Plan now for a beautiful flower cutting garden

Spring has sprung, and gardeners are getting ready to garden. As I plan my 2017 garden like many of you, I comb through seed catalogs for the tasty new vegetable varieties to add to the staples of my garden. Although I love fresh vegetables from the garden, what I find more exciting is planning for any space I can find in my current planting beds to grow flowers for cutting.

I love planting a few new varieties of flowers for cutting along with the tried-and-true varieties I have depended on for years. I personally love cut flowers in my house all year round—it is one of my indulgences. I enjoy them more when I can go into my garden and fill my home with colorful, vibrant, long-lasting blooms. Starting with peonies and iris in the spring and hydrangeas in the summer, right through to fall with the last show of vibrant zinnias.

It is great to have a few flowering shrubs and perennials to use for cutting that are the backbone of your flower garden, but nothing shouts “look at me” more than bright, bold annuals. With the use of the internet, cut flower gardening books and seed company recommendations, planning your annual cutting garden has never been easier. Good sources include university sites from land-grant universities, agriculture or horticulture departments, online information or printed catalogs from your favorite seed company and garden-related periodicals. Also, with the hundreds of ideas from Pinterest, you will be growing bouquets to fill your home and share with friends all summer long.

What is nice about growing flowers and even vegetables from seed is you have a much greater variety of plants to pick from. Seeds are reasonably priced and you can start them early or direct sow many into the garden. Another advantage to planting seeds is you can plant succession plantings so your crops can be timed to produce or flower when needed.

According to Horticulture Magazine’s article, “Designing and Growing the Cutting Garden,” designing a cutting garden is less complicated than a traditional flower garden. When planning a traditional flower garden, there is much more consideration to the details, bloom time, plant size and coordinating complimentary colors. In a cutting garden, you only need to focus on flowers that will provide you with a good supply of flowers throughout the season. The biggest consideration is having your garden planned for easy care and harvest.

When selecting flowers for cutting, there are a few things to take into consideration:

•     Planting zone. According to the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, Michigan has three zones: 4, 5    and 6.
•     The types of flowers you enjoy, including texture, size and color.
•     Foliage of the flowers or other plants grown specifically for their foliage.
•     Varieties that are good for cut flowers.

Here are a couple of articles to get you started as you begin adding to your cut flower garden or starting a new one from scratch:

•     Grow a Colorful Cutting Garden by Hobby Farms
•     The Best Flowers for Your Cutting Garden by Fine Gardening

In the next several Michigan State University Extension articles, I will share some fun information on traditional flowers for your cutting garden, extending the vase life and some hints on designing with garden flowers.

For More Information- Dixie Sandborn

Global Fresh Cut Flowers Market in North America, Europe and Asia

Market.Biz:-  The Global Fresh Cut Flowers Market Research Report 2017 offers a comprehensive study on Fresh Cut Flowers Industry including the current Fresh Cut Flowers market trends and market status. The Fresh Cut Flowers Report focuses on the market in major continents, Like North America Fresh Cut Flowers Market, Fresh Cut Flowers market in Europe and Asia Fresh Cut Flowers market etc along with main countries like United States, Germany, Japan and China etc. on Fresh Cut Flowers market scenario.

1) Major key Manufacturers working in Fresh Cut Flowers industry is also mentioned.
2) 2017 Worldwide Fresh Cut Flowers market estimated at USD XXXX in 2016.
3) 2017 Global Fresh Cut Flowers industry projected to reach USD XXXX million at forecast period.
4) Worldwide Fresh Cut Flowers market projected to grow at CAGR XXXX % During forecast period.
5) Fresh Cut Flowers Market (in North America, Europe and Asia) expected to grow at CAGR of XXXX % over the forecast period.

At an initial stage, the Fresh Cut Flowers market report covers the Fresh Cut Flowers basic information including Fresh Cut Flowers definitions, Fresh Cut Flowers market classifications, a wide range of applications and Fresh Cut Flowers industry chain framework. The Fresh Cut Flowers Report also covers industry development plans and policies, Fresh Cut Flowers product specification, Fresh Cut Flowers manufacturing process and price structures. Then the report focuses on a deep study of global factors influencing the Fresh Cut Flowers market like market revenue, product cost, Fresh Cut Flowers market volume, utilization ratio along with Fresh Cut Flowers market demand and supply analysis.

At a later stage, the report presents, Fresh Cut Flowers market SWOT Analysis, feasibility study related to Fresh Cut Flowers market future investment plans and Fresh Cut Flowers market investment return analysis are employed to study the Fresh Cut Flowers industry on a global scale.

In short, Fresh Cut Flowers report is overall research study on Fresh Cut Flowers industry. Special Thanks to the help and support from Fresh Cut Flowers industry technical experts and marketing experts for their valuable contribution in Research Team Survey and Interviews 

For More Information:- Hayes Jordan

Caroline Plouff | why flower subscription services are blooming

Online florists cater for those who want fresh flowers delivered all year round, not just on Valentine’s Day

On February 14 doorsteps across the land will brace themselves against a nausea of red roses and the villainous grins of the teddy bears roped to them. Once a year, like unhinged maharajas, we summon garlands from around the globe — Belgium, Kenya, Ecuador — then plonk them next to the radiator to wilt. Valentine’s Day roses dunked in anti-fungal pesticides somewhere outside Bogotá are not love; they are subtext for “it’s remarkable how long we’ve tolerated each other”. They are for the mistresses, the desperate and the lazy. True love flowers all year round.

In recent years there has been a rash of online subscription services itching for customers to commit to a lifetime of muddy vegetables and organic coffee. We can subscribe to regular crates of free-range bacon (artisan heart attacks in a box) or weekly cases of wine (bottled dipsomania). Ordering repeat deliveries of fresh-cut flowers may once have felt as decadent as Cleopatra demanding her bed of rose petals be refreshed incessantly by slaves; it is now an increasingly widespread proposition.

All week Alice Strange slips through the rooms and corridors of her clients, imparting a drift of flowers in her wake. Blossoms and magnolia; delphiniums and peonies in soft colors and romantic accents. “I go to bed at eight,” she says “wake up at four, leave at 4.15 and am at the New Convent Garden market by 4.30 to buy flowers for that day.”

After working at designer Martin Brudnizki’s studio in London and the florist Wild at Heart, Strange conceived a bespoke service that married interior design with florist, and struck out on her own. “I could never understand why you would pay for an off-the-shelf arrangement when you could pay the same amount for something tailor-made,” she says. “Someone might love pink flowers that look amazing on their own but in a home look really average.”

Unlike the blossoming of letterbox subscription services, which leave the customer to configure a bewilderment of stems, Strange selects, trims and arranges the flowers, pairing them with the interior design of each house. “Flowers should never be viewed in isolation, they’re part of a surrounding — whether that’s a garden or an interior,” she says. “Styling interiors with flowers is like building layers on a canvas; flowers are the final accent of color needed to finish the picture.”

The high-note screams of bright color blooms are notably absent from Strangers arrangements. Her style is singularly her own, informed by the muted tones and impressionistic paintings of St Ives artist Winifred Nicholson: a pot of primulas and the promise of an open window, a grace of pensions on a marble mantelpiece. “Nature has an amazing way of arranging itself,” says Strange, who is inspired by the hedgerows of Lincolnshire where she grew up. “You only have to look at the countryside to know what textures and colors work.”

For More Information: - Jenny Lee

Flower Care Instructions

How to Taking Care of Fresh Cut Flowers

Cut flowers are best to decorate your home. Flowers gives you immense pleasure and lift your mood. You can’t resist yourself from the beauty and elegance they have. People love to have cut flowers to decorate their home but they need to know, how you can take care of them so that they can last as long as possible. Cut Flowers comes in dozens of varieties to range from fun to delicate and elegant. When you are selecting cut flowers such as calla lilies, tulips, spray roses, orchids or tropical varieties, it becomes important to know how to take care of the flowers once they arrived. Following are the tips to take care of your flower section.
 

Know Where to Cut
 

Cutting about ½ inch from the bottom of the flower stem after it is bought will help to keep your cut flowers fresh and allow the water to easily absorb. As long as stem will be hydrated, it will keep the cut flower fresh for days. Cutting is the technique which varies from flower to flower like in, carnation cutting just above the leaf nodule to get the most benefit. The stem should be cut to the maximum surface area is formed. More is the surface area the more will be the supply of water and nutrients to the flower. You can cut the stem underwater to prevent bubbles from entering into the veins of the stem.
 

Use the Right Water Temperature
 

Place the flowers in a vase. Use the warm water as it contains less oxygen than cold water. Using distilled water is the best for cut flowers. Water should be replaced after 2-3 days.  You should spray the flowers with a mild mist of water daily. Use cold water for bulb flowers such as hyacinths, tulips, and daffodils.
 

Feed the Flowers
 

You can get small plant food packets from the florist and nurseries. This food provides nutrients to the flowers. Pour some of it into the vase when you place the flowers. If you do not have plant food alternative you can use is sugar, a few tablespoons of lemonade or even a tablet of aspirin.
 

Use the Right Vase
 

Never place the cut flowers in metallic containers as they reduce the effect of flower food. Daffodils should be placed in their own vase as the stems of these flowers give off a substance that is toxic to other flowers.
 

Check the Temperature
 

Flowers stay fresh in the light and at the temperature of 65-72F. High temperature can deteriorate the flowers faster so keep them in a cooler room. Lower the temperature, longer the flower will remain fresh.
 

Caroline Plouff has her own market farm which is specialized in various cut flowers. She is also an agriculture manager at Bettendorf's.

Floret Flowers Farm

Best Cut Flowers to Grow at Home Garden

Nature gives you feeling of freshness and it keeps you alive. Modern lifestyle has set us apart from the nature. However human cannot survive without the nature’s love. We love to be embraced by the nature that’s why we still enjoy holidays on a Hill station, walking on beach. We also love to have a small or big home garden to quench our thirst of being in company of nature. Plants and trees help to reduce our stress and anxiety. Many of us love gardening and love to plants trees and plants at home garden. Someone has rightly said that if you have a home to live then you are lucky but if you have a small garden in it then your blessed enough to live a healthy, long life.

Cut Flowers decorate your home’s every corner be it yours living room, dining table, bedroom and kitchen. It gives different look to your garden, without them home atmosphere seems dull and lazy. To energize your home environment cut flowers plays an important role. It gives fresh look to your surroundings and lifts your mood to perform daily house chores efficiently. Instead of buying flowers from flower shop at high cost, you easily plant in your home to get year’s supply of cut flowers.

For your fresh cut flowers needs, you can grow below plants in your home garden.

Marigolds: Marigold comes in many different varieties like yellow, orange and red colours. It comes in combination of the three colours also. If there are enough rain water in the soil then it bear flowers 40 days from sowing.

Morning Glory: Morning Glory comes in magnificent colours such as red, blue, pink and lavender. It easily grows very large up to 6 feet tall. It flourishes in any kind of soil rich in organic materials.

Zinnias: Zinnias need good organic soil to grow and produce beautiful flowers. You can get flowers whole year as it is water loving plant but do not over water it. Zinnia loves rain water and moist soil all times to maintain flowering abilities.

Sunflowers: Sunflower has black colour circle in the middle and yellow orange colour and is favourite of all gardeners.  Flowers typically grow large and their seeds are a source of edible oil. It is a good snack when roasted.

Plume Celosia: This plant looks more attractive both fresh and dried. Says Calorine Plouff an agriculture manager at Bettendorf’s, specialized in cut flowers. Arrangement of celosias plants should be dramatic vertical accent.

Cosmos: It loves to tolerate hot and humid weather condition during its entire life. It produces flowers eight week from seeding.

Caroline Plouff is a agriculture manger who operates her own market garden, also  specialized in cut flowers.