Creating a Cutting Garden: Grow Your Own Bouquets

Why Grow a Cutting Garden?

A cutting garden is dedicated to growing flowers specifically for indoor arrangements. Unlike ornamental beds where you might hesitate to harvest, a cutting garden is designed to be picked—the more you cut, the more flowers you get!

Planning Your Space

Even a small 4x8 foot bed can produce impressive quantities of cut flowers. Choose a sunny location with good drainage. Rows or a grid layout makes harvesting easier than traditional garden designs.

Best Flowers for Cutting

Annuals (replant yearly)

• Zinnias—long-lasting and come in every color
• Cosmos—airy, romantic blooms
• Sunflowers—bold statements in any arrangement
• Snapdragons—excellent vertical elements
• Sweet peas—incredibly fragrant

Perennials (return year after year)

• Peonies—luxurious, fragrant blooms
• Dahlias—endless variety of forms and colors
• Rudbeckia—cheerful and long-lasting
• Echinacea—natural, prairie-style beauty

Succession Planting

For continuous blooms, sow seeds every 2-3 weeks throughout spring. This ensures a steady supply of flowers at their peak rather than one overwhelming flush followed by nothing.

Harvesting Tips

• Cut in early morning or evening when stems are turgid
• Use sharp, clean scissors or pruners
• Place stems immediately in water
• Remove any foliage that would sit below the waterline
• Change vase water every few days for longest life