Hello Lisa.

Welcome back to another edition of THE PENCIL CASE! As always, each issue focuses on a theme to encourage a fresh look at garden design and graphics. This week let's celebrate Valentine's Day with one of my loves: CUT FLOWERS.♥︎ 

CUT FLOWER // Any flower or flowering plant that is grown specifically to be harvested and used in floral arrangements, bouquets, or decorative displays. These flowers are selected for their beauty, long stems, vase life, and ability to hold up well after being cut from the plant.

THE JOY OF CUT FLOWERS

Cut flowers have always felt special to me. As a child our yard was a typical empty lot with an expanse of lawn and very few plants...so I often perked up at the sign of any garden. One day I remember walking past an empty lot filled with a meadow of grasses and flowers. I don’t know if they were considered “weeds” or something more stately, but I was in awe of the blooms and wanted to bring them home with me. I made my first bouquet (or two) from this area to enjoy in my room…and my love of cut flowers began.

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I wasn’t able to enjoy cut flowers from my own space until after college when we grew tons of zinnias and cosmos in our vegetable garden, plus we always had an overabundance of lily of the valley, coneflower and hosta flowers. Over time, as I've moved and expanded my garden’s plant palette, I’ve enjoyed the challenge of creating cut flower bouquets throughout the growing season. I love walking around the garden from early spring through late fall (and sometimes into winter) to see what I can pull together for a fresh bouquet to enjoy inside (while still leaving enough outside to enjoy). And no worries, I don't cut flowers from random lots anymore!

A FEW CUT FLOWER NOTES

Though I am not an expert in how to grow cut flowers, I have learned a few things over the years in terms of their positive impacts and some design considerations (which I’ll share below!). For those that would like to learn more about the nitty gritty of growing them, I’ll share some resources from experts farther down.

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Unexpected joys. Cut flower arrangements easily upgrade a space and mood, while connecting you to the seasons. I also love giving homegrown bouquets to family and friends as a gift.

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A daily ritual. Walking around the garden to select blooms and make unique arrangements is fun and meditative (doing this with kids is a bonus).

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Colors. Consider how your flowers look together and complement your interior rooms. Honestly, sometimes I love the unique combinations of color that nature provides.  

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Foliage. Leaves are an important part of my bouquets too. I love combining different textures to help make the blooms pop. 

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Vases. I enjoy collecting a range of vases to accommodate a variety of plant forms and stem lengths. For instance, lily of the valley calls for a shorter and wider vase, while long-stemmed zinnias look great in a taller, narrow vase. 

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Plants. I typically cut flowers from my perennials and shrubs, plus grow some annuals from seed (like zinnias). Lately I’ve also purchased annuals like lisianthus and snapdragons (in a flat) to add to my seed annuals. You can place annuals in their own bed, or tuck them in with perennials and vegetables. When I cut flowers from my perennials I try to do it selectively so you can’t tell that I’ve taken them. I still want to have blooms outside too!

CUT FLOWER RESOURCES

One of my all-time favorite cut flower resources is FLORET FLOWER FARM. They sell seeds, have courses and provide so much great information to help you get started with your cut flower passion.

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Here is a collection of books on growing cut flowers in our BOOKSHOP (please note this is an affiliate link). If you have other books you think we should add to this list, please let me know!

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This article from Gardenary on HOW TO START A CUT FLOWER GARDEN FOR BEGINNERS is awesome. 

LET'S DO THIS! 

How do cut flower arrangements add meaning to your life? Do you have a special flower that's an important addition to your cutting garden?

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Would you like to learn a quick design tip every morning as you enjoy your cup of coffee? We've pulled together 100 for you in our 10x10 GARDEN DESIGN TIPS series for only $10.

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If you're looking for additional online educational resources, check out our COURSES page to stay up-to-date. Our design membership is opening up again in March, plus I'm dreaming up some beginner design courses for late summer/early fall and will give you updates here as we get closer.

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If you know someone that needs design inspiration, please feel free to share this newsletter. Anyone can subscribe right here. I also keep a VAULT of past issues in this secret location.

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With warmest regards, 

Lisa 

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PAPER GARDEN WORKSHOP

UPCOMING TALK

February 23, 2025 // PLANTING DESIGN 101

Two-Hour In-Person Workshop in Washington, Iowa

CLICK HERE to learn more

Thank you to Mandy Orgler for designing the lovely graphics in all these newsletters.