As rewarding as it is to care for a houseplant and watch it change and grow, there is something special about the way a bouquet of fresh flowers lights up a room. And while cut flower arrangements are usually given away on special occasions, sometimes it’s nice to treat yourself to one with some of your favorite flowers. However, getting used to it can get very expensive very quickly.
One way to (ultimately) cut the cost of standing bouquets is to grow your own cut garden. As with any type of garden, the initial set up is an investment and requires quite a bit of effort, but once it’s up and running you will have your own supply of your favorite flowers.
Oh – and did we mention that this is the type of gardening that can be done in containers? Even if you don’t have a spacious garden (or a garden at all), this is an option. Here’s What You Should Know About Creating a Pruning Garden, courtesy of Emma Loewe, in an article she wrote for mindbodygreen.
How to create a pruning garden
If you have an outdoor space for your garden, first choose a space that gets plenty of direct sunlight (at least six hours a day), then prepare the area by removing weeds and putting in soil that will aid drainage . New gardeners may want to start with a smaller flower bed to help them get the process under control.
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If you don’t have a garden, you can use large containers with drainage holes and you also have to pay attention to the direct sunlight of the planters (the more, the better). For this reason, it is best to find spots facing south, east, or west, explains Loewe.
How to select flowers to plant in a cut garden
While you can start with seedlings and watch them grow, it’s definitely cheaper to start with seeds instead. If you do Loewe says that it is best to plant them in late winter or early spring, a few weeks before the last frost hits your area.
What you want to plant depends on your personal preferences – although it can be helpful to take the flowers’ schedules into account, explains Loewe:
Consider planting plants with different growing plans so there is always something to consider, and prioritize flowers that bloom more than once a year and can grow well into fall.
Plants that are on the same plot should have similar water and sunlight needs. Diverse growers like mint (also a flowering plant!) Should be placed away from the group in their own containers so that their roots don’t overtake the rest of the beds.
According to organic gardeners Allison Vallin Kostovick, the following flowers are relatively easy to care for, germinate and grow quickly, and have long stems that are perfect for bouquets:
- Marigolds
- Celosias
- Cornflowers (aka Bachelor’s Buttons)
- cosmos
- forget Me Not
- Marigolds
- Nasturtiums
- sunflowers
- Zinnias
From here on, regular care comes down to it – this includes frequent pruning, harvesting the flowers when they’re done, and watering the plants frequently. Lion gives additional tips and details in the article.
