Three Easy Steps to Plan Your Cut Flower Garden

If you have been thinking about growing your own cut flower garden at home for a while now, there are three easy first steps you need to take to make your vision a reality.

Step 1:  Decide

Congratulations!! You took the first step. I’m proud of you! Now it’s time to take some action.

Step 2:  Observe

Now that your decision has been made and that part is out of the way, slow down and observe your potential garden space throughout the winter months. We get so much feedback from gardeners who wished they would have spent more time on this step.

• Where do you get the most sun? Most annual cut flower gardens (plants that are not winter hardy and need to be planted every year like zinnias, cosmos, marigolds, etc.) need a lot of sun to thrive. A south facing garden is ideal, but it is not everyone’s reality. You can have a very successful garden that is not south facing! It’s important to know where the sun falls on your growing space. Remember that in the winter the sun is lower in the sky and deciduous trees are not leafed out so the sun will be hitting differently in the summer months. You won’t be planting your garden until May, so there is plenty of time to observe the sun as we transition to spring.
  
• Do you know what is the soil like? Typically urban and suburban soils are quite poor and will need some added nutrients like compost. Plan to pick up some bulk and bagged compost to mix into your soil this spring. Compost is available at most local garden centers.
• How are you going to water your garden? Unfortunately, cut flower gardens can not rely on rainwater alone to thrive. Make sure you plan for watering. Running a hose with a watering attachment or using a watering can are two great options. 

Step 3:  Visualize

Is your garden spot right outside your doorstep or tucked into a back corner? What colors of flowers are you most excited to grow? Do you like bright bold colors or do you find yourself daydreaming about muted vintage tones. Tall plants thrive best in the northern section of your garden, shorter plants in the southern section of your garden, you want to avoid creating any unnecessary shade. Layout is important to consider.

If you are looking for some quick examples of garden layouts, download the FREE Aromatic Acres Planning Guide to kick off your cut flower journey. This guide is full of planning tips plus very specific layout template. I know you’ll be inspired!

Download the free guide by clicking HERE.