Gardening in Michigan
Fresh flowers from your lawn all season long!
While we’re already seeing plants and trees bloom and grow, we know it’s not too late to plant and grow a simple cutting garden here in Southwest Michigan. With all the events I’m planning to decorate for (and all the friends and family I enjoy spoiling with a sweet little homemade bouquet) throughout the summer, it’s in our best interest here at the schoolhouse to plant a few flowers of our own.
Since I’m working on it now, I figured I’d write up some notes to share with anyone else who might want to have flowers to cut for friends this summer.
If you’re new to gardening, I always recommend starting with just a couple of new plants to learn. If we take them all on in the beginning, it can be overwhelming. So master a few new blooms each season, and within a few years, you’ll be growing several varieties with great success.
Generally speaking, growing a cutting garden is simpler than a traditional flower garden because you don’t have to worry (as much) about the timing of blooms, plant size, coordination of colors, etc. The primary goal of a cutting garden is the harvest! Having fresh flowers in my home all summer long is an indulgence that I get to look forward to every week! At the schoolhouse venue, it’s great to have access to a few fresh flowers when I’m setting up for a meeting, bridal shower, or intimate wedding ceremony. With a cutting garden, we only need to focus on choosing flowers that will bring us lots of blooms, a variety of colors, and most importantly, easy care and harvest!
Let’s get to it. Here are some tips to kick off your very own cutting garden this spring.
Location, location, location
Pick a place that gets plenty of sunshine. While the flowers on our list can tolerate a shady spot, most need a good amount of sun to really thrive.
Most importantly, plant your garden in a place you can visit easily. This might sound like a no-brainer, but if you have to trek to the back corner of your yard, you might be less likely to water, weed, cut, and just enjoy the process. Plant your garden in a place where you can pop in and out easily, and in a spot you like to spend time in.
5 low-maintenance plants to kick off your cutting garden this summer
Black-eyed Susans. The colors are bold, and they are easy to grow. Additionally, they can last a full week in a vase! We like these because they’ll come back each year.
Zinnia. These flowers come in a variety of shapes and colors. They like the sun and are a great addition to arrangements.
Cosmos. These plants are usually easy to grow as they do okay in poor soil and tolerate sun, heat, and drought well. They’ll bloom into Autumn sometimes, but be careful as they can be a little invasive. Don’t let them take over if you’re growing in a smaller space. They will come back each year.
Yarrow. This flower can last a full week in a vase and adds a great texture to arrangements.
Snap Dragons (rocket variety). Sometimes snap dragons will come back each year, but technically they are only an annual. We like these because they just add great color to our arrangements. Also, it’s nice to have another shape mixed in with the daisy-shaped blooms we have so many of.
If you happen to find inspiration from this blog post, and you add any of these flowers to your yard this summer, can you let me know? Snap a photo and tag me on Facebook or Instagram. Or, just send an email my way to show off what you’ve created. I’d love to see what you’re up to.
Later this summer when all the garden goodness is coming together, I’ll be sure to share more photos from around the venue. The schoolhouse landscaping is really coming along.
Enjoy the next few weeks, friends. While the yard work has been fun, we can’t wait to get back inside the schoolhouse.
Stay healthy,
Barb
