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luke_oh

What are you planting next spring?

luke_oh
14 years ago

My wife is retiring after 35 years teaching and I'd like to surprise her with a cutting garden next year. In the past, she has been responsible for the flowers and I have raised vegetables. I incorporated some annual flowers in with my veggies last year and enjoyed the balance. I have a seperate 40x30 area that I plan to make into her garden. Any suggestions would be appreciated. She usually starts her flowers from seed, so I'd like to give her the seeds for a christmas gift. Thanks, Luke

Comments (14)

  • diggerdee zone 6 CT
    14 years ago

    I haven't started thinking about next spring yet, lol, but I will probably plant pretty much the same things I did this year. Sunflowers, zinnias, snapdragons, celosia, amaranthus, chinese asters, ageratum, statice, rudbeckias, gomphrena, and cosmos. I'll also plant some dahlias.

    As for perennials, I'm going to try alstromeria again. No luck for the last two years with seed, but maybe third time's the charm! But if I do get it to germinate and grow, it will most likely stay in containers, since I've heard/read that it's aggressive.

    Here's a link to a recent thread about favorite cutflowers. Good luck, have fun and I must say you have a lucky wife!

    :)
    Dee

    Here is a link that might be useful: favorite cut flowers

  • luke_oh
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Dee, Thank you! I'm familiar with some of these and thanks for the favorite cut flower thread. By the way, I'm the lucky one.

    Luke

  • tommyk
    14 years ago

    These are my tried-and-true annuals for cutflowers (they are all tall growing with large flowers):

    Zinnias: Any of the Benarys' Giants; State Fair; Giant Cactus and/or Burpeeanna, just about any tall growing large flowering Zinnia actually will be fine.

    Snapdragon: Rocket, Madame Butterfly, Tall Deluxe, Tetra, Brazilian Carnival, Snappy, Chantilly (again any tall Snap will do)

    Rudbeckia: Cherokee Sunset, Kevlon Star (aka Sputnik) Chim-chim-inee (many other, but these are my favorites)

    Asters: Standy, Unicum, Seastar (aka Tiger Paw), Pomplona, Compliment, Opus.

    Celosia: Pampus Plume, Punky Red.

    Scabiosa: Oxford Blue, Ebony & Ivory, Imperial.

    Ageratum: Blue Horizon.

    Throw in a few tall Dahlias and Sunflowers and you are all set.

    There are many other types of annuals but I've found that you don't have to grow a wide variety as long as the ones you choose are productive and the above-mentioned types are all productive throughout the season (except Asters)

  • l_james
    14 years ago

    Today I set out 250 Black-eyed Susans the Goldstrum strain- Rudbeckia fulgida.
    I started them from seed this spring and grew them in 3.5 inch pots.
    I put them in a bed three plants wide with two plants spaced diagonally.
    Hopefully they'll make a marketable cutflower.
    I have 90 plants left that I need to find a place for. I might put them in one gallon pots.

  • teresa_b
    14 years ago

    Well, after much winter sowing and sowing on site, here is my list for what has been planted to date this spring. Cosmos, suns and zinnias will be planted later.

    Delphiniums
    Larkspur
    Bachelor's Buttons (which I swore I would not plant again)
    Scabiosa Fama (new this year)
    Orlaya
    Asters
    Campanulas (for bloom next year)
    Euphorbia
    Bells of Ireland
    Artemisia (new this year)
    Bupleurum (new this year)
    Calendula Pink Surprise (first time for this variety)
    Cerinthe (new this year)
    Nigella
    Snapdragons (new this year)
    Trachelium caeruleum (new this year)

    Anyone trying anything new this year?

    Teresa

  • tommyk
    14 years ago

    We always try something new whether veg/flower, but we rely on the same ones that do well for us. Once you find something that works . . . stick with it.

    You'll love the snaps. We grow only the tall, large flowering varieties for our bouquets. We strongly recommend Rocket, Tall Delux, Madame Butterfly, Tetra, Snappy, Chantilly, Brazillian Carnival as some of the best.

    Has anyone tried Cramer's Amazaon Celosia? We grow Pampus Plume & Punky Red for our bouquets and have heard a lot about Cramers. It takes longer to bloom but appears to be a winner!

  • sorellina
    14 years ago

    Wow, can you believe I've been a GW'er since 2004, but only now just found this forum while trying to find an answer about sweet peas on Google? Crazy. I was wasting time over in the Annuals forum when I could have been here!

    I just scarified and am soaking these sweet peas for sowing tomorrow:

    Ocean Foam
    Regal Robe
    Wiltshire Ripple
    Azureus
    Lord Anson's

    The last two are not the typical scented Odoratus sweet peas, but something a bit different. I've grown the everlasting sweet peas and I like them, but I really favour blue flowers, so I'm giving the Lord Anson's a try. I'm hoping I can mulch or something to keep them perennial over our crazy, usually frozen winters. This last winter has been mild by comparison, but the ground still freezes. Azureus is supposed to be fairly short, like 2 ft tall and a brilliant blue, so I'm hoping to put that one around the cherry tree where my husband's blue flower garden is. It gets dappled sunlight there.

    I like most annuals as long as they're not orange. I have an aversion to orange flowers. Other annuals I usually always grow are:

    Nasturtiums: I've managed to find some really beautiful non-orange ones like Caribbean Cocktail and Night and Day.
    Sunflowers: I go for the burgundy and pale cream ones or the pale green ones. Favourites are Black Cherry, Cinnamon Sun, Eclipse, Moonshadow, Italian White, and Italian Green Heart.
    Scabiosa: I really loved the Ebony and Ivory ones last year.
    Zinnia: I like the Peppermint Stick and Apricot Twist ones. I'm trying Envy for the first time this year.
    Bachelor Buttons: Favourites so far are Black Ball and Snowman.
    Cerinthe: This one self-seeds so it's like a no-nonsense perennial. I just let it do its thing and come up every year.
    Nigella: Miss Jekyll White and Persian Jewels were my favourites last year.
    Cosmos: The pure white ones like White Seashells and Psyche White have been great to tuck in for some background. I also like Picotee, Candystripe, and Daydream.
    Lupine: These have been difficult for me to germinate. Any tips would be helpful. I got a few Texas Bluebonnets to come up last year and I love them. I've tried the Pink Fairy twice, but it hasn't worked for me (different suppliers). I always scarify and soak lupine seeds beforehand.

  • diggerdee zone 6 CT
    14 years ago

    I'm trying some new snaps this year - Costa. I'm also trying a new celosia, Sylphid, which is green, and some new-to-me annual chrysanthemums. Well, the chrysanthemums I did try last year, but it was such a terrible year I don't even count it. Same for the Cramer's celosia I tried, Tommyk- can't really say how it worked for me because the spring was so rainy I had terrible germination and then more loss of seedlings from too much wet and not enough sun. I have a few leftover Cramer's Rose seeds I am trying, but I did not buy any new seed.

    Lastly, (I think!) I am trying some new marigolds, Red Metamorph and Frances' Choice. I love marigolds and can never have too many!

    Sorellina, you made me laugh - I used to DETEST orange.... but guess what? I find I'm adding more and more to both my cutting garden and my perennial garden. Never say never, I guess, lol!

    :)
    Dee

  • tommyk
    14 years ago

    diggerdee: I've grown the Costa snaps before. There're very nice but kinda pricey. There are others just as good for less money. I've grown celosia Sylphid in the past and liked it very much, so I keep growing it. It's very productive and has a nice light green color with 'feather' type flowers. Great for bouquets!

  • diggerdee zone 6 CT
    14 years ago

    Yes, the Costa snaps were pricey! And they were stingy with the seeds to boot. But I thought I'd give them a try - I also grow Animation, Rocket, and Madame Butterly.

    I'm glad to hear you like the Sylphid. I was never a fan of green flowers, but then starting using some in bouquets (mostly with purples and oranges) and really like them. I hope Sylphid does well for me. Thanks for the comments.

    :)
    Dee

  • teresa_b
    14 years ago

    I grew Sylphid last year and used it a lot as a filler. For me, the color was more of a pale yellow then green; however, I have found pale yellow to be a good filler in my bouquets.

    Teresa

  • kitkat_oregon
    13 years ago

    Tommyk, I grew Cramers Amazon a couple of years ago and loved it. It is huge, very productive and beautiful with the dark red foliage and the deep bright pink plumes. Has lots of side shoots. I just found some old seed after reading your post and think I will some again. Looks great with other plumes, pampas plume being my fave. Kat

  • thrills
    13 years ago

    Re: germinating lupines
    I scarified and soaked about 12 seeds of Russel Hybrid early this spring and only a couple germinated . Later in the spring I planted some seeds which had only been soaked (overnight) and I have had much better germination rate.
    I used a commercial potting soil in toilet paper tubes out on a screened porch.

    A neighbor nearby has many many seedlings emerging from the base of a single plant from last year. I think these might respond well to winter sowing without any pre-treatment.
    best luck!

  • backyardgrown
    13 years ago

    In addition to the perennials I already have established here is a fall seed order I'm putting together:

    Achillea ptarmica The Pearl
    Achillea millefolium Summer Berries
    Agastache rupestris Apache Sunset
    Althea rosea Chaters double
    Ammi majus Graceland
    Celosia Century
    Celosia cristata Bombay
    Celosia spicata Flamingo feather
    Delphinium Giant Pacific
    Delphinium Giant Pacific
    Dianthus barbatus Sweet
    Dianthus Amazon Neon
    Gerbera California Giants
    Helianthus annuus Full sun improved
    H annuus Jade
    H annuus Moonshadow
    H annuus Ruby Eclipse
    Helianthus debilis It. Green Heart
    Hibiscus sabdariffa Jamaican cocktail
    Rudbeckia hirta Cherokee sunset
    Rudbeckia hirta Irish eyes
    Verbena hastata Pink Spires
    Zinnia Candy mix
    Zinnia Giant Cactus Flower Mix
    Zinnia State Fair Mix
    Zinnia Whirlygig Mix
    Antirrhinum Rocket Mix

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