Cutting Garden

[PepperDude]

I want to put in a cutting garden for my wife just what would you plant in it for putting in vases all summer?

[SouthernCharm1]

Tall Zinnias! Gotta have Zinnias. We plant lots of them every year and have fresh cut flowers each week during the summer.

I'm sure there are lots of others out there, but that's what we've had the best luck with here.

[unicorn2564]

here is a link for cut flowers for market but its got lots of kinds of flowers for ya....http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci...cap/h1200w.htm

[Sunny757]

Cosmo's last a long time when cut. That's what I have been using a lot of this season. And Marigolds and of course zinnia's.

[jdkline]

I'm gonna add some cock's comb, celosia along with the zinnias. They are an interesting flower and last a long time when cut.
Deb

[Sunny757]

Celosia's are great flowers. I forgot about those. Come to think of it I didn't see any for sale anywhere this season. They would make wonderful cut flowers.

[jdkline]

I sent your seeds out today, pepperdude. Please let me know when you receive them.
Deb

[diana]

Indian blanket, black-eyed susans, echinacea, tithonia, lilies, roses, daisies, hydrangeas (they dry nicely, too, so you can have flowers all winter), peonies and lilacs. Poppies and larkspur have a shorter season, but lovely together (in the garden and in a vase). All last forever when cut. Steer clear of garden phlox--they drop petals and make a mess!

And don't forget the smaller blooms for putting in tiny vases (I put these on window sills, the bathroom counter and the back of the toilet--even in the shower stall!). Lavender, rosemary, thyme, chives, violets, violas, grape hyacinth, candytuft, china pinks, baby's breath, bachelors buttons and lily of the valley are all long-lasters and good for small areas.

I love cutting in the garden! As you can tell, I use the whole garden as a cutting garden. Even my hostas and strawberries get cut--the leaves are a beautiful back-drop for a single stunning bloom. And my herbs do double-duty as cut flowers, too. The blooms are lovely, they provide green/gray filler and they smell wonderful in the house. Squash blossoms don't last long, but they're beautiful with part of their vine attached, trailing along the top of some tall furniture (I put that out when guests are over since it's dead in a day or so).

Once you get rolling, you may want to start a vase collection. Mine is now huge! I picked most of them up at yard sales. Don't overlook old teacups, Mason jars and baskets (I wrap florist foam in plastic wrap and tuck it into small baskets to make arrangements). Since I pick up the holders at yard sales, I can afford to give them away with flowers on every birthday, mother's day, etc. And I always have just the perfect vase for any arrangement. Your wife will be so happy once she gets going!

Sorry this is so long. Gathering flowers for the house is one of my great joys!

Diana Lynn

[Mandy]

What great ideas!

[unicorn2564]

Wow bet your house smells great too!!

[beautifulbay]

I love to bring in peonies, lilacs and gladiolus, and of course roses.