99 In Flowers/ Gardening

Creating A Cutting Garden

Creating Your Very Own Cutting Garden | angiethefreckledrose.com

I have always fantasized about having my very own cutting garden. I've definitely grown many flowers that look like they are straight out of a floral fairytale. These include dahlias, gladiolus and calla lilies. Although I have grown these flowers, I've never really taken the time to design a designated space for these blooms. With spring only a few weeks away, I am in the planning stages of making my very first official cutting garden.

Growing your own flowers and making your own floral arrangements doesn't just have to be a dream. You can easily create one in your backyard right now. I want to take you all along with me through every stage of creating this garden.  I am so excited to watch my new heavenly flowers bloom. So, I invite you to join me as my garden grows!

Creating A Cutting Garden |Photo taken at at The Hillwood Estate & Museum in Washington, DC | angiethefreckledrose.com

Photo taken at at The Hillwood Estate & Museum in Washington, DC

I was fortunate enough to visit Marjorie Post's cutting garden at The Hillwood Estate & Museum in Washington, DC. Marjorie Merriweather Post was an American Socialite as well as one of the wealthiest women in the United States. She used this fortune to collect art, jewelry and create a stunning cutting garden. This cutting garden is still there today, and many of the flowers grown are used in floral arrangements inside the mansion.

Creating A Cutting Garden | Photo taken at at The Hillwood Estate & Museum in Washington, DC | angiethefreckledrose.com

If you visit, you will notice the amount of care that goes into it and the attention to every single detail according to season. In the short amount of time I had, I became filled to the brim with inspiration. Luckily, inspiration is free, and I was able to take it all home with me!

Gather Up Inspiration

Creating A Cutting Garden | angiethefreckledrose.com

Before you start to build your cutting garden, make sure to gather up inspiration. You can really gain a clear vision of what you want while figuring out what will work best for you. I like to browse through Pinterest, Instagram, flower websites and more!

Creating A Cutting Garden | Inspiration from Kathleen's cutting garden | angiethefreckledrose.com

Kathleen's cutting garden

Kathleen LaLiberte of Longfield Gardens shares frequent blog posts filled with ideas and even her own gorgeous cutting garden. You can see them here. Now that you have been inspired, it's time to take those ideas and create something of your own! 

Choose Some Blooms

Creating A Cutting Garden | angiethefreckledrose.com

Using your inspiration, ask yourself what type of flowers you would like to see growing! Does a particular bloom stand out to you? I've decided to focus on mixing both annual and perennial flowers in my cutting garden. A mix will make for a lovely garden that I don't have to completely restart next year. 

I'm choosing dahlias and calla lilies for my annual flowers. For my perennial flowers, I am focusing on gladiolus and brodiaea. Make sure the flowers you pick have similar growing requirements to allow them to grow happy and strong. Here are all the flowers I have chosen for my cutting garden. 

Dahlias

Creating A Cutting Garden | Dahlia Cafe Au Lait | angiethefreckledrose.com- Cafe Au Lait - 
Type: Dinnerplate
Hardiness: Zones 8-11
Bloom Time: Summer through fall 
Bloom Size: 8-10"
Plant Height: 3'
About: Dahlias thrive in hot weather, but these lovely, cream and pale pink flowers always look cool and elegant. Cafe au Lait's blossoms are fabulous in a vase by themselves and like peonies, it takes just a few of them to make and impressive arrangement. A very popular choice for wedding bouquets.

 

Creating A Cutting Garden | Dahlia Fleurel | angiethefreckledrose.comFleurel 
Type: Dinnerplate
Hardiness: Zones 8-10
Bloom Time: Summer through fall 
Bloom Size: 8-10"
Plant Height: 3 1/2'
About: A classic dinnerplate dahlia with pure white blossoms. Gently twisting petals give the flowers a frilly look and a pale yellow center gives them a sunny glow. Each plant produces dozens of blooms so you can enjoy weeks of extravagant bouquets. A great choice for late summer or fall weddings.

 

Creating A Cutting Garden | Lavender Perfection | angiethefreckledrose.comLavender Perfection 
Type: Dinnerplate
Hardiness: Zones 8-11
Bloom Time: Summer through fall 
Bloom Size: 8-10"
Plant Height: 3 1/2'
About: This beautiful heirloom dahlia was introduced in the 1950s and it's still one of the best in its class. Lilac Perfection's 8-10" flowers are a lovely shade of soft, lavender-pink. Perfect for cottage gardens, paired with roses, garden phlox, and other old-fashioned perennials.

 

Creating A Cutting Garden | Boom Boom Yellow Dahlia | angiethefreckledrose.comBoom Boom Yellow 
Type: Ball
Hardiness: Zones 8-11
Bloom Time: Summer through fall 
Bloom Size: 3"
Plant Height: 3 1/2'
About: Ball dahlias have perfectly round, 3" flower heads that are densely packed with cupped petals. This new introduction is soft, primrose yellow, which makes it a perfect companion for virtually any color in the garden.

 

Creating A Cutting Garden| Dahlia Stolze Von Berlin | angiethefreckledrose.comStolze Von Berlin 
Type: Ball
Hardiness: Zones 8-11
Bloom Time: Summer through fall 
Bloom Size: 3"
Plant Height: 3'
About: A perfect spiral of densely packed, lilac-pink petals makes each of these 3" blossoms a work of art. Admire them in your perennial garden or add them to summer bouquets.

 

 

Creating A Cutting Garden | Lifestyle Anemone Dahlia| angiethefreckledrose.comLifestyle 
Type: Anemone
Hardiness: Zones 8-11
Bloom Time: Summer through fall 
Plant Height: 2 1/2'
About: A fancy, two-tone dahlia with lavender-pink petals surrounding a golden yellow center. The compact plants stand just over 2 feet tall and never need staking. Bright, summer-long color for flower beds, borders and pots.

 

 

Calla Lilies

Creating A Cutting Garden |Natural Bouquet | angiethefreckledrose.comNatural Bouquet
Hardiness: Zones 8-11
Bloom Time: Early Summer
Plant Height: 22"
About: This lovely calla lily glows with the soft pastel colors of a summer morning. Callas are easy to grow. Just plant the bulbs in spring for flowers in mid to late summer. The plants love hot weather and you can grow them in containers or right in your garden.

 

 

Creating A Cutting Garden | Crystal Clear Calla Lily | angiethefreckledrose.comCrystal Clear
Hardiness: Zones 8-11
Bloom Time: Early Summer
Plant Height: 16"
About: These pristine white flowers have long been a favorite for weddings. Now you can enjoy growing calla lilies in your own garden or in pots right on your deck. Crystal Clear's variegated foliage is dappled with creamy white spots.

 

 

Gladiolus

Creating A Cutting Garden | Gladiolus My Love | angiethefreckledrose.com-My Love 
Hardiness: Zones 8-11
Bloom Time: Summer
Plant Height: 4'
About: A completely unique gladiolus with a painterly look. My Love's glistening white petals have a pale pink blush and feature fancy, raspberry stitching. Stunning in the garden and an excellent cut flower that will last for a week or more in a vase.

 

 

Creating A Cutting Garden | Gladiolus Isabella | angiethefreckledrose.com-Isabella
Hardiness: Zones 8-11
Bloom Time: Summer
Plant Height: 4'
About: Electrify your late summer garden with this raspberry-red gladiolus. Each stem displays a dozen or more velvety florets that are decorated with a bright white flash and sparkling white stamens. Isabella looks fabulous in a vase with garden phlox, dahlias and sunflowers.

 

 

Brodiaea

Creating A Cutting Garden | angiethefreckledrose.com-Queen Fabiola 
Hardiness: Zones 6-9
Bloom Time: Mid Summer
Plant Height: 2'
About: Florists love Brodiaea because their starry, violet-blue flowers last for 2 weeks in a vase. When you grow them yourself in a garden or planter, you can enjoy their flowers for a month or more. These summer-blooming bulbs are native to California and the Pacific Northwest and are naturally deer-resistant.

 

 

* Other Flowers To Consider: Anemone, Allium, Astilbe, Begonia, Canna Lily, Calendula, Crinum, Daffodil, Delphinium, Dianthus, Foxglove, Gypsophila, Larkspur, Liatris, Iris, Peony, Phlox, Poppies, Ranunculus, Rose, Sunflower, Sweet Pea, Tulip, Zinnia

Focusing On Dahlias

Creating A Cutting Garden | angiethefreckledrose.com

I decided to really focus on growing different types of dahlias this summer. Since I'm starting my garden this spring, I'm choosing summer blooming bulbs. Out of all of the summer blooming bulbs, dahlias have always been my favorite. Dahlias need a good amount of room to grow, so make sure to give them a big enough space.

When creating a cutting garden, make sure you combine some different types of dahlias. This will make your floral arrangements have that professional touch! Here's an easy guide to all the different flower sizes and styles you can choose from. 

Creating A Cutting Garden | angiethefreckledrose.com

Pick A Location

 

Creating A Cutting Garden | angiethefreckledrose.com

When you are planning out your garden, have an idea of what spot would suit your flowers best. Most blooms will prefer a sunny location with proper drainage and healthy soil. I have found a spot that has a good amount of light. To have more control of soil conditions and drainage, I've decided to create two raised garden beds.

I've decided to build these beds to be 3' x 6' each. Having space in between the beds will allow me the ability to easily tend to my flowers and stake them when needed. Just remember, you don't need to spend too much time worrying about the design. You want to create your garden to be as practical and functional as possible. 

 Creating A Cutting Garden | angiethefreckledrose.com

As soon as the snow has melted and the ground has properly thawed, I will be out there prepping my cutting garden for planting. I will make sure to share every step of the way until the last flower has bloomed, so make sure to stay tuned!

P.S. Are you ready for the giveaway? Keep on scrolling!

Angie Rose

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Creating A Cutting Garden With Giveaway! | I have always fantasized about having my very own cutting garden. I've definitely grown many flowers that look like they are straight out of a floral fairytale. These include dahlias, gladiolus and calla lilies.| angiethefreckledrose.com
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99 Comments

  • Reply
    Seema Doraiswamy Sriram
    March 23, 2018 at 8:56 pm

    These are beautiful. Love the images you have captured.

  • Reply
    Lindsey
    March 23, 2018 at 7:19 pm

    Such great tips! I love planting flowers for cutting. Last year I did all annuals in a planter. So lovely

  • Reply
    Shelley Pierce
    March 19, 2018 at 9:03 am

    I love dahlias!

  • Reply
    Shelley Pierce
    March 19, 2018 at 9:02 am

    The dahlias from Longfield Gardens are gorgeous! Best of luck to everyone!

  • Reply
    Sandra McFadden
    March 18, 2018 at 10:24 pm

    I love Dahlias and all pretty flowers just love all the brilliant colors nature has to offer.

  • Reply
    Debbie White
    March 18, 2018 at 10:01 pm

    I love Dahlias!!!

  • Reply
    Sasha
    March 16, 2018 at 5:31 pm

    What a beautiful collection! I love Dahlias and would like to enter!

  • Reply
    Marilena
    March 16, 2018 at 4:06 pm

    Thanks so much, Chandrika! 🙂

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