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The Cutting Garden

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Catherine Mix’s system for making cut flowers go the distance:

• Harvest flowers two days before an event, and choose blooms that are about three-quarters open. Do it early in the day while the air is still cool; plunge the stems immediately into a bucket of cool water.

• Recut stem ends under water, then keep stems immersed in a bucket of water for 24 hours in a cool, shaded place….If you’re working with hollow-stemmed flowers such as dahlias or mignonette, invert them one at a time, fill the stem with water, stop up the end with your finger, then plunge the stem upright back into the bucket.

• Arrange flowers in a water-filled vase for maximum life. Or arrange them in floral foam, which provides more design control but sacrifices some vase life.

More ideas from the Sunset site-

Flowers by the Season

For fall~~~from Ruth Rogers Clausen who has a very helpful plan chart including a pdf download

1. Fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’) 3 feet tall; 24 inches across; dark purple grassy foliage; arching, bold purplish flower spikes. Tender perennial.
2. Helen’s flower (Helenium autumnale ‘Kugelsonne’) 2 single plants; 3 to 4 feet tall and 2 feet across; abundant butter yellow daisy flowers. Cut back by half in midsummer. Perennial.
3. Helen’s flower (Helenium autumnale ‘Moerheim Beauty’) 2 single plants; 3 to 4 feet tall and 2 feet across; brownish red daisy flowers with black centers. Perennial.
4. Dahlia (Dahlia pinnata Redskin Mix) 12 plants spaced 12 inches apart in 4 groups of 3; 18 inches tall and 12 inches across; green-bronze leaves; double flowers 3 inches across in reds, pinks, yellows and white. Seal cut stems with a match for longer vase life. Lift after first frost in cold-winter climates. Tender perennial.
5. Goldenrod (Solidago ‘Crown of Rays’) 6 plants set 18 inches apart in 2 groups of 3; 2 feet tall and 18 inches across; large heads of tiny, bright yellow flowers. Perennial.
6. Garden zinnia (Zinnia Thumbelina Hybrids) 10 plants set 6 inches apart in 2 groups of 5; 6 to 10 inches tall and 6 inches across; abundant 1 1/2-inch flowers in a wide range of mixed hues. Annual.
7. Garden zinnia (Zinnia Dreamland Hybrids) 10 plants set 9 inches apart in 2 groups of 5; 12 inches tall and 12 inches across; 3- to 4-inch double flowers in a range of colors. Annual.
8. Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena) 10 plants set 6 inches apart in 2 groups of 5; 12 inches tall and 6 inches across; grown for their decorative inflated seedheads for fall. Annual.
9. Aster (Aster novae-angliae ‘Purple Dome’) 6 plants set 18 inches apart in 2 groups of 3; 18 inches tall and 18 inches across; forms rounded domes covered with 1 1/2-inch brilliant purple daisies. Perennial.
10. Rabbit-tail grass (Lagurus ovatus) 10 plants spaced 9 inches apart in 2 groups of 5; 1 to 2 feet tall and to 12 inches across; dense oval flowerheads, soft to the touch, on stiff, wiry stems. Annual.

rudbeckia

For a summer cutting garden my own plan would be

1. A background row of hydrangeas, ‘Endless Summer‘ for their soft blue and reliable flowering, ‘Annabelle’ if you like opulence. 1-2 bushes will yield a good number of blooms underplanted with ivies or asparagus fern (tender) for filler foliage (this is a perennial planting)

2. A block planting of cosmos, you can choose the tall feathery whites and pinks of Cosmos bipinnatus, or the shorter hot colors of Cosmos sulphureus, orange and orange-red. Annual

3. Asiatic lilies and Oriental lilies 10 of each in your preferred colors- they range from white through yellow, orange, pinks and reds. Perennial bulbs.

4. Several roses, the hybrid teas Mr.Lincoln (red), Garden Party (ivory blend) are excellent, and some floribundas or shrub roses. “Just Joey”, “French Lace” are just a couple, and the David Austin selections for the full, old fashioned bloom form.

5. 10 plants of Feverfew. Perennial.

6. Coreopsis verticullata, 5 plants. Perennial.

7. Yarrow- I like the Achillea millefolium the best, but the white Achillea ptarmica ‘The Pearl’ is like a large “Baby’s Breath”. Or Gypsophila (Baby’s Breath) itself, either the large plants of the perennial type or “Covent Garden”, named variety of the annual type, planted in a block of 5 plants. Perennial

8. Snapdragons, many color choices with a spiky vertical form . Annual.

9.Rudbeckias, 3 plants. Nothing says summer like Black-eyed Susans.

10. Lady’s Mantle, 4 plants. Perennial.

11. Carnations are standbys for their long lasting qualities and fragrance- I would like to see a row of about ten plants.

The resulting colors would be white, soft blues, yellow, with a choice of either oranges and reds or pinks.

Color preferences may influence your choices of plants, especially when designing for specific interiors. Or you may have certain seasons in mind, as in the plans, here. Some people simply like certain flowers, such as all daisy forms, and that could dictate the planting plans. There are many ways to contrive the plan within the basic requirements of a garden that produces plenty of healthy flowers and foliage for cutting. Plant…Cut…. Enjoy.

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