Grow your own bouquets this summer!
As most of you know, the Flower Farm was originally established in 1993 to grow flowers for cutting and drying. Over the years, as our business evolved and priorities changed, we stopped the field production (2001) and started selling transplants for customers to grow their own at home. Flowers should be planted in full sun in either a designated cutting garden or just incorporated into other gardens.
Look for our tried and tested annual cut flower transplants – Zinnia, Aster, Salvia, Feverfew, Sweet Annie, Tithonia, Snapdragon, Ageratum, Cosmos, Statice, Bells of Ireland, Verbena, Sunflower, Gomphrena, Rudbeckia, Statice, Sunflower, Celosia and Amaranthus. Many of these flowers are old fashioned or cottage garden varieties that have been improved by breeding over the years. You can be sure that by purchasing here, all varieties have been fully researched and trialed by Katie to provide the most productive and healthy stems for cutting. Why not try a few of these easy to grow flowers this year and enjoy your own cut flowers all summer long?
Bed preparation: Choose a sunny, flat location with well drained soil. Cut flowers require similar conditions to veggies. At least 8 hours of sun is ideal. Plants can be grown in their own dedicated garden or be interspersed in other perennial or shrub beds. If planting in a dedicated garden, rototill the soil in May and add organic matter such as compost or well rotted manure. Cover the ground with a fabric mulch. This will heat up the soil, promoting root growth, help prevent weed growth and hold moisture in the ground.
Planting: Cut holes in the groundcover and plant annual flowers after the last frost – typically early June in this area. Most varieties can be planted about a foot apart, but refer to tags for specific spacing. Water well after planting.
Care: Fertilizer such as water soluble or organic pelleted types can be applied throughout the growing season. Most crops are not fussy and are not prone to pests or diseases.
Harvest: Most varieties will require about a month of growing time before they can be selectively cut for bouquets. Harvest early in the morning, immediately put stems in water and cool in the house or barn. As flowers from your own garden will be so fresh, you can expect to enjoy blooms for a week or more. Flowers should keep blooming until the first frost hits in the fall.
CUT FLOWER TRANSPLANTS 2022
AGERATUM Everest Blue – 2’ tall. Dense mounds of medium blue flowers. Fresh or dried
AMARANTHUS Love Lies Bleeding – 3’ tall. Trailing ropes of red pink blooms. Fresh or dried
AMARANTHUS Red Spike – 3’ tall. Upright and large plant. Dark red flower spikes. Fresh or dried
ASCLEPIAS Butterfly Red (Tropical Milkweed) – 3’ tall. Deep red & yellow flowers. Fresh only
ASTER Powderpuff / Matsumoto mix – 2’ tall. Various colours, fully double blooms. Fresh only
ASTER Serenade Mix – 2-3 ft tall. Various colours, semi double blooms. Fresh only
CELOSIA Flamingo Feather – 2-3 ft tall. Wheat like pink flowers. Fresh or dried
CELOSIA Sunday Mix – 2-3’ tall. Tall plumes in a range of colours. Fresh or dried
COSMOS Apricot Lemonade – 2-2.5’ tall. Unique Apricot to pale yellow blooms. Fresh only
COSMOS Double Click Mix – 3’ tall. Various colours, fully double & semi double blooms. Fresh only
COSMOS Lemonade – 2-2.5’ tall. Unique pale yellow blooms. Fresh only
COSMOS Rubenza – 3 ft tall. Single flowers. Pink / white bicolour. Fresh only
COSMOS Sonata Mix / Sonata White – 2’ tall. Single flowers. More compact variety. Fresh only
COSMOS Sensation Mix – 4’ tall. Single flowers. Mix of white and pinks. Fresh only
DIANTHUS Rockin’ Red / Jolt Pink – 18” tall. Large pink or red flower clusters. Strong stems. Fresh only
FEVERFEW – 24” tall. Tiny white flowers, bushy plant. Great filler. Fresh or dried
GOMPHRENA Mix / Red –18” tall. Globe shaped flowers. Fresh or dried
HELICHRYSUM Strawflower Mix – 3’ tall. Mixed colours. Sturdy stems. Fresh or dried
MARIGOLD Vanilla – 16” tall. Cream flowers. Sturdy stems. Fresh only
NICOTIANA Perfume Mix – 2-3 ft tall. Mixed colours. Trumpet shaped flowers open in day. Fresh only
NICOTIANA sylvestris (Tobacco) – 3-4 ft tall. Tall and stately with fragrant white flowers. Fresh only
RUDBECKIA Indian Summer – 2-3 ft tall. Yellow daisy with black centre. Fresh only
SALVIA Evolution Violet – 18” tall. Slender, dark violet blue flower spikes. Fresh or dried
SNAPDRAGON Mme Butterfly Mix – 2-3 ft tall. Double flowers. Mixed colours. Fresh only
SNAPDRAGON Rocket Mix – 2-3 ft tall. Strong flower spikes. Mixed colours. Fresh only
STATICE Pacific Mix – 24” tall. Brightly coloured flowers dry on stem. Mixed colours. Fresh or dried
SWEET ANNIE – 5’ tall. Bushy tall foliage. Highly scented. Tiny flowers late summer. Fresh or dried
SUNFLOWER Soraya – 4-5 ft tall. Branching habit. Many blooms per plant. Yellow blooms. Fresh only
SUNFLOWER Autumn Beauty – 5-6 ft tall. Branching habit. Shades of yellow, red & bronze. Fresh only
TITHONIA (Mexican Sunflower) – 3 ft tall. Large orange single blooms on bushy plants. Fresh or dried
VERBENA bonariensis – 3 ft tall. Small, airy lilac flowers on large bushy plants. Fresh only
SPREADING ZINNIA Profusion – 12” tall. 8 separate colours. Small, single flowers. Fresh only
SPREADING ZINNIA Profusion Double – 12” tall. 4 separate colours. Double flowers. Fresh only
MEDIUM ZINNIA Zesty Mix – 18” tall. Fully double blooms. Mixed colours. Fresh only
MEDIUM ZINNIA Pop Art White & Red – 2’ tall. Bicoloured red & white blooms. Fresh only
MEDIUM ZINNIA Zahara Double Mix / Duo Mix – 18” tall. Mixed colours. Double flowers. Fresh only
TALL ZINNIA Benary’s Giant & Oaklahoma – 3 ft tall. Strong stems. Mixed colours. Fresh only
TALL ZINNIA Queen Lime Red / Blush – 3’tall. Burgundy / pink with lime centres. Fresh only