Planting and Designing a Cut Flower Garden

Flowers make us happy, delight the eye with form and color, tantalize the nose and develop memories and traditions. No matter how uncertain our world seems to be we can count on
flowers to burst forth in the spring to remind us of the cycles of nature and the beauty on earth. They symbolize hope and help us deal with the more complicated problems of life. We give
them to show our love, console, celebrate and cheer others. No matter what the occasion, flowers are an essential part of our lives. So what could be more rewarding than to grow your
own cutting garden? Your flowers would always be a part of your home with an abundance to gather for friends and loved ones on any occasion. Your children would delight in nothing
better than a garden filled with color, bugs and butterflies where he can cut to his delight and deliver bouquets to surprise his mother. A cutting garden is one of the most rewarding gardens you can plant.

Perennials make a great foundation for a cut flower garden. They will come back year after year and provide pleasure in your garden for more than one season. The flowering span is not all they have to offer, there is also seed pods and foliage to be used in your bouquets. Herbs such as rosemary and lavender contribute aroma as well as silvery gray color.

A cut flower bed can be any size, from a mixed container on a porch or deck to a designed bed in the yard. It could be combined in a border with shrubs or simply flowers mixed in your landscape. Learning which flowers and foliage hold up in a cut arrangement without wilting is the key. To help you we have included a design filled with flowers that are great for cutting. Remember to fill in with annuals and bulbs such as narcissus, daffodils, anemone and tulips because they can begin to flower early when nothing else has emerged from the ground. Most annuals provide color all summer long and bloom more profusely when cut. Remember to use the foliage on your perennials and shrubs to enhance the flowers in your bouquets. Hosta leaves and fern fronds add an elegant touch. Do not be afraid to experiment and have fun with new plants and colors. For this design choose a site that receives a generous amount of sun (at least six hours) and prepare your soil with compost and soil amendments so that it drains well. A cutting garden is not limited to sun. There are a multitude of beautiful flowers suitable for cutting that grow in the shade such as helebores, hydrangeas and astilbe. Your friends here at Fairview are always available for advise and inspiration.

Have fun!
Anna Y.
Fairview Greenhouses & Garden Center

2. Zinnia Giant Flowering
Provides an abundance of bright, vibrant colors. Loves hot sun and blooms until frost. 1 to 4 feet tall.