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Garden & Landscape

A Friendship Cutting Flower Garden

Nothing beats being given fresh flowers. Well, maybe if you grow them and get to give them away! Image: Liza Graves

· By Liza Graves
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A bouquet of assorted flowers in purple, red, and pink, reminiscent of a vibrant cutting flower garden, arranged in a glass vase against a blurred brown background—a perfect gesture of friendship.Pin
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I was recently at my friend Jennifer’s home catching up. Before I left, she ran to her kitchen, “Oh, I have something for you before you leave!” She returned with the sweetest collection of spring flowers in a mason jar. “They’re all perennials,” she said with that sense of satisfaction mixed with practicality that only gardeners understand.

And in that moment, I suddenly missed my former house with my gardens … where I could cut astilbes, lenten roses, and a wide variety of hydrangea. In the spring, I would cut dogwood, azalea, and cherry tree branches as well. That first burst of wild roses was always a treat.

You always have a little happy on hand to bring a friend. Dinner parties, birthday happies, or just a “thinking of you” … flowers deliver in a way nothing else does.

In honor of Jennifer’s spring perennial garden, I’m breaking down all the flowers she had in her sweet bouquet so that you, too, can create a cutting garden that brings smiles each spring!

A clear glass vase holds an arrangement of purple, blue, red, and pink flowers with some green leaves, reminiscent of a vibrant cutting flower garden, placed on a wooden surface.Pin
Here’s the original bouquet, in all of its spring glory! Image: Liza Graves
Three different types of flowers—white and purple, light pink, and light purple—are laid out on a wooden surface.Pin
Left: Columbine; blooms late spring to early summer for four to six weeks; vase-life is three to five days. Center and right: Spanish Bluebells (often called Wood Hyacinths) bloom mid- to late spring for about three weeks; vase life is five to seven days. Image: Liza Graves

Three different types of flowers—pink dogwood, purple scabiosa, and blue delphinium—are arranged in separate groups on a wooden surface.Pin
Left: Pink Dogwood; blooms two to three weeks in mid-spring; vase-life is five to seven days. Center: Scabiosa (Pincushion Flower); blooms mid- to late spring until fall if deadheaded; vase life is five to 10 days. Right: Columbine (same as the above photo, just a different color); blooms late spring to early summer for four to six weeks; vase-life is three to five days. Image: Liza Graves
Three different types of cut flowers and greenery, gathered from a flourishing cutting flower garden, are arranged in a row on a wooden surface.Pin
Left: Loropetalum (Chinese Fringe Flower); blooms in the spring for about four weeks with occasional “re-blooms” in the summer; vase-life is four to six days. Center: Dianthus (Sweet William / Pinks); blooms late spring to early summer for four to six weeks, but with deadheading, they will continue to bloom for two to three months; vase life is seven to 14 days. Right: Tiarella (Foamflower); blooms early to mid-spring (four to six weeks); vase-life is four to six days. Image: Liza Graves

Extra tips for extending the life of these flowers — both in the garden and the vase!

  1. To maximize the life of all these flowers, harvest them in the cool of the morning when they are most hydrated, and immediately place them in a bucket of room-temperature water.
  2. To improve water intake for woody stems (dogwood and Fringe Flower), “smash” the bottom inch of the woody stem with a hammer or slit it vertically.
  3. As mentioned, some flowers are responsive to deadheading to improve bloom time. Dianthus and the Pincushion flowers both react in this way, so they are great ones to make your garden feel “full” and in bloom for many months.
  4. For Columbines, if you cut the main flower stalks back to the base once they fade, you can often get a second, smaller flush of flowers a few weeks later.
  5. Spanish Bluebells are bulbs, so don’t cut their leaves back for at least six weeks after they bloom. The leaves will continue to “feed” the bulb, ensuring a beautiful bloom next year.
A collage of photos featuring a glass vase filled with fresh flowers from a vibrant cutting flower garden in shades of purple, pink, red, and white, artfully arranged on a wooden surface.Pin
Here’s to all the future flower arranging, brought to you by your own garden! Image: Liza Graves

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For more inspiration for a spring cutting garden, and how to plant one this fall, check out 9 Flowers to Plant NOW for a Gorgeous Spring Cutting Garden.

Liza Graves

Liza Graves

As CEO of StyleBlueprint, Liza also regularly writes for SB. Most of her writing is now found in the recipe archives as cooking is her stress relief!

See all articles by Liza Graves
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