Hi Mike, May 30th is really early to get mature blossoms from a spring sowing if you do not already have the plants growing inside under lights by mid- to late-March. And, there is no such thing as "surefire May 30 blooms-in-abundance" simply because success or lack of such is dependent on uncontrollable conditions--like the weather (tornadoes, late freezes, severe thunderstorms, hail, etc.)--and somewhat controllable ones--like the quality of your soil and how much time you have to maintain the plants and watch for pests etc. If you already had a yard full of plants, either perennials or reseeding annuals, you probably could count on having armloads of flowers, but it is hard to have armloads of flowers from new plantings that are just a couple of months old. I can tell you what is usually in bloom here in my yard in late May, and maybe that will help you make some decisions about what to do. In our yard in May, we have blooms most years from the following reseeding annuals or perennials: larkspur in shades of pink, blue or bluish purple, and white; chamomile (tiny white flowers); poppies (reds, whites, pinks but not really great cutting flowers); roses from well-established plants several years old; Texas Hummingbird Sage in pink and red; veronica in shades of blue; salvia farinacea (blue flowers); zinnias (early varieties only); cannas; gladiolus; perennial salvias like "Indigo Spires" and "May Night"; catmint (blue flowers); dianthus (red, pink, white); verbena bonariensis (lilac-purple); marigolds (orange and yellow); celosias; Indian Blanket Flower (red and yellow); shasta daisies (white and yellow); petunias; lilies; Bells of Ireland (green); and sometimes the earlier types of sunflowers. If you had flowering shrubs like lilacs and hydrangeas, for example, you might have blooms on them in late May depending on what kind you had, the weather, etc. I assume you are hoping/planning to raise your own flowers for the wedding and I have to tell you that even though it makes sense economically, it is going to be very hard to pull off if you are starting from scratch. I would be somewhat nervous about doing it myself for a late-May wedding and I have flowers all over the place. The key issue is that Mother Nature throws us a lot of curve balls here so nothing is guaranteed. If it were me, and I were starting from "scratch" with no or few existing plants, I'd be preparing my soil right now, and then I'd go to a full-line nursery with knowledgeable personnel (NOT a big box store where you may or may not be talking to someone who knows what they are talking about) and seek their advice. Then, I'd buy the most appropriate plants available in six-packs or 4" pots, plant them as soon as the weather permits--about early to mid-April, I'd guess, for your part of the state, and give them impeccable care--watering and feeding them enough but not too much. (And no feeding with a high-nitrogen fertilizer because it will give you all foliage and few flowers.) Furthermore, I'd ask all my gardening family members, friends and neighbors if they'd grow some flowers for the wedding and let me come cut them (or, better yet, cut them for me). Many people who love to raise flowers probably would be thrilled to contribute their blossoms to the wedding. Finally, I'd have a plan B, just in case a late freeze or hail hits in early May and the plants don't have time to recover. Plan B could be many things.....renting or borrowing potted plants, silk flowers from a craft store, etc. A lot probably depends on your daughter and how flexible she is....because if she is extremely picky and everything has to be "just so", then home-grown flowers might not be to her liking.....so I am assuming she is OK with this? I'd be willing to let you drive down to Love County a couple of days before the wedding and cut armloads of flowers from my beds. Having said that, though, neither you nor I know what the weather, the wildlife, or the plants themselves will do between now and then. That's what makes growing-your-own so problematic. I also could bring plants to you at the plant swap in mid-April, but we can't be sure they'll be producing blooms by late May, although they most likely would be. Dawn

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!

Wow, sarosen, it looks like you didn't get timely help for your question, although sheri posted some good ideas. What did you end up doing after all? I've encountered this problem myself a few different times... Tack 2000 is a great spray glue by Design Master-- you can get it in some craft stores. By spraying a light coat around the vase, you can cover the vase with Spanish Moss & tie with twine, or cover it with fabric pretty easily. I have even used spray paint to coat the INSIDE of clear glass vases. Metallic gold & silver work nicely, and look good through the glass. You might want to try it sometime with a cheap vase you don't like. I prefer Design master brand because it dries really fast.

Seems like every grower has their own recipe for cut flowers. The most common bit of advice is to cut early in the morning, when the dew is still on them. This is when they are at their peak hydrated condition. The large blooms with hollow stalks last longer if you put your knife into the stem up top, and twist a touch, allowing the water to go up the stem. When I cut many blooms at once, I use broad totes with chicken fence stretched out two inches from the bottom. This holds the stems up, and allows me to stack the blooms together with minimal squishing of petals. There are tons of recipes for the water, including lemonade, bleach, vodka, aspirin, etc, BUT plain 'ol water works just fine, too. Changing the water out often seems to do the trick. I haven't personally seen any benefit to using hot water, but some show growers swear by it. Here's a link with many opposing suggestions...Extending Vase Life