I am determined to have a nice cut flower garden! So what's your favorite cut flower and why? I'm interested in all kinds - long flowering varieties, heat lovers, just pretties, long vase life.....anything and everything. Last year mine was calla lilies. They last forever in a vase and are so elegant....they are my favorite! Anyone else?
My favorites are pretty broad...if I can grow it ~ I will cut it..lol
Here's a few favorites.
Zinna's
Salvia's
Penta's
Roses
Butterfly ginger
Nightblooming jasmine
MsC
Wow, how could I ever just name one? MsCritterkeeper , I would certainly agree with zinnias, and dahlias, and asters, and snapdragons, and on and on. Yep, calla lilies and regular lilies oh my I could go on and on.
I haven't tried zinnia's before. I'm trying a couple of varieties of cosmos this year and some dahlia's. Next year I think I'll go nuts with sunflowers and do like a whole sunflower patch. Who know's , it'll probably change by then lol.
If I'm buying cut flowers, I go for long vase life... like alstromerias or spider mums. From my garden, I always cut the gladiolus as soon as the bottom bloom shows a tad of color. Keeps them from having to be staked in the garden and brightens my home. Of course, I cut many other flowers too, but those are just the ones that immediately came to mind.
Dahlias for me: any color, any shape, any size. They continue to bloom when just about every other flower is done. You gotta have them! Darius, I was reading along the threads as you were moving into your new place. I hatched a plan to send you a bunch of dahlia tubers for those marvelous garden spaces. You would have to stake them though. Alas, this year was a bad one for storage and it isn't meant to be, but if you're ever interested let me know. It would be my gift to your great new adventure.
I like glads, liatris, snaps and asters as well.
Poochella, I will take you up on the dahlia offer next year... IF I can remember! My Mother loved dahlias and always had a bunch of them in the house.
Ah, another savvy Mom; they can be so wise..... I will do the remembering for you, Darius, no problem. Dave's Tradetracker is a marvelous tool for reminders. Next year it is.
Princess, try zinnias, you will love em. So easy and so much color, I order from Stokes seed and you can get packages by individual colors.
Lilies - Asian, Oriental, Trumpet - you name it!
Zinnias last and last in the vase; just can't go wrong with them!
My favorite depends on the time of year. Recently daffodils ('Fragrant Rose' was the best!) and tulips were at the top of the list. Now peonies and iris are starting to bloom. Early summer the lilies top my list.
Big White Spider Mums....YUMMMMM
I agree with Seandor - Lillies!! Orientals are best and even though they are a bit more expensive, I've had stems last well over a week!! Stargazer and Casablanca are beautiful. For more budget flowers I would choose alstromerias, daisy mums and even spray carnations can look nice in a more wildflower design. Of course tropicals can last up to a month too!! kh
Any stalk with a bloom that i can bring in the house is my very favorite!! (LOL)
I love them all-but I especially love a vase full of nice big bright sunflowers.....
aren't sunflowers just the best!!!!!
I think so gessiegail-so simple, but you cant help but smile when you look at them...
I like just about anything. I just brought in what looks like an unopened tulip bud that broke off it's plant. I stuck it in water and I hope it blooms since I have no idea why I have what appears to be 2 tulips plants with several buds on them. lol.
I'm a sucker for carnations, just 'cause they smell so sweet and last so long! And dahlia's are just gorgeous!
I live in zone 9 and planted some seeds of carnations....didn't keep track of it,but they were the prettiest fragrant flowers in my winter garden except for the tall stock.....
I love cut hydrangeas!!! Although they need to be well hydrated, all I have to do is drown them in water. They seem to be easiest to maintain as a plant for me too.
I ordered some garden mums this year from King's and so I am really looking forward to something in later fall. Mums seem to last a really long time too.
I guess we could answer whatever is blooming now. lol
Joann
Karmaplace, if hydrangeas like being drowned, they must LOVE New Orleans....sorry, bad joke. I'm a transplant from Jefferson Parish. We left when I was a child, but I still cried when I saw all the pictures of what the hurricane did. I still have family in Metairie, Kenner, Gretna, Destrehan and Slidell. Everyone is ok, but a lot of cleanup and repairs had to be done. I hope you and your family fared well.
Oh, and Welcome to our little family here--glad to have you!
This message was edited May 31, 2007 3:37 PM
KW, good one...after almost 2 years, I think I can handle a joke. Glad your family is safe. We're in good health, but lost the house and the garden I had worked so hard on prior to the storm. We live by the water so everything was washed out!!! Guess we were asking for it. Had the house demolished and at a loss of what to do next. Moved into my dad's, whose home was flooded but the damage wasn't irreversible. Finally settled in after almost 2 years, and just now thinking about gardening again. I'm happy to have found this place as I'm crazy about flowers. I have much to learn and am very excited to get started again. In fact, just bought endless summer hydrangeas at half price today. They don't look so good right now, but they just need some lovin. Anyhoo, thanks for the warm welcome. I'm enjoying it here already.
Karma, so sorry about the loss of your home and garden! Another wonderful thing about Dave's Garden is that people who have plants that need thinning out are generous enough to send their excess to people who need plants, esp. in situations like yours. If you mention what kinds you're looking for, you never know, you may get offers!
Love hyacinths.They are so delicate and the entire house smells so good.
I force them and wish they had a perfume that smelled like them.Anybody know of a perfume that smells like them?
HD
Karmaplace - check you the seed trading forum - often people have extras they just want to give away. And you could be inundated with free plants. DG people are very generous.
OH, I noticed we have a "Helping Katrina Victims" thread, too!
http://davesgarden.com/forums/f/help4katrina/all/
Thanks for the suggestions...I will check it out. It's amazingly wonderful how generous gardeners can be!!!
My favorite cut flower at the moment is Canterbury Bells. I planted a bunch last fall and they are bloooming pink, white, lavendar and purple.
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/78179/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/47/
I agree with darius, Canterbury Bells. Mine are just coming along nicely in bud, should be blooming within a couple of weeks. LOVE the subtle fragrance......
Mondays, I bring in a couple of vases of flowers to work, one for my desk and one for my supervisor's. This week's collection is rugosa rose, bachelors buttons, sweet woodruff, frilly columbine and a pink/cream perennial cornflower. Shades of pink and the vivid blue of the bachelors buttons and sweet woodruff. Such a treat to the nose!
then on Fridays, I bring another vase for supervisor to take over to her Mom. (Mom's a shut in with many medical issues)
Must have flowers.........
How kind of you drivenbonkers, to share your flowers so. It doesn't sound like you drive anyone bonkers but bring a little light and joy. God bless you for that.
I agree with Lenjo, every workplace could use an instant morale boost, and flowers sure do help! I'm sure your coworkers appreciate you for that! And how wonderful of you to think of the sick Mom! I'll bet she is always perked up when she receives them!
Thanks for the kind words.
I've taken flowers to work for the past 16 years, no matter where I've worked, lol. I enjoy sharing them.
Every Monday in the spring/summer/fall everyone looks forward to seeing what's in the vases, lol. It's always changing.... depending on what's blooming. Sometimes it's a bunch of tulips or daffodils, some lilacs, single rose, sometimes it's a big bouquet of fancy sunflowers.....
It doesn't take much to get the vases together, a few minutes with the scissors Sunday and Thursday evenings....wander around seeing what's available, and what's pleasing to my eye in a vase together.....
Depending on what's blooming, even canning jars get used for vases, lol.
Big bold red sunflowers in a Mason jar......daisies in a jelly jar......
for me, it's all about the simple pleasures in life...
Bravo for you. We are having a great discussion of vases here on this forum , come join us, drivenbonkers, and give us your ideas. Joann
Vases? I collect tiny bottles for miniature bouquets--there are so many pretty tiny wildflowers out here, and I like to decorate small spaces with them. I once found a pretty cut-glass perfume bottle on the side of the road, took it home and washed it out, and it's perfect!
then there's always the cut glass salt shakers missing their tops, for that very first viola of the season.......
I like that idea!! Never thought of it--how creative of you, driven!
Best cuts here are orchids and bromileads.
And roses too.
