials and annuals.
Plant a balanced mix ofcutting perennialsand annuals.
Your favorite perennials will return year after year, while annuals will let you experiment more easily.
Both types of plants can make excellentcut flowers.
Consider all flowering plants.
Useflowering shrubssuch ashydrangeasandlilacs, aromatic herbs such aslavender, andplants with interesting foliageto add pizzazz to your arrangements.
2: Keep your plants healthy.
Water, feed, anddeadhead flowers regularlyto encourage your plants to remain productive for as long as possible.
And deal with any pests as soon as you spot them so they don’t destroy all your flowers.
Cut flowers when it’s cooler.
Use sharp,clean pruning shearsor snips to cut stems.
Cleanliness is key to long-lived blooms.
Dirty tools can spread plant diseases.
Submerge newly cut stems in a bucket of water mixed with a flower preservative.
Let the flowers rest in the bucket of water for one hour to rehydrate fully before arranging them.
