A Cutting Garden
There’s nothing more beautiful than fresh cut flowers in the home. Growing them yourself makes them more special, satisfying and it’s a lot easier than you think! Whether you use your whole landscape, a 4X4 raised bed or even containers there are few things to consider beforehand and then you are on your way! If you are limited to containers then you are limited with space but don’t fret! Annuals will work great and provide you with months of color! When it comes to a location in your landscape; the side & back yards are the best locations for cutting gardens. Reason being, you will be regularly cutting the colorful flowers off and you don’t want to remove color from the front of your house. Another consideration is sun exposure. Most flowers prefer full sun so keep that in mind when planning your cutting garden but once you have established the amount of space and location you can move on to the fun part, planning and planting! You’ll develop your favorites over time but it’s always fun to experiment with planting something new every year because you may discover a new favorite! If space allows, always try and stagger your plantings a few weeks apart to prolong the life of your cutting garden. “For every buck above spend two bucks below!” is a phase often used by experienced gardeners who have learned the importance of soil preparation over the years. Prepping your gardens soil with rich compost, using planting soils and adding Espoma Bio-tone to the planting hole, will lay the foundation to a healthy and successful gardening experience!
Top Recommended Cutting Flowers:
Annuals– Tall Zinnias, Tall Snapdragons, Tall Marigolds, Celosia, Sunflowers & Alstroemeria. Annuals are the longest bloom producing plants and every cutting garden needs to have them, The more you prune them, the more prolific they are!
Bulbs/Tubers– Dahlias (the show stopper flower), Freesia (fragrance), & Gladiolus (beautiful color).
Perennials– Black Eyed Susan (fresh & delightful) Liatris (tall) and Peonies (elegant).
Shrubs– Roses (classic, you have to have one eventually) & Hydrangea (full & graceful).
*Don’t forget the foliage, fillers and accents– Ferns (love the shade), Basil (you can eat it too!), Statice and Baby’s Breath.
