The Cut Flower Garden Guide | Kings Seeds

Once you discover how effortless it is to cultivate your own cut flowers and enjoy the beauty they bring to your home, you'll be hooked. 

An interesting Harvard study revealed that having flowers in your home can evoke heightened feelings of compassion while diminishing anxieties and worries. As a bonus, flowers serve as natural air purifiers, effectively removing toxins and pollutants from the air. Another study found that adorning your living spaces with flowers can significantly enhance creativity and productivity. In this guide, we will discuss cut flower gardens, the best cut flowers to grow, cut flower garden plan, how to make flowers last longer and dried flowers; we hope to inspire you to grow your own blooming beautiful bouquet this season.

  

How to Create a Cut Flower Garden

Choose a sunny spot with well-drained soil to start your cut flowers. Consider your cut flower garden plan to ensure easy access for tending and picking your beautiful blooms. It's important to plan ahead and select various flowers that will thrive in your specific climate and soil conditions.

Think about the height of your flowers and the positioning of the sun so that flowers of tall statures are towards the back of your garden bed with shorter varieties in front getting access to the sun and not vice versa, unless it is a shade-loving varieties like hydrangea, hostas, Irish moss, foxglove, forget-me-not, aquilegia, ammi and bells of Ireland.

When cultivating a cut flower garden, it's crucial to ensure easy access to the flowers for cutting without the risk of trampling on other plants. For serious growers, raised beds or beds with access from both sides, allowing you to reach into the middle, can be the most effective solution. This setup not only provides convenient access but also minimises the potential damage to surrounding plants during harvesting.

 

The Best Cut Flowers to Grow

When choosing the best cut flowers to grow for your cut flower garden, consider a mix of annuals and perennials to ensure blooms throughout the growing season. Some popular choices for cut flowers include;

Annuals: sunflowers, zinnias, dahlias, snapdragons, asters, lilies, ageratum, agrostemma, and amaranthus.

Perennials: dahlia and lily come back year after year, some other perennials to grow for cut flowers are achillea, aquilegia, campanula, echinacea, gaura the bride, foxglove and solomans seal.

Filler flowers & foliage: ammi, orlaya, nicotiana, forget me not, euphorbia, basil, rue, wormwood and eucalyptus.

Dried flowers: helichrysum, statice, winged everlasting, echinops, erygnium and more on this topic below.

 

Cut Flower Staking and Support

Supporting your flowers as they grow is essential to prevent them from drooping or bending. There are several support systems you can use in your flower garden, such as stakes, cages, netting or trellises. Stakes are great for single-stemmed flowers like delphiniums or gladioli, while cages work well for supporting bushy plants like peonies or dahlias. Trellises are ideal for climbing flowers such as sweet peas or hyacinth bean vine. Many cut flower gardens use netting to support and keep their flowers off the ground. By carefully installing netting above the flower beds, the stems of the flowers can grow through the holes in the netting, providing support and preventing them from drooping or bending. These structures to support your growing plants will help maintain the upright growth of your flowers, while keeping them off the ground where pests and damage can occur. Making sure they are ready for cutting and arranging.

 

Watering Tips for a Cut Flower Garden 

Proper watering is essential when growing cut flowers; the health and longevity of your cut flower garden will depend on your watering routine. Be mindful of your garden's watering needs, especially during hot and dry periods. A soaker hose or drip irrigation to deliver water directly to the base of your flowers, can minimising water waste and reducing the risk of disease. As always, with gardening, mulching can help with moisture levels and would assist in water saving.

 

When to Pick Your Cut Flowers

Knowing the right time to pick your flowers is crucial for ensuring a long vase life. In general, it's best to pick flowers early in the morning or late in the evening when they are fully hydrated. Select blooms that are just starting to open, and use sharp, clean garden snips or scissors to make clean cuts at an angle.

 

Sealing Flower Stems and Extending Vase Life 

If you are thinking "how to make the flowers last longer" or "what to put in cut flower water", consider these vase-preserving techniques: After cutting your flowers, it's a good idea to seal the stems* to prolong their vase life; you can do this by immediately placing the bottom of the stems (5-8 cm) in boiling water, then placing them in cool water. Remove any foliage below the waterline before arranging your flowers.

1. Keeping the vase clean: Wash the vase with hot, soapy water before adding flowers to prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi.

2. Trimming the stems: Trim the stems of the flowers at an angle and seal the stem before placing them in the vase to ensure they can absorb water easily.

3. Changing the water: Replace the water in the vase every 2-3 days to prevent bacterial growth and keep the flowers fresh.

4. Adding floral preservatives: Use commercial or homemade solutions containing sugar, bleach, and citric acid to nourish the flowers and inhibit bacterial growth.

5. Avoiding direct sunlight and heat: Keep the vase away from direct sunlight and heat sources to extend the flowers' life. You can also use a dark vase to help with stem lifespan.

Be sure to check the toxicity of the flower variety before bringing it inside for allergy reasons and pet safety.

*Before sealing the stem, we recommend researching the variety of flower for additional guidance on this. It can be especially effective for sap producing varieties such as poppies.

 

Flowers for Drying

Consider drying some of your cut flowers to enjoy their beauty long after the growing season. Flowers such as Bunny Tails Grass, Craspedia Drumsticks, Briza Quaking Grass, Echinops, Eryngium, Helichrysum, Scabiosa, Statice and Xeranthemum are excellent flowers for drying and preserving.

Some great tips for drying flowers include:

1. Hang them upside down in a warm, dark and well-ventilated area to dry naturally.

2. Choose flowers known for retaining their shape and colour when dried, such as statice, craspedia drumsticks and echinops.

3. Be patient and allow the flowers to dry completely before handling or arranging them.

4. You can spray dried flowers with a clear acrylic spray or a floral sealer to help preserve them and protect them from damage. Be sure to test the spray on a small part of the flower first to ensure it doesn't cause unwanted discolouration or damage.  

These tips will help you preserve the beauty of your cut flowers long after the growing season has ended.

 

 

Enjoy Your Beautiful Cut Flowers

With your cut flower garden in full bloom, take the time to appreciate the beauty and fragrance of your homegrown flowers that you've lovingly grown. Arrange them in vases throughout your home to gain all their benefits, dry them for prolonged beauty, share them with loved ones, or consider selling them at local markets, roadside stalls or florists.

 

Creating a cut flower garden is a delightful and fulfilling endeavour with numerous benefits. By following the tips and guidelines provided, you can establish a stunning garden that provides an abundant supply of beautiful blooms for cutting and drying while keeping the pollinators happy and busy in your garden. Brightening your days and lifting your spirits. 

Head along to our website to browse the mass selection of flowers we offer to start growing today for your posies and vases, and bring your dream cut flower garden to life for less than the cost of a store-bought bouquet.