The green-thumbed among us know that gardening is more than just a physical endeavor: It’s good for the soul.
“Working with plants can boost your mood and lower your stress levels. Gardening as an activity can even be a form of exercise,” says Karlie Graf-Curwen of Graf’s Garden Shop. “Being outside and being surrounded by beauty, whether that’s flowers or vegetable plants, it can be really healthy for all of us.”
Nurturing your own garden is both an active pursuit and an art form, especially with cut flower gardens. By planting and harvesting your own blooms, you can create beautiful, custom floral arrangements.
“What you can grow is going to vary,” Graf-Curwen says. “It’s OK to experiment and explore.”
Though no two flower beds are the same, these tips can help you shape your own beautiful garden.
Growing Your Flowers
If you’re seeking to plant a cut flower garden, it’s crucial to begin with an evaluation of the amount of sunlight in your yard.
“How much sunlight people receive really guides what they can grow. It’s really important to look at your garden and say, OK, I’m receiving sunlight for this many hours,” Graf-Curwen says. “That light component is really key in determining what plants will successfully grow.”
Those with shaded landscapes (four hours or less of direct sunlight) should opt for shade-loving plants, like ferns, while those with sunlight-flooded plots can spring for ray-loving flowers like lavender, an herb which requires full sun. (Full sun is six hours or more of direct sunlight, and part sun-part shade is four to six hours of direct sunlight.) Also important to note is soil quality. Graf-Curwen recommends amending your soil with nutrient-rich materials such as compost or Sweet Peet. These help feed the plants, as well as break up any clay.
“Clay soil means that it can hold on to extra moisture,” she says. “By lightening it up and adding other organic matter, it breaks up that clay and allows roots to grow.”
As your flowers blossom, make sure to water them properly. The amount of water needed depends on the type of plant — check seed packet labels or plant tags — and weather conditions.
“The weather is going to guide how much water they need, so if we’re getting steady rainfall, they may only have to water a few times a week,” Graf-Curwen says. “If it’s 90 with no rain … they may need water every day or every other day.”
As you're cutting your flowers, place the harvested stems in a bucket of fresh, cool water. This will allow them to soak up the H20 more thoroughly.
Here are some flowers and plants that are easy to grow in Ohio gardens and look beautiful in
floral arrangements.
Celosias
Also known as cockscombs, these plush flowers are great for drying. “They are a sun-loving annual, and they are very easy to grow,” Graf-Curwen says. “They come in all different colors, and they have excellent vase life.” Plant once soil temperatures are 55 degrees or higher.
Hostas
Wide-leaved, banded plants that produce lavender- or white-colored flowers, hostas are ideal for gardens in part sunlight or part shade to full shade. “They are excellent to put into arrangements, because they hold up for a really long time,” Graf-Curwen notes. “Their big leaves come in so many different colors … blue-greens, yellow-greens.” These perennials are low maintenance, but she warns of one pitfall: Deer love them. “If you have a garden that can be easily snacked on, hosta might not be the choice for you,” she says. Hostas can be planted throughout most of the year.
Irises
Though a smaller-flowered version is usually the type used in floral arranging, irises come in all shapes and sizes. Choose from purples, yellows, oranges and more — but make sure to plant these full-to-part- sun-loving perennials early. “Most flower in the spring,” she notes.
Sunflowers
As their name suggests, sunflowers are full-sun-loving annuals — and easy to grow from seeds. “There are so many varieties of sunflowers to explore, from red ones to lime green ones to, of course, yellow and even orange ones,” Graf-Curwen says. Sunflowers can be grown in succession: planted and harvested in waves, providing you with a steady supply of blooms. Plant once soil temperatures are higher than 50 degrees.
Snapdragons
These delicate, blushed annuals can be grown from seeds or plants. “You want to make sure that you actually snip them back right before their first set of blooms,” she notes. “It helps strengthen the plant. … They’ll be able to produce more flowers.” (Do this when the plant is around six to eight inches tall.) Snapdragons, which are full-sunlight-loving and cool-tolerant, come in shorter sizes. Choose a taller variety for use in a vase. Ohioans should plant them in the spring.
Yarrow
These full-to-part-sunlight-loving perennials are an excellent choice for cut flower gardens and are easy to nurture. “They come in vibrant pinks and yellows to muted oranges and corals,” Graf-Curwen notes. “They can get a little top-heavy with their flowers. … We would recommend people stake them up or use a plant prop to keep them upright, so they don’t topple if we get heavy rain.” Plant from spring to fall.
Arranging Your Flowers
Floral arrangements are timeless objects of beauty — from centerpieces to bouquets, they evoke positive emotions.
“Flowers are very sentimental to people,” says Gregg Lauck, florist and owner of the Greenhouse in Hudson. “When they’re given the gift of flowers, it does trigger this beautiful response in their brain. … It’s so warm and inviting to come home to that.”
When arranging your cut flowers, Lauck emphasizes the importance of keeping things fresh. Changing vase water daily is vital, and cutting stems at an angle is key.
“If you have a stem and you cut it straight across, the surface that’s going to be getting water is just this circular surface,” he says. “But if you take that same stem and you cut it at a 45-degree angle, the amount of surface … is much greater.”
Using your own flowers in an arrangement adds an extra touch of personality. After growing the selections above (and buying the rest from a florist), try these four ways to use your gatherings to maximum effect — livening up your home.
Arrangement 1
Hosta leaves, ferns, sawtooth buckthorns, ninebarks and lemon balms
Make use of foliage with this lush arrangement. “I love the different textures and colors of the greenery,” Lauck says. Place pre-soaked design foam and water in your vessel, then start by anchoring larger hosta leaves in the foam. “If you want the leaves to hold a certain angle, or you want the leaves to actually not fall out of the container, then you need floral foam,” he says. Cut your stems at heights that fit your vessel. Add your ferns, and, finally, tuck in smaller stems.
Arrangement 2
Yarrow, sedums and hosta blossoms
If you’re searching for a simple, elegant way to bring the outdoors in, a grouping of vases may be your best bet. “If you just have one or two blossoms of one item … this is the perfect example,” Lauck says. These paler colors blend nicely. “It creates ambience. It creates a mood. It creates a setting.” Simply cut your flowers at a severe angle, find a clear vase and place them in fresh water.
Arrangement 3
Yarrow, ferns and iris pods, lavender and alliums, lemon balms and celosias
These flowers stun in simple clusters and their own vases. “Just a few choice flowers or greens … turns into this lovely design,” says Lauck. This arrangement could last a week or longer and features stems as a design element. “You want there to be some unexpectedness.”
Arrangement 4
Hosta leaves and blossoms, goldenrod, snapdragons, celosias, sunflowers and variegated grass
This vivid bunch of flowers conjures summer. Amongst the pinks and yellows, grass is rolled and tucked into floral foam, creating a unique accent. To make it, follow the same initial steps as the first arrangement (with floral foam), then work your way from the largest pieces to the smallest. “You’re actually just wanting to fill in the bouquet, fill in the voids,” he says. Sunflowers, which provide strong bursts of contrasting color, are some of Lauck’s favorites. “It’s bright, sunny and cheerful,” he says.
Deana Petersen
Deana Petersen
Deana Petersen
Deana Petersen
