Flower gardens have an immense impact on local ecosystems. So why not create one yourself, and one you can cut from to enjoy indoors!
Here’s how to get started:
- Choose a location: Look for an area in your yard that receives at least six hours of direct sunlight per day and has well-draining soil.
- Select your flowers: When choosing flowers for your cutting garden, consider what you like and what will grow well in your area.
Select flowers in each of the following categories: Filler (Ex. Yarrow), Supporting (Ex. Rudbeckia), Focals (Ex. Foxgloves), Air Elements (Ex. Quaking Grass) and Greenery (Ex. Eucalyptus).
Choose a mix of early-, mid-, and late-season bloomers so you have a continuous supply of flowers and pay attention to the final height of each plant. The taller the plant, the easier to arrange with.
- Start your Seeds: Most flower seeds prefer to be surface sown. Follow the seed starting instructions on each seed packet. Grow lights and a small fan help seedlings grow strong and healthy.
- Prepare the soil: We follow a no-till growing methodology, where we cover a new growing area with 2 layers of cardboard, overlapping each other by 6”, and then create permanent beds with aged compost. We layer 4-6” of compost to create our beds, and a thin 0.5” layer of woodchips to create our paths.
- Plant your flowers: Once your beds are made, plant your flowers. Plant slightly closer than the recommended plant spacing especially if you plan to cut from your flowers regularly. Put trellis/stakes in place at planting, for plants like Sweet Peas.
- Harvest your flowers: As your flowers begin to bloom, cut the stems during the coolest part of the day. Use sharp, clean scissors or pruning shears to cut, then place the stems in a bucket of water. Let them hydrate in a cool place for a few hours before arranging.
- Arrange your flowers: Remove all leaves from each stem and cut them at an angle to help water absorption. Arrange the flowers to your preference.
With a little planning and care, you can create a beautiful cut flower garden at home that will provide you with fresh blooms all season long. Enjoy the beauty and fragrance of your flowers, and share them with friends and family to brighten their day as well!
Bio
Akos Asare is the head farmer and florist at re.Planted Farm & Floral Studio, a regenerative urban farm based in Deep River, Ontario. Akos cultivates flowers and vegetables in less than 2600 sq ft of growing space, utilizing no-till intensive growing methods. You can follow their journey by visiting replantedfarm.ca or following them on Instagram or Facebook @re.plantedfarm.