Winter months are a perfect time to start dreaming and planning your next garden.  If you are looking for information on growing cut flowers, here are some of the resources that were the most helpful to me when I started my cut flower business, Amazing Vase.

THE FLOWER FARMER ~ by Lynn Byczynski

This book covers every aspect of growing cut flowers; choosing flower varieties, site and soil, growing plants, dried flower gardens, woody ornamentals, harvesting, arranging fresh cut flowers, and marketing cut flowers.  This book is so helpful; I highly recommend it!

BURPEE FLOWERING GARDENS ~ by Chet Davis, Ken Druse, and Charles O. Cresson

This book is actually three books compiled into one; Flowering Shrubs by Ken Druse, Cutting Gardens by Chet Davis, and Ornamental Trees by Charles O. Cresson.  The most helpful parts of this book for me were the sections on cutting gardens and flowering shrubs.  You will find Information on planning, planting and growing cut flowers and shrubs, harvesting and designing with cut flowers, and gardener’s most-asked questions.

GROWING PERENNIALS IN COLD CLIMATES ~ by Mike Heger and John Whitman

My cut flower gardens are mostly comprised of perennials, so this publication was extremely helpful to me for choosing plants and specific varieties for growing.  This book gives plants a five-star rating system to help you select top performing plants, along with information on cutting, drying, and companion planting.  Any gardener in the Northland will appreciate this book!

SPECIALTY CUT FLOWERS ~ by Allan Armitage and Judy Laushman

I requested this book from my local library so many times that they finally purchased a copy to sit on the shelves!  It is a book written quite in depth, perhaps written more for the serious commercial or greenhouse grower, but I still found it helpful.

All of these books can be found in public libraries, or purchased new or used from online book stores.

Husker's Red seed pods

Husker’s Red Penstemon delivers three seasons of interest to my gardens.  In early summer I cut the purplish foliage to use as fillers in bouquets, then in mid summer I cut the blushing pink flowering bells.  In late summer the flowers have transformed into an interesting cluster of colorful seed pods, which are useful for an accent in flower arrangements.  Other penstemon varieties will also make interesting seed pods if not deadheaded, usually they form an interesting cluster of green pods.  Deadheading of this plant will encourage new growth and rebloom.  Penstemon will attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden.

Growing information:

Hardy zones 3 - 9

Bloom time - mid summer

Height - 24″ tall, other varieties can vary from 12″ to 48″

Plant in well drained soil

Husker's Red early summer foliage

With its unusual shape, texture, and color, globe thistle adds much interest to both the garden and vase.  The foliage definately resembles a thistle, so this plant might work better in a cottage garden rather than a formal garden.

Growing information:

Hardy zones 3 - 8

Height - 30″ to 48″

Bloom time - mid to late summer

Plant in average, well drained soil.  Drought tolerant.

Good for fresh cut flowers or dried.

Pincushion flowers are an adorable addition to a flower arrangement; the 2 inch white or lavender blossoms are elegant and long lasting in the vase.  The varieties to grow for cutting include ‘Fama’, ‘House Hybrids’, ‘Alba’, ‘Blue Perfection’, and ‘Grand Stone’.  Scabiosa is very low maintenance, rarely needing dividing and doesn’t require support.

Growing information:

Hardy zones 3 - 7

Height - 24″ to 36″

Bloom time - Mid summer

Plant in full sun or light shade, prefers afternoon shade in warmer zones

Tall phlox brings a burst of color to the mid summer garden, and one of my favorites for its unusual coloring and twisted petals is ‘Natural Feelings’.

The rosy pink petals are striped with green and never fully open, giving it a look much like statice.  Not only are they long blooming and draw much attention to the garden border, they are also a long lasting cut flower for flower arrangements.

Growing information:

Hardy zones 4 - 8

Bloom time - mid summer, long blooming

Height - 24″ to 30″

Plant in sun, with good air circulation to help prevent mildew

This pink perennial bachelor button is an excellent focal flower for flower arrangements. The papery scales enclosing the pink flower tufts make this flower not only interesting to look at but also to touch. Harvest these just as the pink tufts are beginning to erupt from the top to get the longest vase life. The large textured leaves on the plant also lend interest to the garden border.

I have heard this plant can reseed to the point of being a nuisance, but because I cut all the blossoms to sell I have not experienced this myself. How has this plant behaved in your garden? It might be wise to deadhead this plant after blooming if you don’t want it reseeding.

Growing information:

Hardy zones 4 - 7

Bloom time - mid summer

Height - 24″ to 30″

Plant in full sun in any average, well drained soil

Due to recent requests and interest, we are opening our cut flower gardens for visitors to come and pick their own bouquet in our quiet countryside setting. Visitors are welcome to wander through the gardens and quietly enjoy nature. Our local newspaper recently featured our gardens and our announcement to invite visitors. Read the article here.

If you are looking for something fun to do when you have your next mother-daughter get together, or a girls day outing coming up, think about making bouquets together. Give us a call at 320-286-5384 to set up a day and time if you would like to come out and visit. Happy bouquet making!

This verdigris fence in my garden was a twin size day bed a few months ago.

As we were taking apart this extra bed I started thinking it might be really cute in my garden. My husband drilled new holes so we could put it together with the ends attached to the middle the long way instead of crossway. Then we popped off the protective tips on each post so they were hollow and we could push them into the ground.

Viola!! We created our own garden fence out of a bed we no longer needed!  You can do it yourself with a metal daybed or a crib; look for them at garage sales, the hunt is half the fun!

When the foxtail lilies are blooming, visitors want to know what they are and how to grow them. Foxtail lilies are a summer blooming bulb that are planted in the spring. They are listed as zone 5, but have survived three winters in my zone 4 garden (with last winter being a record cold winter). These are also know by the name Desert Candles.

Growing information:

Hardy zone 5- 8

Bloom time - early summer

Height - 3 to 5 feet

Full sun and well drained soil required

This bell flower beauty is absolutely stunning in bloom! The 2 inch nodding purple bells are great as a cut flower, and make a striking statement in the garden border too. Some sources list this bellflower as a zone 5, but I have enjoyed this variety in my zone 4 gardens for a number of years. I cut my Kent Belle back after bloom and am often rewarded with a small burst of bloom again later in summer.

Growing information:

Height - 2 feet

Blooms early summer - mid summer

Grow in full sun to partial shade

Hardy zone 5-9 (does well in my zone 4 gardens)