Your Farmers Dozen Cool Cutting Garden Guide
Grow Your Own Bouquets — Right at Home
Thank you for bringing flowers into your life in a whole new way. This kit is designed to give you a steady supply of beautiful blooms.
What’s Included
Healthy, ready-to-plant seedlings
Basic support materials — 2 pieces of support netting and zip ties to secure it
Floating row cover
A curated mix of cut flowers chosen for beauty and productivity
When to Plant
Plant now — these plants like a cool start. If you cannot plant right away, find them a shaded spot outside and water twice a day. If temperatures drop below freezing, bring them inside.
Where to Plant
Choose a spot with full sun (at least 8+ hours daily)
Good drainage is key — flowers don’t like “wet feet”
6 square feet of garden space — you will plant 2 seedlings per square foot (3 in the case of lisianthus)
Lay your flower bed out to measure 3 × 2 feet. You will be amazed at how much you can produce in this small space.
How to Plant
Loosen soil and mix in compost if you have it
Plant 2 seedlings per square foot (3 for lisianthus). Plants should be 4–6 inches apart from each other. This tight spacing will encourage long stems, and the plants will help support each other.
Gently remove seedlings and plant at the same depth as their container
Water in well right after planting. Water daily for the first 7 days if it does not rain. Provide one inch of water weekly. Plants need more water when it is hot outside. Water in the morning (preferred) or evening.
Mulch your plants if you can. Mulch helps soil retain water, deters weeds, and provides organic matter for your soil health.
Watering
Water in well right after planting
Water daily for the first 7 days if it does not rain
Water deeply 2–3 times per week unless there has been significant rain (more in hot weather)
Aim for the base of the plant (not the leaves)
Consistent and deep watering = stronger stems and more blooms
Frost Protection
Planting in spring is essential for this cool flower collection, but it does require you to give your plants some protection when temperatures dip into the 20s. Use your floating row cover (provided) to cover your plants when temperatures dip under 30. This little bit of armor is quite amazing and effective.
Use rocks, bricks, or lumber to hold down the edges of your row cover. Wind, especially cold wind, can be relentless and is, by far, my least favorite weather to deal with.
Support (Essential)
Use the included netting (before plants get tall). Place one layer at about 12 inches off the ground and the other at 2.5–3 feet off the ground. You may find you need to adjust them as the plants grow.
We recommend 4 six-foot metal stakes driven into the ground at least one foot. We use these.
This video does a great job of showing how to install support netting and why it is so important. You can start the video at 2 minutes and 40 seconds in to get straight to the action. You don’t need side posts since your flower patch is small. Have the zip ties on hand to make sure your netting is taut.
This keeps stems straight and bouquet-ready.
Pinching
Many plants benefit from pinching. Pinching means cutting the main stem down to encourage branching.
This short video shows you how to pinch. Not all plants benefit from pinching.
See the crop-specific information below to see where we recommend pinching.
Harvesting
The more you cut, the more they bloom! This is general harvesting information. One of the trickiest parts of cut flower farming is knowing when it is just the right time to harvest. See the specific recommendations listed for each crop below.
Give yourself grace! All your flowers will be beautiful — even if you don’t catch them at the perfect moment.
Harvest in the early morning or evening. You want to harvest when the plant is well hydrated.
Use clean, sharp snips. These are my favorite.
Cut stems deep and often — this encourages more flowers. The plant’s goal is to produce seeds. If you keep cutting the flowers, the plant will continue to produce flowers.
Not all flowers will produce flowers for the entire season. Pay attention to your plants and learn their patterns. That’s part of the fun.
Place immediately in cold water with flower food. Let them hydrate in a cool spot for at least 4 hours (overnight is great) before arranging them. If you have the ability to let them hydrate in a cooler, do it. (Never put zinnias or basil in a cooler — it’s too chilly for them.)
Pro Tips for More Blooms
Don’t be shy — cutting actually increases production
Keep up with harvesting to prevent plants from going to seed
A little fertilizer halfway through the season can boost growth
Mulch works wonders
Specific Recommendations for Your Collection
Snapdragons
Spacing: 2 plants per square foot
Pinch: Optional
Harvest: Harvest when the first buds begin to open for the longest vase life. Pollinated flowers will fall off.
Cerinthe (aka Honeywort)
Spacing: 2 plants per square foot
Pinch: No
Harvest: Harvest when bracts are fully colored.
Strawflower
Spacing: 2 plants per square foot
Pinch: Yes — pinch at 6–12 inches to encourage branching. Pinch down to 3–4 sets of leaves.
Harvest: Harvest when the first few layers of petals have opened.
Campanula (aka Bell Flower or Canterbury Bells)
Spacing: 2 plants per square foot
Pinch: No — wait and cut the first main flower deep to encourage side shoots.
Harvest: Harvest as soon as the first blooms begin to open.
Lisianthus
Spacing: 3 plants per square foot
Pinch: No
Harvest: Cut the first bloom and allow the others to mature. Harvest when at least half of the blooms are open. Cut deep to encourage more blooms.
Dianthus (aka Sweet William)
Spacing: 2 plants per square foot
Pinch: No
Harvest: Cut early for foliage or when up to one-third of the flowers are open.
From My Farm to Your Garden
This kit is built from the same flowers I grow and use in my own bouquets. My hope is that it brings you a moment of beauty, a reason to step outside, and maybe even a new favorite ritual.
If you share your blooms, I’d love to see them.
Tag: @kirsten_mudpuppy
