Cut Flower Perennials

Roses and alstroemeria can be grown in the cutting garden.

Country homes from as early as the 16th century included garden sections especially for flower cutting. Gracious country entertaining included freshly cut flowers overflowing in vases and centerpieces for the dining table. Few homes today have the garden space for a separate cutting garden, but perennial plants and bulbs may be incorporated into the existing garden to provide fresh flowers for the home. A raised bed garden set aside for perennial bulbs may be very space efficient.

Creating the Cutting Garden

Prepare the site carefully for your cutting garden.

Prepare by digging compost and other organic materials into the planting area or holes. In existing beds and borders, the planting hole is dug with the mature size of the plant in mind, providing room for growth 1 to 2 feet or more away from existing perennials and roses. For a separate cutting garden, perennials are planted in rows for maximum production, as for a vegetable bed, rather than for aesthetic pleasure. Place plants in groupings of similar sun, soil and water requirements. Keep flowers picked regularly to encourage production.

Perennial Plants and Roses

Delphiniums and roses grow together in the cutting garden and are beautiful in a vase.

Choose perennial plants that produce long-stemmed flowers, preferably more than once throughout the season. By planting early-, mid- and late-blooming varieties of once-blooming peonies, six weeks of cut flowers are produced. Chrysanthemums, including Shasta daisies, are wonderful cutting flowers. Clove pinks, Dianthus caryophyllus, are the florist's carnations, easily grown in the home garden. Majestic delphiniums are perfect for cutting and showcasing with roses in a vase. Perennial baby's breath comes in pink or white. Salvia comes in blues and reds. Lavender is a staple of the cutting garden. Choose roses with long cutting stems, such as Mr. Lincoln, Peace, Chicago Peace and Sonia. Double Delight is an exceptionally fragrant hybrid tea rose for the vase.

Perennial Bulbs

Oriental lilies add beauty and fragrance to a floral arrangement.

Darwin hybrid tulips are bred to return reliably for several years. Available in many colors on long, strong stems, they are perfect for cutting. Alstroemeria, or Peruvian lilies, are frost-tender; grow them in pots and protect over the winter in cold climates. Dutch irises are commonly included in florist's arrangements, and are suitable for the home cutting garden. Agapanthus africanus, lily of the Nile, with a striking blue, purple or white flower cluster atop a tall stem, is a great cutting flower for warmer climates. Showy Asiatic and Oriental lilies are once bloomers. Choose early-, mid- to late-season varieties. Oriental lilies are fragrant as well as showy.

Care of Cut Flowers

Home-grown alstroemeria is a wonderful cut flower.

Gather flowers early in the morning or late afternoon while it is cool. Use sharp, clean clippers or scissors to cut flowers with as much stem as possible. Remove all foliage off of the stem portion that will be submerged. Cut ½ inch off stem ends at an angle using a sharp knife, and plunge immediately into deep water in a holding bucket. Allow the flowers to take up water for at least an hour. Arrange flowers as you wish in decorative vases filled to 2/3 full of fresh, room temperature water. Re-cut each stem ½ inch before placing it in the arrangement. Change the water daily, and remove any faded flowers or foliage.

References

• University of Vermont Extension; Creating a Cutting Garden; Dr. Leonard Perry
• Filoli Garden History
• ABC Gardening Australia; Fact Sheet -- Cutting Garden; Melissa King; May 2004
• Inbloom: Flower Arranging Tips
• Purdue University Cooperative Extension; Recommended Perennial Flowers; Michael N. Dana, B. Rosie Lerner; July 2003

Resources

• Easy to Grow Bulbs; Dwarf Alstroemeria (Princess Lily) Growing information
• North Carolina State University Fact Sheet: Agapanthus