5 Tips for Starting a Cut Flower Garden
I think one of the things I hear most from friends is how much they want to grow a garden or flowers but they don’t have the knowledge or time. Growing cut flowers is so much fun and does not need to feel out of reach for any person. It doesn’t matter how much time or space you have; you can easily grow some beautiful flowers right in your backyard. When I started growing flowers I was so intimidated by it and thought I needed to have a farm to be able to grow my own bouquets. But, I came to find that by selecting the easiest flowers and doing some simple tasks you can grow cut flowers in any amount of space and with very little time.
I started my gardens while I was home with a toddler and a baby. I had to make it easy and not overwhelming. So, I started with the most basic supplies, the easiest flowers and learned from a lot of trial and error. Below I am sharing my top tips for starting a cut flower garden. I hope these can help you as you begin your flower growing journey.
First, What is a Cut Flower Garden?
A cut flower garden is a space where you grow flowers for cutting and using in bouquets and flower arrangements. The flowers in this garden are meant to be productive and picked just like a vegetable garden. The great thing about a lot of cut flowers is that when you cut them they will grow and bloom again. So, you will get flowers to enjoy in your home multiple times throughout the summer.
5 Tips for Starting a Cut Flower Garden
Have the Right Supplies…
Be sure you are ready to start your garden with the right supplies. Below is a list of my favorite gardening supplies that help me get started every season.
A garden bed, raised garden bed or some large pots or containers in an area that gets sun for at least half of the day or more.
Seeds or young plants
For seeds my favorite vendors are Johnny’s Selected Seeds and Burpee
For small plants you can purchase at a local garden center or pre-order plants for home gardeners from Garden Club or Burpee
*Many of these items have a link to Amazon. If you click and purchase one of those items I make a small commission.”
2. Choose Easy to Grow Flowers…
Learning to grow more simple flowers first is essential to helping you learn cut flower gardening. My suggestion is to start with Zinnias, Cosmos and/or Sunflowers. These three flowers are all hardy which means they will do well even if you neglect them a little bit. The zinnias and cosmos will continue to bloom again and again after being cut.
3. Plant Seeds…
Another perk of all three flowers I listed above is that they all can be grown from seeds planted directly into the garden. In your first couple of years of gardening it is so much easier to learn to grow the plants from seed right in the garden. After the last frost for your area (typically around late April-Early May) you can plant the seeds directly in the pots or garden. Just space them out according to the directions on the seed package.
4. Support Plants…
When you are growing flowers to use to make bouquets and arrangements you need them to have long stems. You can choose varieties of flowers that will grow tall, but a lot of these can get top heavy and fall over. When the plants fall over the stems can break or the whole plant could uproot.
The good news is that it is pretty easy to support the plants so that they don’t fall over. My favorite way to support the plants and hold them up is by using plant netting/trellis netting. All you need to do is put some wooden or metal stakes around your garden bed or flower pots. Before the plants are very tall stretch the netting over top of the stakes and pull down about 12 inches above the garden bed. The plants will grow up through the net and it will help keep them upright.
5. Know When to Cut Flowers…
Cutting flowers at the right time is really important to getting the best quality blooms. Each flower is different to know when to cut.
Sunflowers can be cut as soon as the petals are ready to open.
Zinnias you should cut when the stem is stiff and does not wiggle when shaken.
Cosmos should be cut just as the blooms are getting ready to open.
If your flowers are ready to be cut follow the stem down and cut above a set of leaves. This will encourage plants to branch out and you will get even more flowers if it is a variety that blooms again.
Are You Ready to Start Your Garden?
Check out my free guide to help you get started! Inside you will find a supply list, timeline, detailed flower information and more!
