Here at The Bouqs Co., we believe that you can never have enough fresh cut flowers. That’s why we’re huge fans of having our own cutting gardens, where we grow beautiful flowers that we can quickly snip off and use as home decorations. If you’re not confident you have a green thumb, don’t worry. We’re here to share how to start a flower garden, no matter your gardening experience.
Whether you want to plant a single snapdragon on your patio or hope to turn your backyard into a floral oasis, you’ll benefit from a few basic tips and flower garden ideas. Learning where, when, and how to plant flowers will allow you to enjoy homegrown blooms and custom bouquets. And if things don’t work out, you can always order a spring flower delivery!
How to Choose a Location for a Cut Flower Garden
Most flowers that produce sturdy stems and stunning blooms prefer full sun. While there are exceptions to this rule, a location with at least six hours of light is the best spot for a cut flower garden.
Once you’ve found a sunny spot, stick a shovel into the ground and examine the soil. The ideal soil type varies between flowers, but most flowering plants prefer well-draining soil high in organic matter. Avoid locations where water puddles on the soil surface or immediately drains through the ground. If don’t have access to the ideal soil type, you can improve sandy or heavy clay soils by mixing in a few scoops of compost.
Another option is to grow cut flowers in raised beds or planters. Choose a container that’s at least a foot wide and a foot deep, then fill it with a rich, well-draining potting mix.
How to Plant a Flower Garden
Although you can plant flowers throughout the year, the spring is a great time to add new annual and perennial flowers to your garden. Many flowers are sensitive to cold temperatures, so wait until the last frost has passed before adding seeds or seedlings to the ground. Once the weather has warmed up, it’s time to pick some of the best garden flowers to plant!
When it comes time to select flowers, you have a few options. You can think about the flowers you love looking at and try growing a few of these. Or you can browse through gardening magazines to come up with flower garden ideas. Another option is to plant easy-to-care-for flowers like sunflowers, zinnias, celosia, strawflowers, and cosmos.
Sunflowers
While you can certainly find sunflowers with bright yellow petals and black centers, you can also find these iconic flowers in shades of deep crimson and light peach. No matter which variety you choose, make sure to choose a location with full sun and well-draining soil. It’s easy to plant the flowers from seed, so there’s no need to transplant seedlings. When you’re planting seeds, provide two feet of space between branching varieties and six inches between single-stem sunflowers.
Zinnias
No matter your favorite color, you can probably find a zinnia to match. These popular cutting flowers come in shades ranging from pink to orange to yellow to green, and each variety sends up multiple stems throughout the summer. Make sure to cut each zinnia just above where the stems branch to end up with a continuous supply of blooms.
Celosia
There are three main types of celosia: plumed, wheat, and cockscomb. The first two have a spiky, upright shape, while the latter resembles a brain. All types of celosia grow best as transplants, so start seedlings indoors, then plant them outside a month later.
Strawflower
Strawflowers have a daisy-like shape, but their texture really sets them apart from other flowers. The petals feel like crispy straw, leading to their common name. Not only do these flowers look beautiful in fresh arrangements, but they also dry well. Simply cut a handful of fresh stems, then hang them upside down in a dry location.
Cosmos
Credit Wikicommons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chocolate_Cosmos_(8043986729).jpg
The cosmos’ wispy, feathery foliage is almost as beautiful as the delicate flowers. Although these plants look delicate, they can actually hold up to a fair amount of stress. The plants are prolific bloomers, so be sure to cut the flowers every few days to encourage continuous production.
How to Care for a Flower Garden
If you ask someone how to start a flower garden, they may tell you to put some seeds in the ground and hope for the best. But proper flower care is a key part of growing beautiful blooms ready for cutting!
When your seedlings are small, make sure to keep the soil moist. Smaller plants have smaller roots, so they can’t access water buried deep in the ground. Mulching your flower garden with wood chips or straw can help conserve moisture and keep your plants happy. As the plants grow, they can survive longer periods without water.
Once your plants start developing buds, you can apply a low-dose flowering fertilizer. Flowering fertilizers contain a ratio of nutrients that encourage flowers to put their energy into producing blooms rather than leaves. Applying too much fertilizer can lead to serious problems, so make sure to follow product instructions when fertilizing!
If you’re growing tall garden flowers like cosmos and snapdragons, consider adding a trellis to help support them. You can use a wire cage to support single plants or guide the stems of multiple plants through plastic netting. This will help the stems grow straight and keep the plants off the ground.
When your plants start flowering, make sure to harvest regularly! Keeping up with harvesting encourages the plants to produce new flowers and provides you with blooms to add to custom bouquets.
When to Cut Your Garden Flowers
The best time to cut garden flowers is always in the early morning. The reason is that they’ve just enjoyed a cool night and perked themselves up from the morning dew, which means they’ll be nice and hydrated. Also, since their stems are full of water, they will be strong and less susceptible to damage when handling.
Absolutely never, ever, ever cut garden flowers at midday or in the early afternoon, as the sun will have sucked lots of water out of their leaves, leaving them wilted, limp, and lacking vital nutrients. If you do, we can confidently say that your flowers won’t be enjoying a long vase life.
Also, different types of flowers require that you cut them at certain stages of their development. For instance, flowers with multiple buds should be cut when at least one bud is starting to open and display coloration. If you cut them too early, the buds will likely not open up in your vase. Flowers with just one bloom on each stem should be cut just as they’re beginning to open if you want to enjoy a long vase life.
Enjoy Flowers No Matter the Season
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: there’s no such thing as too many flowers! Whether you have a garden teeming with beautiful blooms or are working on planting your first flower garden, ordering a bouquet is never a bad idea. Not only will fresh flowers brighten your home, but a new bouquet will help give you ideas on what you can plant in your home flower garden!
And remember, you can always order flowers for loved ones. Whether you want to order a bouquet of March birth flowers for your friend or let a new graduate know you’re thinking of them, we have you covered.
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