The idea of a cutting garden is something that is catching on around America. It's long been a staple of Europe and the United Kingdom, where taking a bouquet of flowers to hosts is much more common than taking wine.
Oh, what is a cutting garden?
It's a place where homeowners plants flowers and foliage with the idea of cutting them at the appropriate times to decorate the home or as bouquets at parties. Cutting gardens were common in Colonial America, from Mount Vernon to rural New England.
"The founding fathers placed flowers for the soul on par with food for the bodies," said Sally Ferguson, director of the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center. "It's an easy, satisfying and cost-effective way to enjoy cut flowers all summer long."
The idea withered for a while as cut flowers became common in supermarkets and elsewhere. But if a homeowner has a plot of land, perhaps a little out of the way and not part of the regular garden, that's the place for a cutting garden. (Check www.urbanext.uici.edu/ for some details.)
Lots of flowering plants fit into a cutting garden. Long-stemmed annuals or perennials are most useful because they go into vases well. Usually colorful annual flowers dominate these gardens because they are such enthusiastic bloomers. Cutting blossoms only encourages them to flower anew.
Daisies are enormously popular and combine well with lots of other flowers. Long blooming perennials have a place in the cutting garden as well as in the more formal flower border.
Plants such as coral bells and fringed bleeding heart will produce flowers all season, especially if they are regularly picked. Purple coneflowers and black-eyed susans produce bold, bristly seedheads that are ideal for floral crafts.
Perennials can be depended upon to bloom next season - no need to replant that part of the cutting garden. Foliage plants contribute texture and color to both fresh and dried arrangements.
Silver-leafed artemisia varieties, lamb's ears and herbs such as lavender offer grayish-silver foliage that is both handsome and aromatic. The following is a list of suggested annuals, perennials and foliage plants from the University of Illinois.
It's still spring, the last frost has just about come and gone, so now's time to get that cutting garden going. Maybe we should call it a source garden. Doesn't sound as final.
Annuals for a cutting garden (* indicates good for drying also)
Ageratum (Floss Flower)
Amaranthus caudatus (Love Lies Bleeding)
Ammi majus (Bishop's Flower)
Anemone
Bells of Ireland
Calendula
Callisstephus chinesis (China Aster)
Campanula
Celosia, cristate (Cockscomb)*
Celosia, plumosa (Feather)*
Celosia, spicata (Wheat)*
Centaurea (Bachelors' Button)
Cleome (Spider Flower)
Cosmos
Dianthus
Dill
Dimorphoteca sinuata (Cape Marigold
Eustoma (Lisianthus)
Geranium
Gomphrena (Globe Amaranth)*
Gypsophila (Baby's Breath)
Helichrysum (Strawflower)
Helipeterium (Everlasting)
Marigold
Matthiola (Stock)
Nicotianai
Nigella damascena (Love-In-A- Mist
Pansy
Petunia
Phlox
Reseda Odorata (Mignonette)
Salpiglossis
Salvia farinacea
Scabiosa (Pincushion flower)
Snapdragon
Statice*
Sunflower*
Sweet Pea
Verbena bonariensis
Zinnia
Perennials for a cutting garden
Achillea (Yarrow)*
Aster
Campanula
Carnation
Chrysanthemum, such as Shasta Daisy
Coreopsis
Delphinium
Dianthus, deltoids (Pinks)
Digitalis (Foxglove)
Echinacea (Purple Coneflower)
Echinops exaltatus (Globe Thistle)*
Gypsophila (Baby's Breath)*
Heuchera (Coral Bells)
Kniphofia (Red Hot Poker)
Lavender*
Lobelia
Lupine
Nicotiana (Flowering Tobacco)
Phlox
Poppy, Shirley or Iceland
Rudbeckia (Black-Eyed Susan)
Sages
Solidago (Goldenrod)
Veronica
Foliage for a cutting garden
Asparagus, densiflorus
Asparagus, sprengeri
Coleus
Dusty Miller
Eucalyptus
Euphorbia (Snow on the Mountain)
Flowering Cabbage
Flowering Kale
Sage, Tri-color
- Contact Sam Bauman at sbauman@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1236.
