Flower Gardens

» Joni Rose - Hi Barb,

Hi Barb,

I love having cut flowers in my house. I am wondering if you can suggest some cut flowers that are easy to grow on the West Coast and that take minimal upkeep.

Any tips on growing roses?

Thanks,
Joni

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» Cottage_Garden - Rose tips -- moving to new thread

In response to Hi Barb,
posted by Joni188:

Roses, well, I just started a series of articles on how to buy a "good" healthy rose. Getting a good start is important. I'll write more about roses in future articles.

Roses need lots of sun, good drainage (ie not a damp soggy wet spot) and good air circulation. Those are the main requirements -- and start with a healthy good quality specimen of a variety suited to your area and your garden maintenance routine.

Hybrid tea roses are the fussy ones of the bunch but recent breeding seems to be heading toward finding disease and pest resistant varieties even among those. I wish they would hurry up!

Try a landscape or shrub rose such as Knock Out or Bonica for easier care and lots of blooms.

If you are in a colder winter area such as zone 6 or colder, plant roses grown on their own roots rather than grafted. If you plant a grafted rose, you will have to take special measures to protect the graft from the winter cold.

Rugosa roses are very easy to grow, they are very cold tolerant and actually hate to be sprayed.

The Buck roses are also very cold tolerant, sturdy plants.

I'll move this to a new rose thread.

-- posted by Cottage_Garden

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» Cottage_Garden - Cut flowers for the Pacific Northwest

There are so many you can grow -- see if this article doesn't inspire you!

Flower Fantasy

Sweet peas, snapdragons (tall ones), statice, globe amaranth, tall zinnias, sunflowers, larkspur, cosmos, bulb lilies ...

Tall garden phlox, daisies, coreopsis, yarrow, purple coneflower, black eyed Susan, taller dianthus...

Chives make a fun cut flower. Smelly though. (Like onions)

Daffodils, tulips, hyacinths....

Roses, peonies, lilac, hydrangea! Many shrubs make great cut flowers.

Hostas and ornamental grasses make great foliage in the vase, too.

A "long" lasting cut flower is five days or more. If you are growing them at home it isn't quite as critical that they last a long time because you can run out and cut some more.

-- posted by Cottage_Garden

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» Joni Rose - Cut flowers for the Pacific Northwest

In response to Cut flowers for the Pacific Northwest posted by Cottage_Garden:

Thanks Barb! Your tips on roses and this list is really great! Will get the gardening books out to see what I can still plant this year. I love sunflowers so that is a no brainer. I also love smelly flowers so that is a consideration.

Joni

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» Cottage_Garden - Cut flowers for the Pacific Northwest

In response to Cut flowers for the Pacific Northwest posted by Joni188:

Zinnias, cosmos and sunflowers are good candidates for planting now if it seems like spring is past -- they like warm soil and warmer weather. The zinnias and cosmos will bloom until frost if you keep deadheading or picking them.

I forgot to mention gladiolus. They can be planted every week for an ongoing supply.

And dahlias can still be planted for sure.

-- posted by Cottage_Garden

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