top 5 seasonal perennials for your cut flower garden

top 5 seasonal perennials for your cut flower garden

A fresh bouquet from your own garden adds a sense of beauty and peace to any room or space.  With a little planning, you can include in your garden some spring, summer, and fall blooming perennials that you can enjoy from spring through fall both inside and out.

 

Here are our top 5 picks for each of your seasonal perennial cutting gardens: 

Spring Blooming:

            Iris

            Peonies

            Baptisia

            Daisies

            Anemone

Summer Blooming:

            Cone Flowers

            Bee Balm

            Garden Phlox

            Lavender

            Blazing Star

Fall Blooming:

            Asters

            Sedums

            Globe Thistle

            Black Eyed Susan

            Butterfly Weed

Good fillers any season:

            Hosta leaves

            Ferns

(An FYI – 2 perennials that are beautiful in the garden but do not last in fresh bouquets are daylilies and hibiscus – leave them in the garden to enjoy.)

Read more about cut flower gardens:

Things to Consider When Planning Your Perennial Garden

6 Simple Tips to Make Your Own Fresh Flower Arrangements

5 Must Have Prairie Plants

Weigelas take center stage

Just when the spring bloomers are starting to wane, another beautiful plant takes center stage – Weigelas.

These early summer bloomers have beautiful pink or red tubular blooms.  Many new varieties have recently come on the market. These new varieties come in multiple sizes and have various leaf colors including green, burgundy, and yellow.  Weigelas grow best in full or part sun.

Here are a few varieties that we carry here at Natural Plus:

• Dark Horse- grows 3’, pink blooms, burgundy/bronze leaves

• Golden Jackpot – grows 4-6’, pink blooms, yellow leaves

• Minuet- grows 2-3’, pink blooms , green leaves with purple casts

• Pink Sonic Bloom – grows 4-5’, green leaves, bright pink blooms

• Rainbow Sensation- grows 4’, pink blooms, variegated leaves

• Red Prince – grow 5-6’, bright red blooms, deep green leaves

• Rumba – grow 3’, dark red flowers with a yellow throat, bronze-purple tinged leaves 

• Spilled Wine – 1-2’ tall, 2-3’ wide, magenta blooms, red wavy leaves

• Wine and Roses -  grow 4-5’, burgundy/bronze leaves, rosy pink blooms

Things You Might Not Know About the Renaissance Spirea

Things you might not know about the Renaissance Spirea

Blooming now – Renaissance Spirea (commonly known as Bridal Wreath Spirea)

These graceful spireas got their common name as they were the flower of choice for June brides a couple generations ago. At that time, other flower choices were limited or none - so this graceful plant became the bouquet of those June brides.

 Although not often a choice for brides now, we still enjoy these plants and their graceful cascading white blooms. They look especially beautiful – making a historical statement -when planted around Victorian type homes.

Photo from monrovia.com

Renaissance spireas typically grow 6-7’ tall and wide. Allow plenty of space for them to spread out. They prefer full or part sun but will even grow in nearly full shade.

If you do not have enough space for one of these beauties, smaller varieties have been developed and are now available. These newer “cousins” include:

·      Snowmound – a similar plant and bloom but grows 3-5’ tall

·      Birchleaf Spirea- these have a similar bloom, but leaves are blue green and resemble eucalyptus leaves – grow 2-3’

things to consider when planning your Perennial Gardening

Have you always wanted to plant a perennial garden but didn’t have the time or know-how? In these days of staying at home, this may be the perfect time to plan out your garden.

 What’s the difference between a perennial and an annual?

Perennials are plants/flowers that die down in the fall and come back year after year.  Once a perennial garden is established the yearly cost and time for planting are minimal. Annuals are plants/flowers that must be purchased and replanted every year.

 Another difference between annuals and perennials is that annuals mostly bloom all season long, while most perennials have a relatively short blooming season. So one key to planting a perennial garden is to choose plants that have different blooming times.

Things to Consider When Planning Your Perennial Garden:

1.    How big do you want the garden to be? (Usually smaller is a good way to start and/or plant in an area that you can expand later)

2.    Is the area sun or shade or a combination? Choose your plants accordingly.

3.    How big do you want the plants to grow? And will the garden be visible from all sides or from only one side? If visible from 1 side, taller plants should go in the back. If visible from all sides, taller plants should be in the middle. In general allow at least 3 feet as a minimum width.

4.    Plan out your garden on paper.  Study your top pick of plants. Determine their width, height, and bloom time and if they require sun or shade.  Make sure the plants are suitable for your plant zone. Northern Iowa is Zone 4. Choose plants zones 1-4.

5.    Prepare the soil by tilling if possible. Buy your plants.

6.    Before planting, place the plant pots where they will go and reassess your plan for spacing, etc. Then have fun planting! 

7.    Mulch the garden.  This will minimize weeding and help hold moisture.

8.    Water plants once or twice a week depending on rain and heat. (Do not water every day.)

9.    The first season, plants will need a little more attention with mulching, weeding, and watering. After 1 or 2 seasons, they become much less work.

 Want more information on our favorite perennials and when they bloom?

We’ve got a free guide just for you!