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You know it’s officially gardening season when beautiful budding blooms and greens are all around us! We all know that plants can completely transform a home’s exterior, but perennial plants can do double duty and brighten up your home’s interior as well! In this blog post, we’ll give you 9 tips on how to cut flowers from your garden and share our favorite perennial flowers for interior arrangements!
1. Cut flowers and plants from your garden in the morning. This is when they're the most fragrant and filled with stored nutrients.
2. Cut stems diagonally. A slanted cut allows for greater surface area and a corresponding increased water intake.
3. Remove any leaves from the parts of the stems that will be submerged. Bacteria from leaves that decay underwater can build up to plug the ends of the flower stems and prevent them from absorbing water.
4. Use glass vases. Chemicals in metal vases can poison flowers.
5. Check the water in your vase. Tap water is generally fine for the vase, unless you have a water softener. Soft water, which has high amounts of sodium, is not good for flowers. Distilled water would be a good option.
6. Keep bouquets away from fruit, which releases tiny amounts of ethylene gas that can cause flowers to age faster.
7. Never spray bouquets with water. This encourages fungi to develop on petals and leaves.
8. Re-cut stems every few days to overcome the flowers' constant effort to repair and seal off the cut.
9. Keep your arrangement in a cooler area. Avoid placing them in direct sunlight and hot areas, such as heating vents, as well as cold areas, such as near a window or door in winter.
Our Favorite Perennials for Beautiful Floral Arrangements
Peonies
Peonies like full sun, and though they can manage with half a day, they bloom best in a sunny spot. Plant away from trees or shrubs as peonies don't like to compete for food and moisture. Grow peonies in deep, fertile, humus-rich, moist soil that drains well. Soil pH should be neutral.
Salvia
Salvias grow well in hot, dry conditions and prefer full sun and well-drained soil. Many varieties will also do well in part-shade.
Yarrow
Plant in in well-drained, average to poor soil. Yarrow thrives in hot, dry conditions; they will not tolerate wet soil. If you grow yarrow in rich soil, the plants may require stalking due to over enthusiastic growth.
Phlox
In general, phlox need a planting site with rich, evenly-moist, well-draining soil, but lighting requirements vary by species.
Lily
Plant in well-drained soil with lots of sun. Most of the popular varieties prefer acidic to neutral soil.
Bearded Iris
Plant in full sun and well-drained soil. Iris will not tolerate soils that are wet in winter.
Daffodils
Plant in full sun or partial shade. Most daffodils tolerate a range of soils but grow best in moderately fertile, well-drained soil that is kept moist during the growing season.
Tulips
Tulips prefer a site with full or afternoon sun. Soil must be well-draining, neutral to slightly acidic, fertile, and dry or sandy. All tulips dislike areas with excessive moisture.
Lavender
Lavender grows well in any poor or moderately fertile soil. If you have heavy or clay soil, add some organic matter to improve drainage. Keep away from wet, moist areas.
Before you get started, check out our gardening essentials!
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