There\u2019s nothing that can\u2019t be made better with a fresh bouquet of flowers. Skip the line at the store and look into your very own backyard flower field with our guide to planning and growing a cutting garden. <\/p>
From zinnias to peonies to wildflowers galore, we\u2019ve got you covered with the best tips for getting your flower garden up and running.<\/p>
The first step to altering your landscape is assessing what you\u2019re starting with. There\u2019s no one-size-fits-all approach to garden design, and getting to know your yard will set you up for the most successful cut flower garden possible. <\/p>
Use our 5 S\u2019s checklist when you\u2019re ready to start planning. This information will help you design a smart layout and choose plants that will thrive. <\/p>
For large properties, you obviously have more leeway with choosing a prime spot for your cutting garden. In addition to the categories below, consider where would be most convenient for you to make maintenance easy. <\/p>
If you have a smaller space<\/a>, you\u2019ll need to be extra thoughtful about your plant choices and layout to ensure maximum blooms while allowing for healthy air circulation. For example, you might want to skip the shrubs and replace them with herbaceous perennials. <\/p> Consider going vertical<\/a>, too. Flowering vines can wrap around trellises or beautify fencing. A gutter garden (shelving made out of gutters and attached to a wall) can hold plants with shallow root systems.<\/p> Sunlight is a nonnegotiable for a cutting garden. Most of the plants you\u2019ll choose need full sun (meaning 6-8 hours of direct sunlight). Mark any shade structures you have in your yard like pergolas, playsets, covered patios, or large trees, and determine what cardinal direction your yard faces.<\/p> South-facing yards receive the most sun exposure. Western-facing yards get direct sun in the afternoon, whereas light from the east is strongest in the morning. Northern-facing areas receive the least amount of sun and should be avoided for cutting gardens if possible. <\/p> Sunlight isn\u2019t the only nutrition source to think about. Any happy organism needs a comfortable home, and plants can be picky about their living spaces. <\/p> It\u2019s essential to know the state of your current soil so you know what kind of amendments and fertilization it might need. <\/p> Qualities to test for in your soil:<\/p> It\u2019s best to get a soil test done by a local extension service. You can collect the sample yourself and mail it in, and you\u2019ll get a full report on your soil quality. We\u2019ll cover amending your soil a few steps down.<\/p> When\u2019s the last time you considered the grading of your property? Even mild slopes present special erosion needs and potential irrigation problems. <\/p> Knowing where water tends to pool in your landscape will help you decide where to put certain plants. Most of the flowers for cutting gardens don\u2019t like sitting in mucky soil, so planting them on a higher area of your landscape is better.<\/p> Take a tour of your property a few hours after it rains to see if there are any puddles. If there\u2019s a serious low spot, you may need to address it with a rain garden or a hardscaping drainage solution<\/a> (like a French drain or a dry well). <\/p> Last but not least, what kind of climate do you live in? Checking which USDA Hardiness Zone you live in<\/a> will give you a lot of information. Consider questions like:<\/p> This is the part where you get to imagine all the vibrant cut flower arrangements of your dreams. Do you want something sunny for your kitchen? Delicate for your bedroom? A showstopper to give a friend?<\/p> To ensure diversity, make sure your cutting garden includes:<\/p> We put together a list of the best flowers for cutting gardens to get you started. When you\u2019re going through your options, think about the following.<\/p> You\u2019ll get more bang for your buck with a plant that blooms for a few months. Paying attention to when your plants bloom also lets you pick cultivars that flower at different times so you always have something beautiful to pick from.<\/p> Plants with long blooming seasons:<\/strong><\/p> If you\u2019re a pro, feel free to take on more finicky plants like gardenias and delphiniums. If you\u2019re new to gardening, consider native wildflowers. They still produce beautiful flowers, but they\u2019re naturally adapted to the climate and are generally more pest and disease resistant. Plus, they attract pollinators like bees, butterflies, and birds. <\/p> Low-maintenance flowers:<\/strong><\/p> Depending on your space, you\u2019ll have different needs. Flowering vines are great for wilder-looking bouquets and foliage filler, and many of them prefer shadier spots. You may want to decorate a trellis or pergola with a flowering vine<\/strong> like:<\/p> Or you might need something that can act as a hedge. There are a lot of flowering shrub options<\/strong>, including: <\/p> Designing your cutting garden is like designing a vase of flowers. Get creative by putting contrasting colors next to each other to make them pop and staggering heights for further visual interest. <\/p> Placement is more than aesthetics, though. Keeping these things in mind before you put seeds in the ground will make your gardening life much easier down the road. <\/p> The final step is deciding on the type of garden. There are three main options: raised garden beds, in-ground beds, and container gardens.<\/p> A raised bed is a structure often built from wood that sits on top of the ground and acts like a big container for your plants. <\/p> Advantages of raised garden beds:<\/strong><\/p> An in-ground garden simply means planting your flowers right into the ground.<\/p> Advantages of in-ground garden beds: <\/strong><\/p> A container garden<\/a> means growing your flowers in containers like terra cotta pots or window boxes. <\/p> Advantages of container gardens: <\/strong><\/p> Getting your soil ready<\/a> is like cleaning your home before a guest arrives. You want the linens to be fresh, the house to smell inviting, and the temperature just right. You can take similar steps to ensure your soil is as welcoming as possible for transplants. <\/p> Like we mentioned before, getting a professional soil test is the first step. Depending on your results, you might need to make some changes. The best time to do this is in the late fall or early winter. That way, anything you add will have time to work its way into the ground and affect the soil. <\/p> The three most common soil textures are: clay, sand, and loam. Loam is the ideal type; if your soil falls into this category, you can leave it alone. <\/p> A simple test can give you a rough idea of what soil you\u2019re working with:<\/p> If your soil is mostly clay, you need to lighten and aerate it so there\u2019s space for nutrients and water to move through the ground. Compost, straw, peat moss, and perlite are popular options for amending clay soil.<\/p> If your soil is mostly sand, you need to improve the holding capacity of the soil so it can retain water and nutrients long enough for the roots to absorb them. Compost and peat moss also work for sandy soil, as well as vermiculite. <\/p> Although all plants have different soil pH preferences, most plants thrive in the 6.0-7.0 range. If your soil falls outside of that, you may need to amend it. <\/p> If your soil is above 7.0, that means it\u2019s alkaline<\/strong>. To lower your soil pH<\/a>, you can use: <\/p> If your soil is below 6.0, it\u2019s significantly acidic<\/strong>. The most common method for raising your soil pH is with granular or pelletized limestone.<\/p> Follow the instructions on the product you buy and perform another soil test a few weeks later. If you\u2019re just testing pH, you can get a home kit from your local garden center.<\/p> Your fertilization needs will depend on your plant. Native flowers, for example, don\u2019t need a lot of fertilizer and some (like coreopsis) can actually suffer if the soil is too rich. <\/p> As a general rule of thumb, you can incorporate a dose of a slow-acting, organic, granular fertilizer in the spring. That\u2019s usually enough to keep plants happy throughout the growing season, but you can always add a dose of liquid fertilizer if there\u2019s a drop in blooms. <\/p> You have your plan. Your soil\u2019s ready. The seeds are waiting. So when do you start actually growing flowers? Spring is a great time to sow seeds for most flowers. Some need a few weeks of colder temperatures to germinate (like tulips), so check the package for exact instructions.<\/p> What you\u2019ll need:<\/strong><\/p> How to sow seeds:<\/strong><\/p> Perennials can be transplanted on or after the last frost. Annuals usually need a week or more after the last frost date until they\u2019re ready to be transplanted. If you have cuttings or young plants, plant them directly into the ground at the appropriate time (depending on if they\u2019re a perennial or an annual). <\/p> Pro Tip: <\/strong>Always make sure to clear away weeds before planting. You don\u2019t want your new plants to have to compete for nutrients and space. Add a 2-3 inch layer of mulch about 2 inches away from the base of plants to prevent new weeds from popping up.<\/p> A broad-spectrum insecticide will keep insects at bay, but they\u2019ll also scare off pollinators. A better option is a horticultural oil like neem oil. Neem oil interrupts the life cycle of many common garden pests like whiteflies and aphids. It can hurt bees when misused \u2014 spray it at dawn or dusk and away from hives. <\/p> The best offense is defense. Checking in on your plants regularly will let you catch the early stages of a pest where things like soap spray or picking them off by hand will still be effective. <\/p> For pests with four legs and a tail like deer and rabbits, pest control is a little more difficult. Fencing is always a good idea, but isn\u2019t suitable for all yards. Adding blood meal and bone meal to soil deters rabbits. Planting strong-smelling herbs like chives, lavender, and sage around the border of your garden will further deter most unwelcome visitors. <\/p> You\u2019ll see advice about \u201cpinching\u201d and \u201cdeadheading\u201d when it comes to caring for flowers, but what do they actually mean? They all refer to intentionally cutting back a plant to encourage healthy growth and a desired shape. We\u2019ll explain the distinctions between each. <\/p> Pinching refers to removing the growing tips on an herbaceous plant up to a couple inches from the end. Via a complex cascade of chemical signals, this discourages legginess and causes the plant to grow in a bushier shape. <\/p> No, this has nothing to do with a certain rock band from the \u201860s. Deadheading is a type of pruning where you remove spent blossoms. The purpose of this is twofold:<\/p> First, it removes dead tissue that might become a home for fungus or bacteria. <\/p> Second, it prevents flowers from setting seed. Seedheads and fruit production takes energy away from flower production. Deadheading is an essential part of cutting garden upkeep to encourage plants to produce maximum flower yield. <\/p> Pruning encompasses pinching and deadheading as well as more invasive measures like removing entire branches or older stems. For invasive plants, pruning sucker shoots is important in managing aggressive growth. <\/p> Some plants, especially shrubs, benefit from a hard winter pruning. This can mean cutting the plant back by two-thirds or to a single main shoot. Pruning, when done right, revitalizes older plants and lengthens plant life. Always check your specific species\u2019 needs. <\/p> Designing your own cutting garden can be fun, but it also can be overwhelming, especially for people new to gardening. If arranging the flowers once they\u2019ve bloomed is more your thing, hire a Lawn Love professional<\/a> to design, install, and maintain your cutting garden. A team will take the guesswork out of it and work with you to get the floral paradise of your dreams.<\/p> Sun<\/span><\/h3>
Soil<\/span><\/h3>
Slope<\/span><\/h3>
Seasons<\/span><\/h3>
2. Choose your plants<\/span><\/h2>
Bloom time <\/span><\/h3>
Maintenance needs<\/span><\/h3>
Type of plant<\/span><\/h3>
3. Design your flower bed<\/span><\/h2>
Raised garden bed<\/span><\/h3>
In-ground<\/span><\/h3>
Container garden<\/span><\/h3>
4. Amend your soil<\/span><\/h2>
Soil type<\/span><\/h3>
Soil pH<\/span><\/h3>
Fertilization<\/span><\/h3>
5. Sow seeds<\/span><\/h2>
6. Protect from pests<\/span><\/h2>
7. Pinching, deadheading, and pruning<\/span><\/h2>
Pinching<\/span><\/h3>
Deadheading<\/span><\/h3>
Pruning<\/span><\/h3>
Call a pro<\/span><\/h2>