One of my flower dreams (and there are many) is to have a large cutting garden, where I can pick beautiful bouquets whenever I want.
Frogtown Flora will soon be expanding, with an additional half-acre in nearby Eagle Rock.
Photograph by Kathleen Ferguson.
Photograph by Melissa Ozawa.
A field of dahlias at Tiny Hearts Farm. They have a charming shop in Hillsdale, NY, where you can pick up beautiful bouquets and browse a chic mix of gardening and floral wares.
Photograph by Melissa Ozawa.
Photograph courtesy of Tiny Hearts Farm.
‘Kiiro’ cosmos grows at Tiny Hearts Farm. I know I’m not alone in being entirely obsessed with dahlias. Finding new varieties and enjoying classic ones to dry has become one of my favorite summer growing adventures.
Q: What’s your favorite summer flower to grow?
I love all the deep-colored Celosia (yellows and greens don’t dry well) and have recently started growing Carthamus ‘Zanzibar’ (safflower) and Centaurea americana ‘Aloha’ series as cuts for dried flowers.
“I love the dahlia ‘Sierra Glow’ for pure stops-me-in-my-tracks no matter how many years I grow it. They’re so big and fantastical. They look like lobsters or sea anemones to me,” says Jenny Elliot, who holds a bunch at Tiny Hearts Farm.
Photograph courtesy of Tiny Hearts Farm.
and can give them shade in the hottest parts of the day, there is no better flower than the million different varieties of dahlias!
Zinnias at Frogtown Flora. Another reason to plant zinnias is their excellent ability to attract native pollinators, bees, and butterflies to the landscape.
Photograph by Kathleen Ferguson.
Photograph by Melissa Ozawa.
Q: How do you plan so there’s always something blooming?
Ranunculus and sweet peas grow undercover at Fivefork Farms. But a general rule of thumb I use for succession planting transplanted flowers (those I start in trays and plant out into the field) is this: the week that I plant out one round of a crop, I also start the seeds for the next round.
This works well for zinnias, cosmos, celosia, and many other common cut flowers.
Q: What are some “underappreciated” flowers or foliage plants that deserve more love?
Tiny Hearts: We put in a big bed of red kale for late fall foliage. We like to use mini-glads in bouquets because of their miniature size. That being said, you won’t find flowers that make more of a statement than a tall vase full of glads (not to mention, they last a while!
Q: How do you find varieties that make great cut flowers?
Frogtown Flora: Both Floret Flowers and The Gardener’s Workshop have a well curated collection of seeds available and are incredibly generous with sharing propagation/growing tips & techniques, workshops, classes, and other flower related resources.
Kathleen Ferguson at Frogtown Flora. Tiny Hearts: I have a patch of Grey Dogwood (Cornus racemosa) in our hedgerows that is the gift that keeps on giving. Fivefork Farms: Asclepias (milkweed) and Eupatorium (Joe-pye weed) come to mind.
Q: What are some favorite native blooms to grow and use in arrangements?
Photograph by Mari Ferguson.
Q: Any special tricks for supporting stems while growing?
Fivefork Farms: Use natural elements like bamboo canes or fallen branches stuck upright in the ground to create supports for your flowering/toppling stems. Tiny Hearts: We use horizontal trellis netting, like Hortonova, zip-tied to wood posts to support stems, but only if we absolutely have to.