Do you love fresh cut flowers but don't have a clue where to start in your own garden?
Abby Hoppen is an avid home gardener who shares her tips on Instagram as AdventuresinAbbyland.
Monday on 13 ON YOUR SIDE MORNINGS, she suggested what seeds you should plant now to create gorgeous bouquets.
Abby shared what she calls her three "power player flowers": Cosmos, Zinnias and Celosias.
Cosmos
"Cosmos are the perfect cottage garden cut flower. They grow large and profusely and are so simple to grow from seed that I have had new plants sprout within my compost pile from the dead headed flowers I’ve tossed aside," explained Abby.
"Cosmos do well in full sun, and slightly acidic soil. However, they will still do well even in the poorest of soil conditions with adequate watering. One plant can grow up to three feet tall and about two feet wide."
Zinnias
"Zinnias are the flower that will most always offer you forgiveness. With a little but of water and decent dirt, Zinnias will grow and flourish making them one of the flower gardens must-have plants and perfect for anyone just starting out in their garden journey," she said.
"For the beginner gardener with a smaller garden, Zinnias are a great place to start because they produce continuous blooms from just one plant.
"Best part? Zinnias are incredibly easy to grow from seed. In fact, like cosmos, I have had Zinnias grow from my weed pile after tossing aside the dead headed flowers. They are very resilient and an absolute delight to grow."
Celosia
"Celosia might be the lesser known of the three flowers I would suggest for beginner gardeners but it could very well be the easiest cut flower of all time to grow. While they don’t bloom until mid to late summer they are one of the most unique flowers in the garden and one that I cannot miss in the garden. Some regions may refer to these as cockscomb or wool flower. There are taller varieties or dwarf varieties. For the sake of cut flower gardens, avoid the dwarf varieties as the stems and blooms are very short.
"Celosia is a double bonus plant because while they may not bloom until later in the season they are incredible for dried flowers. I mixed a bunch into my mantle this year at Christmas time and I wish I would have saved more. They make incredible dried arrangements as well as additions to fresh flower bouquets."
Visit Abby's blog for more West Michigan Gardening tips.
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