By Lori Rose
A vase of flowers is a joy. Whether a huge bouquet or one tiny blossom, cut flowers make us happy. It’s true–a few seconds spent contemplating flowers during a busy day will lift your spirits. And that’s something everyone can use.
There’s nothing like cutting and arranging your own vase of flowers. If growing and arranging flowers sounds scary, your worries are over. You don’t have to be especially creative to grow a cutting garden and arrange your colorful harvest like a pro.
Where to grow your cutting garden? That’s easy – anywhere. You can use containers of any sort that suits your space needs, or any plot of ground whether in sun or part shade. Just check the light requirements of the plants you choose to grow. You can find that information on the plant tag or seed packet. Make sure your flowers get good, fertile soil. Mixing in some compost is a great way to amend any soil.
Which flowers are grown specifically for cutting? The list is almost limitless, however there are some flowers that have a longer vase life than others, and some that lend themselves better to cutting than others. Annuals, perennials, everlastings, bulbs, even plants grown only for their leaves can be destined for the vase.
Annuals are flowers that grow, bloom and die in one growing season. Many annuals that are good for cutting can be grown from seed, such as cosmos, larkspur and zinnias. They sprout quickly, they grow easily, and they come in a rainbow of colors–zinnias even come in green.
Perennials are plants that die back each winter and (sometimes) return fresh in the spring. These are best suited to a plot of ground instead of a container. Reliable, easy-care choices for spring flowers are iris and peonies. Summer blooms like Shasta daisy and purple coneflower are lovely in the vase, and in autumn a vase of chrysanthemums will last a long time.
Everlastings, like statice, baby's breath and globe amaranth are easy to dry and they should last, well, forever. They give an interesting texture and subtle color to dried or fresh arrangements. Statice and baby's breath make lovely, airy fillers for cut flower arrangements. Globe amaranth, has pompom flowers that are lovely in the garden as well as in dried bouquets. Try different sized rows of dried globe amaranth in a square container of floral foam for a unique table accent.
Spring and summer blooming bulbs make great cut flowers. Tulips, daffodils and alliums last a long time in the vase, and cheer us out of the winter blues. Lillies, gladiolas, and dahlias provide unique colors and shapes, whether you choose a single blossom or create a one-of-a-kind floral masterpiece.
Don't limit your bouquets to just flowers. Any arrangement, even a simple store-bought bouquet, can be fleshed out with branches of forsythia, evergreens or even autumn leaves. Ferns, Artemesia (with lovely dusty gray foliage), ivy and ornamental grasses are also perennials and will add grace and texture to both the garden and the vase.
Herbs are also lovely in the cut flower vase, adding color, texture and scent to your arrangements. Try sprigs of mint or basil to add a deep green color or any of the many varieties of sage for a soft texture and silvery color. Many cut flowers like daisies and zinnias that do not have a strong scent, so adding herbs to a bouquet will give it a nice boost of fragrance. Herbs are also easy to grow whether in the ground or in containers.
Let’s not overlook shrubs. Many landscape shrubs have beautiful flowers that are perfect for the vase. Some hydrangeas change color depending on the acidity of the soil they are planted in. Others are white, or green, and they come in different shapes and sizes. Lilac, azalea and dogwood flowers are also great in the vase. There are some tips for making the best of woody stemmed cut flowers below.
When and how to cut? Theodore James, Jr., author of the comprehensive book “The Cut-Flower Garden,” suggests cutting flowers early in the day when the stems are firm and filled with water. Use sharp shears or a knife to prevent injury to the growing plant. Make your cut at an angle if possible. Bring a pail of room temperature water with you into the garden, and put the cut flowers into the water immediately after cutting to make the stem think it's still attached to the plant.
Here are some practical tips to make your flowers last longer in the vase. When you get your flowers inside, pre-condition them. It doesn’t take long and is well worth it. Cut each stem at a 45 degree angle under water so air is not absorbed into the stem. The angle allows water into the stem while a flat cut will cause the stem to clog as it rests flat on the bottom of the vase. Remove all leaves that will be below the water line of the vase. Mist the flower heads with cool water. Let the pail of flowers sit for an hour, then check that they have not wilted. If they have, cut them again and wait another hour.
When your flowers have passed the pre-conditioning stage, but before you begin to arrange them in a vase, follow these easy steps to ensure that all your hard work lasts as long as possible. For flowers with woody stems (hydrangeas, lilacs, dogwoods, azaleas, and also chrysanthemums), smash the bottom inch with a hammer, or cut a slit about 1/3 the way up the bottom. Flowers with hollow stems (daffodils, zinnias, Shasta daisies, lupines, dahlias, poppies) need the sap that leaks out the bottom or they will wilt quickly. Prevent leaking by searing the bottom of the stem with a match or candle flame. Remove the small top buds on flowers with spikes (snapdragons, delphiniums, gladiolas) as they will never mature and open.
Cut roses just as the second row of petals begin to unfurl. Cut on an angle above a leaf with at least five leaflets. Remove thorns by running a sharp knife along the stem from bottom to top, then cut a one-inch slit in the bottom of the stem. Bruise the bottom inch of the stem with a hammer to help it absorb water in the vase.
Now the flowers are ready for the vase. Add two drops of bleach and one teaspoon of sugar to each quart of water to keep the flowers fresh and well-fed. Remember that the vase life of each flower will differ. There's no need to throw away an entire arrangement just because some of the flowers are “over the hill.” Remove the spent flowers, then re-cut and recondition the remaining flowers, clean the container, and refill with the water-bleach-sugar solution. Add more fresh flowers if you like, or simply rearrange the remaining flowers.
Your time, effort, inspiration, and creativity will be richly rewarded with the knowledge that you can create vase after vase of beautiful bouquets.
Lori Rose, the Midnight Gardener, is a Temple University Certified Master Home Gardener and member of GardenComm: Garden Communicators International. She has gardened since childhood, and has been writing about gardening for over twenty years.