The season to start planting perennials will soon be upon us, and the time to purchase is now. Making a list of the plants you need and ordering them are tasks that must always be done a season ahead. This helps ensure availability of the plants you want and that they will arrive on time for planting in your gardening zone.
Most bouquets are built around what grows and blooms in the sun. That’s why flower farmers commonly lean toward annuals. But don’t let shade-loving perennials be pushed under the rug. Why? Because they offer years of blooms and can be low in maintenance.
Heuchera and Heucherella plants are one of my absolute favorites for the shade cutting garden. There are so many different varieties to choose from, and each has its own unique color. The foliage offers a sweet accent to a delicate bouquet, and let’s not forget the summer blooms—small, bell-shaped flowers dangling from long, upright stems. If you want larger flower stems perfect for tucking into floral arrangements, grow heuchera in deep shade.
Georgia Peach Heuchera is an attractive border plant that fits well into any size shade cutting garden, and it will provide you with long-lasting foliage for years.
Oh, and how about old-fashioned bleeding hearts? They add the sweetest detail to any floral design and evoke memories of Grandmother’s garden. With their gracefully arching stems and cascading heart-shaped blooms, they’re a classic favorite. What more could a flower farmer ask for?
These beauties produce better blooms when planted in dappled shade. Be sure to plant lots of them because you’re going to fall in love with them. When harvesting, be cautious about when you cut. Don’t wait until all the hearts are in full bloom. Cut when only two to three have completely opened.
Dicentra Spectabilis Alba is definitely on my must-plant list this growing season. Can’t you just imagine the flowering stems delicately branching from a bride’s bouquet?
Astilbe is a classic choice for shade and cottage gardens. The photo below shows Diamond with its bright white flower spikes. But these plants come in a variety of vibrant hues that can be added to the flower farmer’s color palette. They also provide height in table arrangements.
Harvest astilbe when the lower half of the flower spike is open, but before the entire spike has filled out. The photo below shows the perfect time for harvesting astilbe.
Growing a shade cutting garden will benefit your business as a flower farmer. Once those perennials are established, you’ll reap beautiful blooms for all your floral needs—and for many years to come.
Happy gardening!
—Pamela Anthony
Beehind Thyme Farm & Garden