Cutting Gardens

How to grow cutting flower for bouquets. For many people, going out into the yard and cutting assorted flowers to bring into the house is one of the pleasures of the growing season. Some decide to make a space on their property for a dedicated cutting garden, while others choose to work plants for cutting into existing beds. As we go into spring and early summer, here are some ways you can include spirit-lifting flowers in your growing plans.

Here are plants that are recommended for bouquets:

Shrubs: Butterfly bush, Forsythia, deciduous azaleas, lilacs, hydrangeas and roses.

Perennials: Nepeta, peonies, lady’s mantle, peach-leaf bellflower, summer phlox, agastache, daisies, helianthus, actea, joe-pye weed, butterfly weed, black-eyed Susans, asteres, Asiatic and Oriental lilies, daffodils, and Verbena bonariensis.

Annuals: Dahlias, zinnias, ‘Blue Horizon’ ageratum, marigolds, salvia, nasturtiums, and sunflowers.

Tips for planting: Perennials can be planted anytime from April on. Most annuals are planted in late-May or early June. If you’re growing zinnias and sunflowers from seed that is being sown directly into the garden, wait until the very end of May so that the soil will be warm.

Most cutting garden flowers do best in part to full sun. Place them where there is at least four hours of direct sunlight, including the noon hour.