Grow Your Own Bouquets Part 1

Everyone loves flowers. Currently, it's January and I'm starved for their freshness and color. However, florist flowers can be pricey and most people can't afford to keep them on their table all the time. Growing your own bouquets is completely doable for even a beginner gardener assuming you have some yard and sunshine to work with. This is the first of 3 posts on how not just to grow flowers, but how to grow bouquets. We'll start with how to get started. 

First, choosing a good sight is the most important thing you can do to ensure gardening success. Many shortcomings can be over come but you MUST have lots of sun and soil must not be too water logged. Almost all annual flowers you can grow for a cutting garden will require at least 6 hours of sunlight per day in the summer. It's also essential you don't plant in a low depression where water collects as it will cause root rot. 

Second, get an idea of what kind of soil you have. You can either 1) get a highly detailed report from your local extension office for a nominal fee. OR 2) buy a DIY soil test and get an idea of what nutrients your garden needs and it's PH level. OR 3) You can make some general observations about your plants and dirt to give you clues of what you're dealing with. (What plants are already happy? What grows well in your neighbors yard? What color is your dirt? How loose is it?) I'm going to strongly recommend doing option 3 in addition to option 1 or 2. 

Third, if you can, locate your garden near a source of water. You'll be thankful in July and August when it's dry and your garden needs supplemental watering. 

Finally, when you're selecting varieties, be careful to plant flowers that will reach at least 24 inches tall. There are beautiful dwarf zinnias and marigolds but the stem length doesn't lend itself to cut flowers. 

You can find seeds in a multitude of catalogs or at any garden center in the spring. With a small investment and a little work, you can keep beautiful flowers on your table for months and also bless your friends and family. Stay tuned for the next two posts for plant ideas!