The Joys of a Year-Round Cut Flower Garden

By Carol Moore, UC Master Gardener

Introduction

The upside of a cut flower garden:

• Flowers bring in beneficials: pollinators and birds.
• Having year-round cut flowers from your own garden.
• They bring beauty to your garden.

The downside of a cut flower garden:

• Getting through January and February and suffering through our “harsh winters.”
• The commitment to care for the flowers.

Have a Plan

• Do you have room to establish a cut flower garden?
• Or do you need to incorporate cut flowers into your existing garden?
• If you have room to establish one, do it. You will feel guilt-free when cutting, whereas you may hesitate to cut from your established landscape.
• Sketch out your ideas.
• Where will you plant: in-ground, raised beds, pots, wheelbarrows, buckets?
• Think seasonally — what will you plant and when? Direct sow or use pony packs?
• Know how the sun moves across your garden (north, east, south, west) and how many hours of sun it receives.
• Don’t plant tall flowers on the south side, shading other sun-loving flowers.
• Plant tall plants in the back, short in the front for a layered look. Grouping plants makes harvesting easier.
• Leave room between plants for movement, maintenance and harvesting.

Preparation — “Be Prepared”

• Stock up. Sharpen hand shears and have supplies ready (stakes, cages, trellises, twine, fertilizers, water buckets).
• Soil: Healthy soil produces healthy flowers. Add organic matter such as compost, worm castings, cured manures or peat moss. Consider soil testing if plants struggle.
• If fertilizing, follow recommended dosage and frequency. Over-fertilizing can damage plants and soil.

Water

Drip irrigation or hand watering?

• If using drip irrigation, group plants with similar water needs on the same line. A water meter gauge can help. The finger test works too.
• If hand watering, use a watering wand to reach beneath foliage and direct water to the plant base.
• Don’t: Overhead water regularly. Avoid watering late afternoon or evening — fungal diseases (such as powdery mildew) develop overnight.
• Exception: In dusty conditions, give plants a morning rinse to clean leaves and stomata.
• Do: Water early, water deeply and water less frequently.

Get Planting

• Plant what you love — plant what brings you joy.
• Visit local nurseries monthly to see what is blooming or what bulbs are available.
• Mix perennials, biennials and annuals.

• Other perennials include bulbs, tubers, corms and rhizomes.
• Seeds: Direct sow or start in trays. Larger seeds (such as sunflowers) are usually best sown directly.

Vase Fillers:

• Ferns, tree branches, vines and plants with varied textures.
• If foraging, know your plant material. Many plants are poisonous. When in doubt, do not forage.

Caring for the Flower Garden

• Check daily. Staying ahead is easier than catching up.
• Watch for pests: slugs, snails, birds, aphids, whiteflies, cucumber beetles, gophers and moles.
• Fertilize only if plants are struggling.
• Deadhead spent flowers to prolong bloom.
• Pinch back new growth to encourage branching and more flowers (cosmos are a good example).
• Support plants with stakes, cages or trellises.

Harvesting Your Flowers

• Harvest in the morning. Choose flowers with tight centers or those just beginning to open. Place stems immediately in water.
• For purchased flowers, trim ½" off stems underwater before placing in a vase.

Displaying Flowers

• Use clean containers. Wash with soapy water to remove bacteria and fungi.
• Use a bottle brush for narrow-necked vases.
• For difficult containers, soak in one part bleach to ten parts water. Rinse thoroughly.
• Avoid water-softened water (high sodium). Use distilled or reverse osmosis water if needed.
• Commercial flower preservatives make one quart. You can make your own mixture (see references).

Conclusion

If your garden is flourishing and you have an abundance of flowers, consider sharing them with friends, hospitals or care facilities.

Have fun. Experiment. Grow what brings you joy.

“The best way to garden is to put on a wide-brimmed straw hat and some old clothes. And with a hoe in one hand and a cold drink in the other, tell them where you want it planted.”

— Texas Bix Bender, Don’t Throw in the Trowel

References

Cut Flower Planting Chart. UC Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County. UC ANR. Cut Flower Planting Chart - UC Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County

Geisel, Pamela and Unruh, Carolyn. Extending the Freshness of Cut Flowers at Home. UC ANR Publication 8113. https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8113.pdf

Growing Flowers: Planning a Year-Round Cutting Flower Garden. UC Master Gardeners of Nevada County. UC ANR. Growing Flowers - UC Master Gardeners of Nevada County

Tips for Successful Cut Flower Gardens and Arrangements. UC Master Gardeners of Napa County. 153588.pdf