This site is an archive of ChiotsRun.com. For the latest information about Susy and her adventrures, visit the Cultivate Simple site.
Thank you for all your support over the years!

The Cutting Garden

July 26th, 2016

This is my first year with an area of the garden dedicated to cut flowers. Even with them being specifically planted for this reason, I still have a hard time cutting them. The truth is, I enjoy flowers much more in their garden setting than inside the house. I have been cutting a few bouquets here and there, but for the most part I enjoy them in the flowers. The pollinators are loving them as well!
cutting garden flowers 1
cutting garden flowers 2
cutting garden flowers 3
cutting garden flowers 4
cutting garden flowers 5
cutting garden flowers 6
cutting garden flowers 7
cutting garden flowers 8
cutting garden flowers
larkspur
Adding flowers to the vegetable garden is definitely a wonderful thing to do. Not only does it make the space more colorful, they really attract a wide variety of insects and pollinators. I’ll definitely continue having a cutting garden space, even if I never cut flowers from it.

What’s your favorite cut flower for indoor bouquets?

7 Comments to “The Cutting Garden”
  1. Beth on July 27, 2016 at 2:24 pm

    Beautiful! I’m much like you – I plant flowers in the garden, but rarely cut them. I just enjoy having them brighten up the garden and the pollinators they bring. My kids love watching the butterflies come visit all the blooms!
    Zinnias are a favorite, but I also have some cosmos and bachelor’s buttons. I hope to add more in the future, though!

    Reply to Beth's comment

  2. Megan on July 27, 2016 at 5:16 pm

    Do you direct seed most of your cutting flowers or do you start from seed and transplant?

    Reply to Megan's comment

    • Susy on July 28, 2016 at 9:03 am

      I do both, depends on the variety and if I want successions for cutting. Some are also volunteers that I let self sow here and there around the garden.

      Reply to Susy's comment

  3. Jill on July 27, 2016 at 10:42 pm

    Your flowers are beautiful, Susy. I would also like to know if you start seeds, direct sow or do you buy your flowers already started? My real question, though, is weed control. How do you possibly keep on top of your many gardens? I know you work from home but you must have a good routine to stay ahead of the weeds. Have you got any tips for some of us who maybe aren’t doing as well? Lol

    Reply to Jill's comment

    • Susy on July 28, 2016 at 9:03 am

      I direct sow a few flowers, the varieties that like heat and don’t bloom until it’s hot anyways, zinnias are a great example of these types of flowers. I also allow some things to self sow here and there, especially fox glove, larkspur, sunflowers, etc. Some I start in flats, like tithonia, salvia, alyssum, snapdragons, etc.

      I stay on top of the weeds by not digging or tilling the soil and by using lots of mulch. I really don’t spend much time weeding at all. Each year I expand the garden a bit and try to stay on top of the weeds in a new garden. If weeds aren’t allowed to set seed, eventually you exhaust the seed bank and weed load reduced significantly. It takes a year or two of lots of time to keep things under control. Then after that it’s fairly low work maintenance.

      I’ll try writing a blog post about this as I get a lot of questions about how I maintain my gardens.

      Reply to Susy's comment

      • Jill on July 29, 2016 at 8:16 am

        Thank you Susy, my yard is new (third year) so this does make sense. I have 3 areas that stay under control. And now that I think of it those are the 3 that I’ve been able to prevent weeds going to seed. I have one messy area that I need to do better in, and stop tilling :) Thanks for the reply :)

        to Jill's comment

  4. PennyAshevilleNC on July 28, 2016 at 8:20 am

    Zinnias! Each year my husband buys a few seed packets of flowers for me- it is his way of giving flowers all the time :) I also enjoy my 4 O’Clocks in the garden. I am the opposite- it is harder for me to leave them in the garden than cut them for arrangements and gifts!

    Reply to PennyAshevilleNC's comment

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

Admin
Read previous post:
A Beet, is a Beet, is Not a Beet

I've grown a wide variety of beets in the past, for the most part they all taste very similar. They...

Close