Wistfully wandering through a lush garden plucking plumes and snipping stems is more than just a daydream. Even without a green thumb, you too, can have an undeniably beautiful cutting garden this year. 

Step 1: Set the Stage

You don’t need sprawling space for vivid color, just a window box 30” long and 12” deep is enough to start some zinnia, celosia, gomphrena, and blue saliva, said Suzanne Balet Haight, owner of Balet Flowers & Design in Ballston Spa. 

If you do have more space, start with raised beds, or plan for a 10’ x 10’ sunny garden patch with 2ft. wide walkways that allow you to reach both sides easily.

“The more sun you can give a cutting garden, the better,” said Suzanne. If you do have shade, choosing hellebores, bleeding hearts, or Paris coral bells will keep your garden humming all summer long. 

Step 2: Ready the Floor

Grab hold of a shovel or rototiller and turn over the soil to make it pliable. No matter what type of soil you have, add compost to feed plants and limit weed growth. If you decide to test your soil’s pH level, the ideal measurement is 6 -6.5 for optimum growing conditions - if the soil is too acidic, add lime; too alkaline, add sulfur. To build up soil health even further, add organic fertilizer.  

Step 3: Dance by the Light of the Moon

Next, lay down reusable landscape fabric to control weeds and place plants in 3 ft. wide rows 12” apart after any chance of frost. Suzanne recommends waiting to plant outdoors until at least after Mother’s Day or delaying until after the cooler nights that come with the last full moon in May. 

Step 4: Waltz Wisely

When shopping, look for plants that will regenerate and produce flowers throughout the season, said Suzanne. Many of the annuals, perennials, and shrubs at Balet Flowers & Design deliver glorious color in varieties that rebloom quickly after they are cut, avoiding annoying bare spots in the garden. 

Step 5: Fill Your Dance Card

To keep pesky pests away - like Japanese beetles (that love fresh zinnias) - buy traps or pick insects off by hand, then wipe plants with a mild solution of soapy water. 

Suzanne likes to use insects to control other insects and ladybugs work wonders, she said. If an aphid infestation is already underway, it’s too late to buy ladybug larva, so she recommends using organic neem oil instead. 

Step 6: Take a Bow

To keep snipped flowers looking lovely longer, place cut stems in a preservative made of 1 quart water + 2 drops bleach + 2 drops vinegar + 1 tsp sugar. 

Then…simply enjoy the applause! 

For garden inspiration and beyond beautiful bouquets, stop by the cutting garden at Balet Flowers & Design, 5041 Nelson Ave., Ballston Spa, 10am – 3pm every day from July 5th – end of September. For more information, go to https://www.baletflowers.com