The daffodils are blooming like mad in
the front beds, and today, while I strolled around the yard, looking
at all of the weeds that need to be pulled and estimating how much
mulch we should order, I found this:
Soon, soon the dutch iris will follow,
along with the tulips. The forsythia is about to burst—and then the
peonies should begin emerging. All of these are perfect additions to
a cutting garden.
I meant to follow up more quickly with
the bulbs and shrubs additions to the cutting garden, but you know
how life can be—hubby and girlie had bronchitis last week, Mikey is
fighting it now...and in between, Kristen rallied to compete with her
Interscholastic Equestrian Team last weekend. (I'm usually the mean
mom. If a child is out of school on a Friday, I won't allow any
weekend extracurriculars. This time, though, I relented—it was her
last chance to try to qualify for regionals, and she was feeling
better. She missed it by a point. Ah well--next year!)
Anyway...
Excuses aside, it's time for me to get
back to the cutting garden—or there won't be any flowers to cut!
Perfect Plants for a Cutting Garden,
Part II: Bulbs
(Note: all of the plants listed are
perennials, depending on your zone. For instance, tulips in my zone,
7b, don't last as long as in cooler zones, so I constantly add more
to the garden. Make sure to check the plant's hardiness zone before
you purchase.)
One of the biggest challenges we face
in our garden is my nasty nemesis...the vole. Although our cats used
to do well with vole control, they're getting a little lazy.
(Too many treats from the kids, I think, is ruining their hunting
appetites.) To help ensure that our bulbs don't became a gourmet treat
for the voles, I add sharp gravel into each hole or trench that I dig
for bulbs. Years ago, when battling voles, I read that they won't
cross over sharp stones. Since other remedies like bobcat urine
didn't work (it was like putting salad dressing on the bulbs), I
tried it. Surprisingly—we rarely lose bulbs to voles now. Also,
lining a bed with wire mesh works well, a fact I wish I had
remembered when constructing our raised beds. I've lost several Swiss chard and bok choy plants to voles this winter.
Take a little extra time to protect your bulbs before planting. You'll be so glad that you did.
Allium
From giant globes to small, clusters of
flowers, alliums add drama to arrangements and visual interest to
gardens. Also referred to as Ornamental Onion Flower, most alliums
are a shade of purple, but some are also pink, white, or yellow. I've
never grow alliums, and I'm excited to try them in the cutting
garden—but I may also add a few to the front bed for visual interest.
Alliums multiply rapidly, do well in poor or dry soil, and can grow
in full sun or shade. Plant the tall varieties in an area protected
from wind so that the stems don't break. Use: Blooms late spring,
early summer. Harvest when 1/3 to ½ of blossoms are open. Be careful
not to bruise the stem, because it will release an onion scent. Vase
life: 10 days to 3 weeks.
Daffodils
Is there anything happier than when the
daffodils pop up in the bleakest part of winter? With literally
thousands of varieties to choose from, you could have an entire
cutting garden filled with just daffodils. The large yellow varieties
are most popular, but shades of yellow and white with green, orange, or pink
highlights are also available. Plant daffodils with other bulbs in
the garden. Daffodil bulbs and flowers are poisonous and will deter
animals from eating your plants. Uses: Blooms mid-winter, spring.
When harvesting daffodils, only pick the flower, not the foliage.
Allow the leaves to die back completely in order to nourish the bulb
for next year's flowers. Harvest daffodils at the bud stage, and
don't cut—instead, pinch the stem at the base with your fingers.
(This was new to me!) Pinching partially closes the stem and helps inhibit the latex serum from
contaminating the water. The blooms will then last longer and can be mixed
with other flowers in bouquets. Otherwise, only include daffodils in
the vase. You can also condition daffodils by adding a drop of bleach
in the vase and allowing them to stand for 24 hours before mixing
with other flowers. Vase life: 3 to 5 days.
Dahlia
I've never grown dahlias. I don't know
why. Every time I look at the arrangements made by Erin at Floret Flowers, I drool over her dahlias. So, this is the Year of the Dahlia
for my cutting garden! With more than 28 species, hundreds of
varieties, and every color imaginable (except true blue), I'm not
sure where to begin...but it will be fun selecting some tubers for
the garden. Uses: Prolific bloomers, dahlias produce many flowers
throughout summer into fall. They are frost sensitive, though, so you
must dig up the tubers before the first frost and store until the
following year to replant. Harvest when ¾ of the bloom is open.
Dahlias last longer in arrangements if the foliage is removed. Vase
life: 5 days.
Freesia
I tried to grow freesia a few years
ago, not realizing that it's a bit temperamental. It likes strong
light and cool nighttime temperatures, which is tricky in South Carolina. Still,
just for the fragrance alone, I'm going to give it another try. Uses:
Blooms spring, early summer. Harvest in bud stage, with only the
bottom blossom beginning to open. Available in all colors except
true blue. Vase life: 5 to 7 days.
Fritillaria
The wide range of fritillaria provides
unexpected colors and textures in bouquets. From Fritillaria
imperialis with its large cluster of hanging bell-shaped blossoms to
Meleagris with its small, checkerboard pattern, fritillaria provides
unique additions to arrangements. Some varieties, like imperialis,
have an unpleasant musky scent. Uses: The bulbs are poisonous and
provide good pest control in the cutting garden, and the musk odor of
some varieties also repel pests. Used primarily as an accent in
arrangements. Blooms in spring. Harvest: imperialis variety—harvest
when most of the flowers are open. Meleagris variety—harvest when
blossom is just beginning to open. Persica variety: harvest when ¾ of
blossoms open. Milkowski variety—harvest when all blossoms are
open. Vase life: Imperialis variety: 7 days; Meleagris and milkowski
varieties: 3 to 5 days; the persica variety, 5 to 7 days.
Hyacinth
Who can resist the fragrance of
hyacinth? These little cuties perfume the entire dining room and
entranceway—but it's not an obnoxious, overpowering scent. It's a
promise of spring-scent. I've also planted them right outside the
front door. Still, while I've used them for awhile in the beds, I've
never cut them for a bouquet—I never wanted to sacrifice the
fragrance in the garden. If I can keep myself from forcing all of the
hyacinth bulbs I bought, I should have a few to add to bouquets this
year. A couple things to note: hyacinths are poisonous. Wear gloves
when handling them, because their latex is also poisonous. Also wear
gloves when planting, as the bulbs can cause an itchy reaction in
some people. Uses: Spring blooms become more fragrant as florets
open. Harvest when most of the florets are closed, and cut the thick,
fibrous base to allow water to penetrate the base. Vase life: 7 to 10
days.
Iris
As much as I love tulips, Dutch irises
steal my heart. There's something about their deep colors and
contrasting stripes that just make me happy. I like bearded irises,
Siberian irises, and cute little Iris reticulata, too...but
Dutch iris are the ones going in my cutting garden. Uses: Irises
multiply rapidly and need to be divided about every three years to
continue flowering. Harvest irises when they are in the bud stage,
checking to ensure the bud is firm. Blooms in spring. Use as a focal
point or an accent in arrangements. Vase life: 3 to 5 days.
Lily
'Casa Blanca' lilies were the focal point
of my bridal bouquet, and since that day more than 13 years ago, I've
always grown 'Casa Blanca' lilies in our garden. I tend to prefer Oriental
varieties, but Asiatic and longiflorum are also used in arrangements.
Lilies need full sun but prefer cool feet—some afternoon shade is
good. Uses: Oriental lilies have strong fragrance, longiflorum
(Easter lilies) have a light fragrance, and Asiatic don't have a
scent. Harvest when the bottom flower is just opening and the other
buds are full with good color. Bloom time: late spring through
summer. Remove the stamens from the flower when it opens to make the
bloom last longer. Also, the pollen may stain the flower. Handle
carefully, as lilies bruise easily. Don't crowd lilies in
arrangements, as the blossoms need space to open. Lilies also dislike
floral preservative. Vase life: 10 days
Lily of the Valley
I love lily of the valley. Love it. I
dream of little tussie mussies filled with these sweet blooms. You'd
think with our shady yard that we'd have dozens of bouquets filled
with lily of the valley—but no. A few stray blooms here, a few
there...that's it. Somehow, I'm going to figure out the secret and
try again. These won't be in the main cutting garden, since it's
located in full sun, but I WILL grow enough of these adorable little
flowers to make a bouquet. I will! Uses: A staple of the perfume
industry, a few blooms can scent a room. The plant takes awhile to
establish and requires patience. (No kidding!) Blooms in spring.
Harvest when most of the bell-shaped blooms are open.The stems of
lily of the valley are connected and enclosed at the base of their
leaves. Pull apart and recut the stems and leaf base before putting
in water to make the bouquet last longer. Vase life: 4 to 5 days.
Ranunculus
Similar to peonies and camellias in
bloom shape, each stem bears several flowers. Available in both
single and double forms. My floral design reference suggests that the
tecolate strain is the best variety for cut flowers, as it produces
the largest flowers. Available in many colors, except blue or black,
as well as variegated, which is called picotee ranunculus. Ranunculus
are grown from tubers, which resemble claws. Soak the tuber for 4
hours before planting to make rooting easier. Plant with the “toes”
pointing down. The plants prefer warm days, cool nights, and ample
light. Uses: Harvest when the petals are cupping the middle of the
flower and fold inward. The stems break easily, so handle carefully.
Ranunculus are heavy drinkers—check the water level often. Vase
life: 7 to 10 days.
Tulip
When I was fresh out of college, I
worked at a publishing company. And I had the nastiest boss in the
world. I'm not kidding. This woman took great satisfaction in
humiliating the younger staff while she sipped her Simi chardonnay,
smiling the entire time. She taught me so much—about the kind of
boss I would never become. Anyway, after one of her many “coachings,”
I cried. Seriously. I broke down and cried at my desk.
Thus, the “traveling tulip basket”
was born.
My friend Katie, who also received the
wrath of the witch, and I would leave tulips on each others' desk
after a particularly nasty altercation. The basket was refilled with
fresh blooms and left for whomever needed a bit of cheer after
mentoring hell. We both adored tulips, and we formed solidarity by
surviving a truly bad boss. The tulips on the desk did more than just
brighten a gloomy office. Somehow, it felt like we were defying her,
refusing to let her crush our spirits. No matter how badly she
treated us, we could rally and enjoy something as simple as fresh,
innocent flowers.
Wow. Just remembering those days is
making my blood pressure rise!
Anyway, I've never lost my love of
tulips. (And I will NEVER drink Simi chardonnay.)
With dozens of divisions and hundreds
of species, deciding on varieties for the cutting garden is tough—I'd
like a few of everything, please! French tulips are taller and last
longer in a vase than Dutch tulips. Uses: Because of the short bloom
time, plant a mix of early, mid, and late blooming varieties for
continual spring blooms. Most tulips need refreshing after two years,
as their blooms become smaller. Harvest when the bloom is a large
size and feels firm. Check inside the blossom to make certain no
pollen has developed. Make sure to leave plenty of room when
arranging. Tulips continue to grow and move in the vase. They're also
thirsty, so check water levels often. Vase life: 5 days. French
variety lasts 7 days.
I'm so happy when I see
tulips at the grocery store in January. I know they're not local, but
a pretty bunch of tulips for $6.99 goes a long way to brightening my
day.
And it always makes me think of my
friend, Katie, and how grateful I am that we survived the witch!
You know, I think I need to go to the
grocery store before the mad Valentine's Day rush begins and buy myself a bunch of tulips.
Stay tuned for Part III...shrubs for
the cutting garden.
Now, quick! Go buy yourself some
tulips! You deserve it!
XOXO ~
Julie
