A successful cutting garden starts with a small sunny bed, easy-to-grow flowers, consistent watering, and regular pinching and deadheading! To get some tips, I talked with Natasha McCrary, owner of 1818 Farms in Mooresville, Alabama. Each year, the farm produces over 14,000 blooms, along with raising animals, hosting workshops, and offering bouquet subscriptions. Here’s her advice for growing a successful cutting garden.
How to Start a Cutting Garden Without Getting Overwhelmed
The biggest thing I tell people is to start small. One 4-by-8-foot raised bed is ideal. I’ve seen people try to plant an entire yard full of flowers, only to get overwhelmed, and suddenly it’s not fun anymore. From there, think about the colors you love and what you actually want to bring indoors and put in your bouquets.
What Mistakes Do You See Beginners Make When Starting a Cutting Garden?
The number one mistake I see is that people plant their flowers, water them once or twice, and then walk away. In those first couple of weeks, unless there is a good rainstorm, you really need to water every day until the roots are established. After that, plants usually need about an inch of water each week.
Best Flowers for a Beginner Cutting Garden?
A few plants that people tend to have great success with, no matter where they live, are zinnias and cutting marigolds. When buying zinnias, make sure you choose varieties bred for cutting. These grow tall, have long stems, and produce big, beautiful blooms. A few of my favorite varieties are Benary’s Giant and Button Box. If you are only planting a small plot, you will have more success if you start with plants rather than seeds, but seeds are more economical, so it’s worth trying both.
Where to Plant a Cutting Garden for the Best Blooms
Flowers need a lot of sun—at least 8 hours a day. It’s usually easier to grow them in raised beds since you can control the soil, but if that’s not an option, it’s a good idea to get a soil test to see if you need to make any amendments.
Flowers like soil that stays moist but drains well. They really don’t like being waterlogged or having “wet feet.” Once your plants are in the ground, add mulch to help keep weeds down. We use shredded leaves since they’re free and break down over time, adding lots of nutrients back into the soil.
Simple Support Systems for Tall, Healthy Stems
To support blooms as they grow, we use Hortavona netting. I have tried many other things—bamboo and baling twine—but nothing works as well.
We grow all of our blooms in beds that are 4 feet wide, and the netting comes in rolls that are 4 feet wide, so it’s super easy to install. We insert four T-posts in the corners of each bed and place a few poles throughout the bed. We then stretch the netting over the posts and poles and zip-tie it in place. The plants grow up and through the netting, which supports them. As they get taller, we move the netting up along the posts.
Why Pinching and Deadheading Matter
Most summer annuals should be pinched to encourage more blooms (watch Natasha’s video on pinching here). Everyone is scared to do it because it feels like you are cutting the blooms away, but in the end the plant will give you twice as many blooms—or more—over time! To properly pinch, once the plant reaches 6 to 8 inches (or has four leaf sets), you cut the central stem just above a leaf node. This will force the plant to send out more branches, which will, in turn, flower.
And you should always deadhead. Deadheading is when you cut away spent blooms. If you don’t deadhead, the plant will put energy into making seeds instead of more flowers.
Companion Plants That May Help Deter Pests
I’ve had great luck with lemongrass. I plant it in several areas around the garden; you can also put it in pots and use it to bookend your beds. It gets big and beautiful, and as a bonus, you can use it in cooking and to make tea.
Natasha McCrary’s Favorite Cutting Garden Tool
Ha! I use a vintage dinner knife. It’s the tool we use to plant every plant on the farm! I also love a hori-hori, but I couldn’t live without the vintage knife. It fits perfectly in my hand and is just so comfortable to use.
