Creating a cutting garden allows you to bring the color and fragrance of the garden indoors. Planning a cutting garden is simple, though there are few thing to remember. Most cut flowers prefer full sun. Think about what color combinations you’d like in your arrangements. Since the flowers in a cutting garden are meant to picked consider planting two flower gardens; one for display and one for cutting. If you lack the space for a traditional perennial garden consider planting flowers in pots which could be placed on a sunny patio, deck or porch.
What to Plant: Perennial flowers which work in the cutting garden include astilbe, balloon flower, beebalm, chrysanthemum, coneflower, coreopsis, daffodil, delphinium, dusty miller, foxglove, daisy, golden thistle, iris, liatris, lily, lupine, lobelia, monkshood, peony, phlox, sedum and yarrow.
Many annuals are classic cut flowers. In fact, the act of cutting them encourages more flowers. Annuals for the cutting garden include aster, cleome, cosmos, dahlia, dianthus, gladiolus, gypsophila, larkspur, marigold, salvia, snapdragon and zinnia.
Flowering shrubs such as hydrangea, lilac, viburnum, witchhazel and forsythia all work well as cut flowers. To make flowering shrubs last as long as possible as cut flowers, crush the ends of the stems to increase the amount of water the plant will intake. Foliage can be added to your cut flower arrangement so plants such as arborvitae, andromeda, ferns, tri-colored sage, holly, juniper and mountain laurel are all excellent for greenery.
How To Plant The Garden: Preparing and caring for a cutting garden is the same as preparing and caring for a perennial garden. To begin the existing soil should be tilled and mixed with compost or peat moss. Any weed or sod should be tossed in the compost pile. When planting the perennials remember to leave adequate space for any annuals you’d like to plant. Once established keep the garden weeded and its soil cultivated. This will encourage healthy flowers.
When To Cut Your Flowers: Rather than using perennials which have fully-open blooms for instant color use only those flowers with buds which are just beginning to open. These will last a much longer in an arrangement. Annuals however should be fully open when cut. Roses should have buds that are slightly open and firm.
How To Cut Your Flowers: When cutting your flowers from the garden be sure to take along a bucket of water to set them in. Select only the healthiest flowers. After harvesting your cut flowers, place them out of the sun in a cool spot for a few hours in a container of warm water with floral preservative. Remove any foliage from the lower half of the stem that will be below water level. Using a sharp knife, cut the stems on an angle, removing about half an inch of stem. Warm water will increase water uptake and floral preservative will help them last longer. Also, be sure to re-cut the stems frequently and remove blooms as they fade.
Cut flowers have a limited life but with proper care and handling you can increase their length of bloom and your enjoyment.
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