Flower and Herb Garden Tour

One of my very favorite ways to show people that I care is by bringing them a bouquet from my backyard. Several years ago, I was inspired by my friend Leah’s idea to plant a cut flower garden, googled “easiest cut flowers to grow” and filled a neglected flower bed in my backyard with a whole lot of joy. Here’s what I’ve got:

Lavender

I love the tiny lavender buds and the way they add a little height and contrast to a bouquet. The woody stalks also have a beautiful shape and can add a little green, but mine tend to be a little short for most bouquets. Lavender is also a great garden addition because it attracts bees, repels mosquitos, and comes back year after year.

Sage

Sage is another one of my favorite herbs to grow. Like lavender, it’s pretty hardy and doesn’t require much care and, once it gets going, is a beautiful filler. It has the same green as trendy eucalyptus, but is much easier to grow. Sage is also great to have on hand if you are a cook who enjoys adding fresh herbs to your recipes. Supposedly, sage is easy enough to grow from seed, but I just purchase it already started for a few dollars from my local hardware store. Sage can be a perennial, but I’ve found in Illinois it depends on the harshness of the winter.

Alyssum

I originally added Alyssum to my garden this year to act as garden filler while I waited for my seedlings to grow, but was surprised to find it really does grow long enough to use in a bouquet. Alyssum’s dainty white flowers bring just the right amount of whimsy to my bouquets and I love the cylindric stalk’s movement. Like my sage, I purchased my Alyssum already started in a pot, and planted it into the ground. A little goes a long way; this plant will definitely spread throughout the summer.

Marigolds

Giant marigolds are on my list of flowers to try next year since most of my marigolds this year are too short to incorporate into a bouquet. I still buy them every year, though, because my oldest kid loves them, they are easy to grow, and they are also great at keeping away pesky bugs. I especially love marigolds because they are the ultimate companion plants - they are well-known for enhancing tomato crops as well as cucumbers, melons, squash, and pumpkins. Those pops of gold remind me to follow suit and be somebody’s marigold every day.

Marigolds are annuals, meaning you’ll have to plant them every year, and can be started by seed, but I’ve always bought them as plants at my hardware store.

Petunias

If you have a thumb that is any color but green, then petunias are the flowers for you! Petunias are pretty hardy and tolerant of gardeners who sometimes forget to pay attention to them. They aren’t generally known for being cut flowers, but I did cut some this year and was surprised at how well they held up. I put these powerhouses in my landscaping each year for a big pop of color. They will spread too, so you’ll get quite a bit of bang for your buck.

Mint, Mint, So Much Mint

Mint is also a great plant for lazy gardeners, but beware, mint is incredibly invasive! You’ll be happiest if you plant your mint in a pot. It grows quickly as a vine that I just cut and pull off the bottom leaves to use as a green filler. They flower in late summer with a fluffy white end, which I also love incorporating into a vase of colorful flowers. Mint leaves are fun (and delicious!) to put in your water, tea, or lemonade, freeze into ice cubes, or boil into a simple syrup. Like Lavender and sage, mint is a perennial and will scare off your mosquitos and attract bees.

Zinnias

Another friend to beginner gardeners, zinnias come in so many colors and shapes and should definitely be a flower you try in your cut garden. They prefer to be directly sown - meaning you plant their seeds directly into the ground. I follow the old adage to plant on Mother’s Day and usually have Dahlia-like blooms ready to cut by late June.

Basil

Like mint, basil will make your bouquets smell amazing and give them a little depth with their gorgeous green color. I also love telling my recipients that they can pull the basil out of the bouquet and add it to salads, sandwiches, sauces and even water. Unlike mint, you’ll need to plant your basil each spring and cut off the flowers often to encourage your plant to continue to produce leaves. I’ve kept basil in pots some years and in the ground others and learned it grows much larger if you have space to put it in the ground.

Oregano

Oregano has such a pretty shape, but I’ve never been able to grow it quite big enough to take advantage of it as a vase filler. It’s still worth giving space in my garden, though, because fresh oregano can really elevate a recipe. If you have any growing tips, let me know!

Forget-Me-Nots

Another dainty flower, Forget-Me-Nots probably got their name by self-seeding and showing up in gardens year after year. I love their bright blue color and am always a sucker for a dainty flower that adds a little interest. Also of interest, by fall they produce teeny, tiny burrs that will stick to your socks when you walk by - so watch out!

Sunflowers

Ah, the showstoppers! I’m going to be terribly unhelpful and tell you my sunflowers are all from a variety pack of seeds my son had to purchase several years ago - I have no idea what we’re growing. I do know, though, that you’ll want to choose a smaller variety if you are planning on using them in vases like I am. Also look on your packet for a variety that produces several flowers on one plant. Like zinnias, sunflowers like to be sown directly and will need to be replanted annually.

Tithonia

Our Tithonia have been a delightful surprise! Like the sunflowers, ours came in a variety pack that my son insisted on putting in the cart. Also like the sunflowers, they grow to well over 6 feet, so plan accordingly. Their orange color is stunning, but truthfully, they can be a bit wimpy in a bouquet and are usually the first to wilt. They are also meant to be direct-sown and require a stake to stand tall about halfway through the summer.

Cosmos

Cosmos are also highly recommended by good, old Google, but must be delicious; the rabbits eat ours every year. Let me know if you know how to deter them!

Daisies

Kathleen Kelly, Meg Ryan’s character in You’ve Got Mail, was on to something when she declared daisies to be the friendliest flower; you have to smile when you see them! However, I’m not great at growing them. Last year I blamed lack of watering, but this year I’m saying their demise was the fault of a volunteer sunflower that bloomed a bit close and stole their thunder…or rather sunshine. They’ll be back next year, though: daisies are perennials.

Thyme

I actually didn’t grow thyme this year, which was a mistake. I really missed it as a filler and obviously for its pun-potential. Thyme is usually a perennial, but it didn’t make it back this spring. I’ll miss it in my fall recipes and will definitely bring it back next year.

Parsley

Parsley was also missing from my garden this year and I didn’t miss it. Last year I finally admitted that I don’t actually like the taste, however, it does look beautiful on a meal. It’s still worth mentioning, though, in case you do like the taste as it is incredibly easy to grow. While a great green filler for your bouquets and fun to pass along for your friends to use in their cooking, parsley should come a with a warning: you’ll attract parsley worms. These cute little guys look a lot like monarch caterpillars but hatch into something super creepy. Never again. ;)

So there you have it! A little garden tour and advice from someone who doesn’t really know what they’re doing! I hope it gives you the confidence to just go for it - you really don’t have much to lose and a whole lot of happy to gain. If you do try a garden, will you tag me in any pictures @onehunderedpeopleproject? I would love to see what you come up with!