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?

Grow your own flowers for cutting and arrangements

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 Flowers We’re Growing in 2018

CUT FLOWER TRANSPLANTS 2018

AGERATUM Everest Blue – 24” tall. Dense mounds of medium blue flowers. Fresh or dried

AMARANTHUS Red Spike – 3’ tall. Upright and large plant. Dark red flower spikes. Fresh or dried

AMARANTHUS Love Lies Bleeding – 3’ tall. Trailing ropes of red blooms. Fresh or dried

ASTER Powderpuff & Matsumoto mix – 24” tall. Various colours, fully double blooms. Fresh only

BELLS OF IRELAND – 24” tall. Long stems covered with green bell like blooms. Fresh or dried

BURPLEUREUM Green Gold – 24” tall. Small yellow flowers. Great filler. Fresh or dried

CALENDULA Costa mix – 18” tall. Mix of large yellow and orange flowers. Fresh only

COSMOS Sensation mix – 3 ft tall. Single flowers. Mix of pinks and white. Fresh only

CELOSIA Flamingo Feather – 2-3 ft tall. Wheat like pink flowers. Fresh or dried

CELOSIA Neo Mix – 3 ft tall. Colourful ‘cockscomb’ type. Tall, sturdy stems. Fresh or dried.

DIANTHUS Jolt Pink, Rockin Red – 18” tall. Large pink or red flower clusters. Strong stems. Fresh only

EUCALYPTUS Silver Dollar – 12” tall. Silvery blue foliage. Great scented filler. Fresh only

FEVERFEW – 24” tall. Tiny white flowers, bushy plant. Great filler. Fresh or dried

GOMPHRENA Strawberry Fields –18” tall. Red globe shaped flowers. Fresh or dried

MARIGOLD Vanilla – 16” tall. Cream flowers. Sturdy stems. Fresh only

NICOTIANA Sensation Mix – 2-3 ft tall. Mixed colours. Trumpet shaped flowers open in day. Fresh only

NICOTIANA sylvestris (Tobacco) – 3-4ft 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 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

SUNFLOWER Ring of Fire – 4 ft tall. Branching habit. Many blooms per plant. Fresh only

SWEET ANNIE – 6ft tall. Branching foliage with tiny yellow flowers late summer. Fresh or dried

TITHONIA (Mexican Sunflower) – 3 ft tall. Large orange single blooms on bushy plants. Fresh or dried

VERBENA bonariensis – 3ft tall. Small, airy lilac flowers on large bushy plants. Fresh only

SPREADING ZINNIA Profusion – 12” tall. 6 separate colours. Small, single flowers. Fresh only

MEDIUM ZINNIA Zahara Double Mix – 18” tall. Fully double blooms. Mixed colours. Fresh only

TALL ZINNIA Benary’s Giant & Oaklahoma – 2-3 ft tall. Strong stems. Mixed colours. Fresh only