With the arrival of February, it’s time to kickstart your spring cutting garden.
This month offers an excellent opportunity to plant seeds, which will give rise to healthy seedlings—essential for a successful bloom when the weather warms up.
Cut flower gardening expert Melissa Strauss shares her favorite seeds to sow right now.
Planning Your Cutting Garden
Whether you’re starting fresh with a new cutting garden or looking to enhance an existing one, February is crucial for preparation.
Depending on your local climate, you may choose to sow seeds directly outside or start them indoors for a head start.
Either way, your preparations will set the stage for vibrant growth.
For a cutting garden, focus on flowers with sturdy, tall stems.
I love incorporating a vibrant mix of colors, sizes, and textures into my bouquets to keep them visually engaging.
When selecting flower varieties, consider how they’ll complement each other, and make sure they’re well-suited to your climate and available space.
Top Flower Varieties to Sow
Understanding the specific needs of your chosen seeds is also key.
Some varieties prefer to be germinated indoors, while others thrive when sowed directly in the garden.
Below, you’ll find a curated list of my top flower selections for planting this February.
- Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta ‘Cherokee Sunset’)
- Sunlight: Full sun preferred
- Height: Grows 24”-30”
- Hardiness: Zones 9-10
- For best results, start indoors about two months prior to the last frost.
- Aster (Callistephus chinensis ‘King Size Apricot’)
- Sunlight: Enjoys full sun to partial shade
- Height: Reaches 30”-40”
- Hardiness: Zones 2-11
- Begin germination indoors six to eight weeks before planting outdoors.
- Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Apricotta’)
- Sunlight: Thrives in full sun
- Height: Stands 32”-42”
- Hardiness: Zones 2-11
- Start seeds indoors approximately four to six weeks ahead of the last frost.
- Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea ‘White Swan’)
- Sunlight: Favors full sun to partial shade
- Height: Grows 24”-36”
- Hardiness: Zones 3-8
- February is the perfect time to start for those early blooms.
- Gomphrena (Gomphrena globosa ‘Lavender Lady’)
- Sunlight: Prefers full sun
- Height: Reaches 24”-28”
- Hardiness: Zones 2-11
- Start these seeds indoors about six to eight weeks before the last frost.
- African Marigold (Tagetes erecta ‘Kilimanjaro White’)
- Sunlight: Needs full sun
- Height: Grows to 18”
- Hardiness: Zones 2-11
- Recommended to start indoors four to six weeks ahead of the last frost.
- Poppy (Papaver somniferum ‘Lauren’s Grape’)
- Sunlight: Prefers full sun
- Height: Stands at 24”-36”
- Hardiness: Zones 2-11
- Direct sow these seeds as soon as the soil is workable.
- Scabiosa (Lomelosia stellata ‘Starflower’)
- Sunlight: Thrives in full sun to partial shade
- Height: Grows 18”-24”
- Hardiness: Zones 2-11
- Start indoors about six to eight weeks before planting.
- Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus ‘Orange Wonder’)
- Sunlight: Flourishes in full sun to partial shade
- Height: Reaches 30”-36”
- Hardiness: Zones 7-10
- It’s beneficial to start these indoors, though cold stratification can be optional.
- S strawflower (Xerochrysum bracteatum ‘King Size Silvery Rose’)
- Sunlight: Requires full sun
- Height: Stands 36”-40”
- Hardiness: Zones 8-10
- Start indoors one to two months before the last frost for best results.
- Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus ‘Sweet Rose Magic’)
- Sunlight: Thrives in full sun to partial shade
- Height: Reaches 18”-36”
- Hardiness: Zones 3-9
- You can begin indoor planting as early as ten weeks prior to the last frost.
Enjoy Your Gardening Journey
As you plan and plant your cutting garden this season, consider including these stunning flower varieties.
They promise to beautify your arrangements and attract beneficial pollinators to your garden.
Enjoy the gardening journey!
Source: Epicgardening.com