Growing Annuals For Lovely Cut Flower Arrangements
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There is nothing more luxurious than having fresh flowers delivered to your door daily. I am sure the only thing that stops many of us from arranging this service is the astronomical cost. So why not take matters into your own hands and grow an annual flower garden you can cut and bring indoors?
Plant Arrangement and Care
To make it easy to cut the flowers plant them in rows like you
would vegetables. This also facilitates watering and weeding. You also want to pick a garden area that is not in a central location. That way you can cut any flowers you want to bring indoors and you do not have to worry about ruining the look of a central garden.
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To have the most elegant indoor flower arrangements it is very important to care for your plants while they grow. Be sure the soil is rich and well fertilized with compost. The soil should be well drained and kept moist.
Pick flowers of varying sizes so you can make different types of arrangements. You might also what to choose aromatic blooms that will leave a lovely scent in your home. There is really no rule to choosing flowers. Just be sure they are correct for the area you outdoor garden is located in terms of sun and growth zone.
Types of Plants
If you are planting an area that gets full sun you might want to try the following blooms:
Drummond Phlox-This flower will get up to 18 inches tall. It has a lovely aroma and flowers in lavender, pink, white, or red. The blooms appear from summer to early fall. Drummond Phlox will grow in all zones.
Clary Sage-‘Claryssa Series’ – At 18 inches tall this annual produces flowers on spikes in hues of white, blue, pink or purple. This plant flowers all summer and does well in all zones.
Scarlet Sage-This bloom grows up to 1 foot tall with bright red spikes. Scarlett Sage blooms through to fall and will flourish in all zones.
French Marigolds-This marigold will get up to 18 inches tall. It has orange and yellow flowers streaked with red. French Marigolds bloom until first frost. The flowers come in single or double blooms. This plant will grow in all zones.
African Marigolds-At 3 feet tall these plants are the largest of the Marigolds. They are bright yellow or brilliant orange and flower until the first frost. African Marigolds do well in all zones.
Cutting & Caring Tips
The best time to cut flowers from your garden is early morning. The flowers are fresh and moist with dew. They have not had a chance to fade and dry out from the mid day sun. Use a very sharp knife or scissors to remove the blooms. Be sure to place the flowers in water as soon as they are cut. It is a good idea to carry a small bucket with a few inches water out to the garden when you plan to cut flowers.
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When you are cutting your flowers examine the plants carefully. Look for any insects or diseases and treat as needed. Deadhead any old or faded flowers that you have not cut. This will promote growth of new blooms and increase the flowering season.
Plants to Match You Color Scheme
Usually a flower arrangement is chosen based on its colors. It is always nice to match our blooms to the color scheme our room. Here are some suggestions for cut annual flowers based on color.
Yellow/Orange/Red
Cosmos-‘Bright Light’-This plant flowers in the summer in colors of yellow, red, or orange. The stems get up to 4 feet tall. Cosmos will grow well in all zones.
Celosia-‘Apricot Brandy’-Looking like a feather, this orange flower gets up to 18 inches tall. It blooms in the summer and grows in all zones.
Zinnia-‘Sunshine’- Zinnias come in pink, red, orange or yellow. They bloom in the summer up to 30 inches tall in all zones.
Gladiolus-‘Suncatcher’-Gladiolus flowers come on large spikes in bright yellow with red throats. At almost 5 feet tall these blooms look quite impressive in the garden and in the living room. Gladiolus will flourish in all zones.
White/Cream
Ammi majus-These tiny lacy flowers grow in round groups during the summer. The plant gets up to 6 feet tall and does well in all zones.
Cleome- ‘Helen Campbell’- These white flowers have a spidery look to them. They grow on stalks that get 4 feet tall in all zones.
Scabious-‘Giant Imperial’-At 3 feet tall Scabious produces flowers in not only white but pink and lilac too. This plant will grow in all zones.
Red/Pink
Snapdragon-‘Rocket’-Snapdragons not only come in red and pink but bloom in yellow or white too. They grow in all zones up to 3 feet tall.
Butterfly Flower-Another multicolor bloom in red, pink, lavender or white, these flowers grow in clusters up to 4 feet tall. Butterfly Flower will flourish in all zones.
Stock-‘Giant Imperial’-These flowers grow on spikes in colors of pink, lilac, and white up to 18 inches tall. Stock does well in all zones.
Sweet Pea-‘Explorer’-Sweet Pea will get up to 4 feet tall and grows in all zones. The flowers come in red, pink, white or lavender.
Blue/Purple
China Aster-A summer bloomer, China Aster has blue, pink or lilac flowers that get up to 2 feet tall. It grows in all zones.
Four-o’clock-With a lovely aroma these purple, or striped flowers grow up to 4 feet tall. They flourish in all zones.
Heliotrope-Another aromatic bloom, Heliotrope produces small clusters of purple flowers in the summer. This plant will grow up to 4 feet tall in all zones.
Chinese Forget-me-not-These summer blooms come in white, pink or blue. They grow in all zones and will get up to 2 feet tall.
Of course there are hundreds more plants that will make excellent cutting flowers. You might try visiting a florist to see what they use in their arrangements. This will give you an idea of the more long lasting sturdy plants that you might want to grow in your garden. And a quick class in flower arranging at your local craft store will have you producing stellar arrangements in no time!
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