{"id":10932,"date":"2020-02-27T04:03:00","date_gmt":"2020-02-26T18:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gardens.theownerbuildernetwork.co\/?p=10932"},"modified":"2025-10-30T21:15:43","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T11:15:43","slug":"all-about-cutting-gardens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/2020\/02\/27\/all-about-cutting-gardens\/","title":{"rendered":"All About Cutting Gardens"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Many
Many gardeners are reluctant to cut blooms from their flowerbeds for fresh indoor bouquets. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Many\ngardeners are reluctant to cut blooms from their flowerbeds for fresh indoor bouquets.\nTheir reluctance is understandable. After all the work that goes into pampering\nthose blooms, why shouldn\u2019t you be protective? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it\u2019s possible to enjoy the best of both worlds. You can have both by creating a separate garden just for cutting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might think that a little too much work for seasonal indoor d\u00e9cor. The key to making the whole undertaking low-maintenance is planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Growing\na Cutting Garden<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Growing\na cutting bed allows you a lot of freedom. Its sole purpose is to produce\nflowers for you to cut. You don’t have to worry about how it will look. You can\nmix and match colors, textures, heights, and varieties. Plant all your\nfavorites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"You
You can mix and match colors, textures, heights, and varieties. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Select an inconspicuous location – along the edge of your garage, perhaps, or in a back corner of your yard. Be sure you pick a spot that benefits from lots of sun and rich, well-drained soil. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\nare more tips on growing a cutting garden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Selecting\nPlants<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Think about what types of flowers you want to grow – both annuals and perennials – and start a list. Consider limiting the varieties to a manageable half-dozen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Try to focus on flowers that have longer stems. That makes them the best candidates for cutting and arranging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Try
Try to focus on flowers that have longer stems. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The\nSize of the Flowerbed<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The size of the plot depends on how much space you have and how much time you can devote to caring for your cutting garden. The plot isn\u2019t supposed to look like a mixed border of plants. There is no need to linger on design principles. Visualize the bed more in terms of crops. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The size of the plot depends on how much space you have and how much time you can devote to caring for your cutting garden. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Preparing\nthe Soil<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re making a new bed on an existing lawn, remove any turfgrass and roots. You can enrich the growing area by working a four-to-six-inch layer compost<\/a> into the top eight to ten inches of soil. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the ground is very sandy, swampy, rocky, or high in clay content, consider growing your cutting garden in a raised bed with amended soil. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"If
If the ground is very sandy, swampy, rocky, or high in clay content, consider growing your cutting garden in a raised bed with amended soil. (Photo: Ofer El-Hashashar\/Flickr)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When\nto Plant<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Grow\na balanced mix of perennials and annuals. Your favorite perennials will come\nback year after year. The annuals will let you experiment. Both types make\nexcellent cut flowers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\ncan begin planting after the last frost: sometime in spring, depending on where\nyou live. Don\u2019t buy your plants or seeds too early – unless you have your own\ngreenhouse – or else the late frosts could wipe out your investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Don\u2019t
Don\u2019t buy your plants too early or else the late frosts could wipe out your investment.
(Photo: Malcolm Manners\/Flickr)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Maintaining\nYour Cutting Garden<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Once your plants are in the ground, water them carefully and thoroughly. This will help them settle. Spread a two-to-three-inch-thick layer of mulch around the plants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use shredded bark, salt hay, pine needles, or whatever else you prefer. The mulch will suppress weeds and help the soil retain moisture. Your plants will require consistent moisture throughout the growing season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure you cut stems regularly and remove faded blossoms. This will encourage your plants to keep blooming as frequently and for as long as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Once
Once your plants are in the ground, water them carefully and thoroughly. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Harvesting\nBlooms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Do\nyour cutting during the early morning. Bring a tall container of tepid water\nalong with you. Plunge the stems into the water immediately after snipping.\nThis will allow them to prolong their vase life. When you\u2019re back inside and\nready to start arranging, make a fresh cut on the stems and add a floral\npreservative to the water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Do
Do your cutting during the early morning. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Easier\non Your Purse and the Environment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Growing your own flowers for arrangements is easier on your purse, and good for the environment, too, if you avoid synthetic fertilizer and pesticides. In milder climates, you can have a year-round supply of cut flowers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ready to start one yourself?<\/strong> Check out our step-by-step guide to starting a cut flower garden<\/a> for detailed planning advice, beginner-friendly flower suggestions, and planting tips to ensure a thriving, colorful garden all season long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you already have a cutting garden? We\u2019d love to hear your <\/em>tips and advice!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Growing a cutting bed allows you a lot of freedom. Its sole purpose is to produce flowers for you to cut. You don’t have to worry about how it will look. You can mix and match colors, textures, heights, and varieties. Plant all your favorites.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13557,"featured_media":10956,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"Grow endless fresh-cut flowers with your own cutting garden. Learn how to plant a beautiful bloom bed designed just for harvesting\u2014no design rules needed!","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"both","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":301,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_seopress_news_disabled":"","_seopress_video_disabled":"","_seopress_video":[{"url":"","title":"","desc":"","thumbnail":"","duration":"","rating":"","view_count":"","tag":""}],"_seopress_pro_schemas_manual":[],"_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable_all":"","_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas":[],"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sma_last_campaign_date":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,182],"tags":[320,319,184],"class_list":["post-10932","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colourful-gardens","category-tips-and-tricks","tag-cutting-garden","tag-flower-gardens","tag-flowers"],"modified_by":"Rose","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10932","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13557"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10932"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10932\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10956"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10932"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10932"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10932"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}