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Texas Gardening

Need ideas for cut flowers

13 years ago

I need some ideas for some easy-to-grow flowers that I can cut all summer long -- I love to have a few fresh flowers in my windowsill. The rest of my yard is pretty much low maintenance, lots of passion vine, various sages, etc. that I can leave alone except for the days of most serious heat. To save water, I'm not looking for something that has to be watered every day (except while it's getting started), and doesn't require any toxic chemicals, but will produce nice long-lasting flowers. The space is pretty much full sun if I cut back some of the passion vine and coral vine on the wire fence behind it. I've got about ten feet by three feet to work with. Is this an impossible dream? I can start seeds if that's the best thing to do.

Hyden in Austin

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Comments (10)

tx_ag_95
13 years ago
I have a dianthus that's almost a carnation in looks (and I just discovered that carnations are a version of dianthus!) that's in the corner of my garden and has survived the last two winters. They don't have long stems, but would be nice in a small short vase AND they smell pretty. I don't remember the flowering times, though.

Marigolds are pretty hardy and the flowers last a while, if I remember correctly, and they'll take the heat and supposedly help keep some pests off of your tomatoes if you plant them together.

Gerber daisies are pretty hardy, too. Except for the cold.

I'd suggest Earthkind roses, but they typically don't do well as cut flowers, they don't last long.

I hope someone else has better ideas, because I'd love to have cut flowers, too!
Lynn Marie
13 years ago
Zinnias would fulfill all your requirements.
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It is quite normal for a squash or gourd to produce only male flowers initially. The females will appear later. Cutting off the males is not likely to speed the process. Since the squash/gourd plant will produce relatively few female flowers during the life of the vine, perhaps the early appearance of the males serves to train pollinators to be there when the females open.
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hi again, sorry, we were away for a few days. thanks for responding to my pleas for help. the blooms i cut did perk up and are lasting pretty well now, after all. i did notice that the less mature/slightly greenish one didn't last as well as the pure white. i tried again yesterday with more that got bent in the last rainstorm, and this time i dipped the ends immediately into hot water, and then into some alum. i found this advice after a little searching, and it seems to have worked well, even for the green ones. whew!
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roselee z8b S.W. Texas
13 years ago
Cosmos are easy to grow from seed, bloom all summer and make good cut flowers. They come in lots of different colors and forms, too :-)

Here is a link that might be useful: Cosmos ...
plantmaven
13 years ago
A couple years ago I had cosmos called seashell. Very pretty!
tx_ag_95
13 years ago
Thanks Roselee! I do miss Jerry Parsons, for some reason they don't have his TV plant segments up here.

I have just the spots for some cosmos, I just hope they get enough sun.
rock_oak_deer
13 years ago
Gomphrena/Globe Amaranth is one I've seen recommended here. It's a beautiful flower and lasts quite a while.

Here is a link that might be useful: Gomphrena
pjtexgirl
13 years ago
Brown eyed Susan,Indian Blanket (I did anyways), coreopsis,and queen anne's lace.
lovek9
Original Author
13 years ago
Has anyone had luck with Statice? I used to plant quite a bit of it up north, but haven't seen it in TX.
pjtexgirl
13 years ago
I read that someone on Dave's garden grew them in Austin. I also read they get dry easily. FYI annuals can reseed here aggressively but I didn't read anything about that on line.
Gardener972
13 years ago
Gerbera daisy, as long as it doean't get too dry.

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