Our Garden Gate

Posts Tagged ‘dahlias’

Cut flowers from garden to be used in arrangements

Isn’t it too bad that cut flowers are so expensive?

Wouldn’t it be nice to have vases of color all over the house?

Well, actually, you can. If you have a few packets of seeds, and a little plot of ground that gets plenty of sunshine, then you can grow  your own flowers for cutting.

This winter, when you’re looking through all those catalogs (see post “Have You Ordered Your Gardening Catalogs?” http://wp.me/p1OXDF-Ub)  and planning your garden, be sure to carve out a space for your cutting garden. I use my whole garden as a cutting garden, but some gardeners like to have a patch set aside just for cutting.

Clear the ground of grass and weeds. Dig and turn the soil to a depth of at least 8 inches. If  your soil doesn’t drain well or isn’t fertile enough, add some composted manure (available in bags at Lowe’s: http://www.lowes.com/pd_252970-82589-WGM03204_0__?productId=3083255&Ntt=manure&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl__0__s%3FNtt%3Dmanure&facetInfo=) and mix in well. Level out the top of the soil and plant the seeds. You can plant in rows, with the taller plants at the back so they won’t shade the shorter plants, or you can plant in squares or groupings of each kind of flower. To plant annuals, I put the seeds down and sprinkle more soil on top. Tamp down the soil with a hoe to make sure the seeds make good contact with the soil. Keep the area moist (not wet) until the seeds germinate and have a couple of leaves.  Then water deeply every 3-4 days. As the plants mature and the roots go deeper, water deeply weekly. Soon you’ll have plenty of flowers to cut for your own use and to share with family and friends. Most annuals improve with cutting because it encourages more blooms.

Some of the flowers listed below are perennials (plants that come up year after year), and can be planted from seeds but many are planted as seedlings, which give them a head start in the garden. Some of the flowers listed below are from bulbs that will come up year after year.

Some Of My Favorite Cutting Flowers

Cut flowers from the yard, annuals and perennials

•  Zinnias
• Cosmos
• Centranthus (Jupiter’s Beard)
• Companula (Canterbury Bells)
• Bachelor Buttons (Corn Flower)
• Scabiosa (Pin Cushion Flower)
• Marigolds
• Nicotiana (Flowering Tobacco)
• Salvia
• Rudbekia (Black-eyed Susan)
• Agastache
• Dahlias
• Gaillardia
• Gypsophilia (Babies’ Breath)
• Coreopsis
• Sunflower
• Cleome
• Asters
• Japanese Anemones
• Snapdragon
• Bee Balm
• Lilies
• Larkspur
• Liatris
• Phlox
• Tulips
• Iris
• Daffodils
• Peonies
• Delphiniums
• Foxgloves
• Lavender
• Echinacea (Purple Cone Flower)
• Roses (a shrub, but great for cut flowers)
• Hydrangeas (a shrub, but great for cut flowers)

Zinnias

For more information and pictures of these blooming plants check out these posts:

http://www.ourgardengate.com/check-these-great-gardem-deals/annuals/

http://www.ourgardengate.com/check-these-great-gardem-deals/biennials/

http://www.ourgardengate.com/check-these-great-gardem-deals/perennials/

Peonies, roses, Jupiter's Beard and irises (with black Iris)

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Plants brought in for the winter

Cold weather is officially here and the leaves are still coming down. The time has come to cut back the perennials, pull up the annuals (after harvesting their seeds for next year of course), dig up the dahlia tubers and bring the tender plants inside, where they will be kept until next spring. As soon as it’s warm enough, they will go back outside. Since our warm season is so short here, it takes plants a while to get started and by the time they are up and growing really well, then it is almost time for the first frost.

I discovered that I can bring them all inside and next spring I will have beautiful, mature plants to put out and not have to wait for them to finally start growing.

An added bonus to this plan is the fact that these plants convert the carbon dioxide, that is produced in a house that is closed up all winter, into oxygen.

Since the houses are kept so tight for warmth, it is really good to know that we have a steady supply of oxygen being manufactured right here in our own home. Seriously though, they are nice to have inside with us, especially the scented ones, because they give a feeling of

House plants for the winter

warmth and bring a little of the outside in for us. I think they make having to stay inside all winter more bearable and fun.

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Plants on the enclosed back porch for the winter

Plants inside for the winter