From our partners at The Scout Guide, they have provided tips on how to get your garden in shape for summer.
Summer is just around the corner, and that means it’s time to get our gardens in shape. If cultivating a cutting garden is on your Spring to-do list, we’re here to guide you through this fulfilling and seasonal act of self-care. We’ve sought advice from two Scouted green thumbs on how to successfully plant a cutting garden. To find a gardening expert in your area, consult The Scouted Directory.
1. Make a plan
To create a flourishing garden, Kathy Sims, manager of Westland Gardens in Fort Worth, Texas, recommends selecting plants that are appropriate for your planting zone. “It is important to prepare and test your soil before planting,” she explains. “Staggering your plantings of seeds and planting them during the correct season is also crucial.” By following these tips and choosing flowers that you love, you can transform any space into a beautiful and fragrant garden that reflects the changing seasons.
2. Create color and texture
Image courtesy of Westland Gardens. Photography by Jason Kindig.
To ensure your cutting garden provides color, texture, and blooms all season long, consider planting a mix of flowers such as zinnias, sunflowers, tulips, peonies, and dahlias. Sims also suggests supplementing your flowering plants with foliage plants, like dusty miller, eucalyptus, baby’s breath, ferns, and ivy, to add visual interest and volume to your floral arrangements. Herbs, such as basil, can also be included in your cutting garden.
3. Prevent pests
Preventing pests from taking over your blooms is an important endeavor and one that cannot be ignored. James Martin, founder of Gulfside Landscaping in Pensacola, Florida, urges gardeners to avoid using pesticides when possible, as they tend to kill the good insects that eat the bad insects. Instead, he offers up a tried and true DIY solution. For small gardens (under 100 square feet), combine two teaspoons of Dawn dish soap, four ounces of beer, six drops of peppermint essential oil, and tap water in a hand sprayer. For a larger garden, use a hose-end sprayer — a canister that attaches to the end of an ordinary garden hose. With four tablespoons of Dawn Dish liquid, half a can of beer, and twelve drops of peppermint essential oil to treat the entire garden. “Work diligently to not overwater or underwater your garden,” Martin adds. “The ground surrounding the roots of the plant should be moist without standing water.”
4. Cut with care
Image courtesy of Gulfside Landscaping. Photography by Phillip Makselan
Before harvesting your blooms, ensure your pruning shears are clean. Martin suggests using a diluted bleach and water solution to sanitize them, then hand dry, oil, and wipe them down. This helps prevent cross-contamination from previous use. When cutting, find blooms that are just starting to open and cut the stem at a 45-degree angle to your desired length.
5. Maintain your blooms
To keep your cut flowers fresh, Martin advises adding a floral preservative to the vase water. You can make your own with sugar and vinegar, or use a commercial product that often contains a small amount of bleach to combat bacteria.
TSG Tip from Kathy Sims of Westland Gardens in Fort Worth, Texas, and James Martin of Gulfside Landscaping in Pensacola, Florida. Westland Gardens appears in The Scout Guide Fort Worth. Gulfside Landscaping appears in The Scout Guide Gulf Coast.
Keep your inspiration blooming with more Scouted tips from experts across the network.
