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We have always had dreams of having a cut flower garden and this year we finally made it happen!
Cut flower gardens are one of the best ways to enjoy natural beauty because they make for a stunning garden and can be easily brought into other spaces. Combined with other materials from the garden and home, they can make gorgeous floral arrangements, whether they are fresh or dried. We use ours for wreaths, center pieces, bouquets and other decoration around the house.
The best part is that you don't need a huge space to have your own cut flower garden. You only need to plan for the space you have, whether it be a small patio or a large garden space.
If you are thinking of creating your own cut flower garden, here are our top tips and tricks.
Tip One: Consider your Location in Terms of Light and Water Source
Every plant has its own light requirements for what it will need to thrive. It is important to think about your space and how much light the area you have gets before you choose your plants. If you get full sun, which is at least six hours of direct sunlight a day, you want to choose plants that need full sun. Flowers like zinnias crave that sun and will need it to produce the gorgeous blooms often incorporated into cut flower gardens. Part sun, in contrast, needs three to six hours of direct sunlight each day and there are many beautiful flowers that can thrive in this environment. A flower like salvia will thrive in part shade and be a beautiful addition to any bouquet. In order to have a cut flower garden, it is ideal to have some light, versus being in full shade. Plants need some light to produce those beautiful blooms we often are looking for. However, do not discount your shade plants for extra foliage in your floral arrangements.
Water is also an essential thing to put thought around. Since you will be most likely using containers for your cut flower garden, your plants will need to be watered frequently. In the summer, your plants will need water one to two times a day. If you are planning on hand watering, it will be way easier to keep up with if you have a watering method close by, like a hose. You can certainly use a large watering can, but you want to make sure you won't be overwhelmed by the amount of time it takes to water if the water source is too far away. One thing to consider is to put in a drip watering system that will keep your flowers properly hydrated all season long.
Tip Two: Create a Plan Around the Plants you will Use and Enjoy
Now that you have considered your light and water sources, you need to think about the plants that you want in your garden. This is the fun part! When you are choosing your plants, just like other sections of your garden, you should read the requirements of each plant and make sure you have the right space for them. You also want to choose flowers that you find beautiful and will want to use. Finally, you should consider other plants that you have or want to add to your garden that will add color and foliage to your floral arrangements. Herbs, vines, branches, and leafy greens can take your arrangements up a notch and really get you to the look you want when added to your flowers.
Tip Three: Be Thoughtful and Resourceful about Containers
We at Planttastic really love a good pot, but they can be super expensive! If you can afford it or have collected them over time, they might be perfect for your cut flower garden. However, there are more affordable containers that can be used to plant your future gorgeous flowers. Don't be afraid to explore the dollar store for affordable and creative options. A laundry basket could be lined with burlap and make an excellent pot for your cutting garden, for example. You may also have containers laying about your house that you can use. Anything can be used or upcycled to make an effective and attractive container. You can drill drainage holes into the bottom of any plastic, metal or wood container that is large enough and fits into your space. In addition, these materials often are easier to store through the winter since they hold up against frost better than clay or other pottery. You want to think about how you will store your containers through the off season. This might be by finding a place in your garage or using a protective storage wrap to keep them from cracking and getting worn.
Tip Four: Make sure you use Support Structures
Almost all, if not all, of the flowers in your cut flower garden will need supports to grow. There are so many ways to support you flowers, from trellises to sticks. Some support structures will fit right in your pots, or you can use a teepee support structure that goes over your pot. We love grow rings as well, which are easy to use and are really effective. If you want your flowers to grow to their maximum potential, it is essential that they have the supports they need to be successful, just like anything else!
Tip Five: Make sure you get the Best Potting Soil
A cut flower garden is ultimately about beauty. The best way to ensure a beautiful garden is to give them the foundation that will help them thrive. Based on this, soil is not a place you want to skimp. Buy the best potting soil that you can afford, it will be worth it! There are other areas that you can save money, like your containers or support structures, but the soil that they grow in should start them off with the best nutrients and home possible.
Tip Six: Feed your Plants while being Environmentally Conscious
Plants need nutrients just like other living things, but it doesn't mean that you need to pump them full of fertilizer, which is usually rough on the environment. We use compost and fish emulsion to make sure our plants are properly fed and looking beautiful. We make sure our plants have two inches of compost added to their pots. This might be compost that you use from your own compost bin or you can buy it. Fish emulsion can be bought in concentrate and lasts a long time. It is recommended to fertilize cut flowers once a week, however, we have found that we can add fish emulsion about every three weeks to keep our plants happy.
Tip Seven: Be Sure to Deadhead Consistently
One of the chores we kind of hate in the garden is deadheading. It can be so tedious and time consuming. However, it is so important to keeping flowering plants looking beautiful and encouraging growth. The investment you put into deadheading will be well worth it. Usually, we make sure to carve out some time each week to do some deadheading in order to make sure it is a consistent part of the gardening plan. (For a better idea about how we feel about deadheading, see the video below.)
Tip Eight: Harvest Often to Encourage Blooms
Another thing that is essential to keeping your flowers blooming to their full potential is to harvest your blooms often. This is one of the best parts, since it is the purpose of having a cut flower garden. You get blooms that you can actually use! It seems counter intuitive, but harvesting and pruning encourages growth, as long as you do it in a way that is appropriate for the plant. For example, some plants benefit from an initial hard prune. It is important to do the research on the plants you have and what proper care looks like for them.
Tip Nine: Learn from the Experts
There are so many great experts out there who have whole farms dedicated to cut flower gardening. One of our favorites in Floret Farms. These are the true experts and learning from them is invaluable. We recommend buying their books or following them on social media to continue learning. WE highly recommend A Year in Flowers by Erin Benzakein. We feel confident in our gardening skills and still have learned a ton from them. In addition, they have a large range of experience that we are able to slowly build up our repertoire in our own cut flower garden.
Tip Ten: Reflect on the Growing Season to Plan for the Future
As with anything you grow, we always recommend reflection. Gardening is fluid and sometimes things work out beautifully but sometimes they are lack luster. After each year, it is important to consider which plants were happy and which ones struggled. Some questions to consider may include:
Were my containers appropriately sized?
Did my plants get enough light?
Did my plants get enough water?
Were my plants too close together?
Did I enjoy the aesthetics of my cut flower garden?
What was missing from my cut flower garden?
Was I able to keep up with the maintenance of my cut flower garden?
Are there other flowers I would like to try?
We hope that these tips are helpful in starting your own cut flower garden. If you would prefer to watch the video tutorial, check out the below YouTube video!
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