There's nothing like creating beautiful bouquets of flowers you grew yourself, a mix of dahlias, gladiolus and fragrant lilies for stunning arrangements as gifts or to decorate your home with! We have a great selection of summer-blooming bulbs in stock now and so many varieties that are perfect for a cutting garden!
When planting, we recommend waiting until March so the soil can dry out and your bulbs aren't sitting in water. Pick up a bag of E.B. Stone Organics Bulb Food 4-6-4 to apply when planting and once they begin blooming, give them a dose of E.B. Stone Organics Ultra Bloom 0-10-10 to keep them flowering!
Dahlias
Available in a huge variety of color, size and flower type, whether you prefer the massive dinner-plate flowers or the bronze colored foliage, dahlias are a must-have!
Plant sun-loving dahlias in a spot with at least 6 hours of sunlight a day and protection from the wind. Dig 4-6" deep and place your bulbs about 2-4' apart (depending on size), planting the tubers flat with eyes facing up. Prolific bloomers, dahlias will flower May until frost when deadheaded so make sure to pick up a new set of pruners in the Garden Shop!
Read more about Growing Dahlias here!
Lilies
Plant lilies in full sun and you'll be enjoying them as much as the bees and the butterflies. Available in a number of different colors and bicolors, they are superb cut flowers. Some are even so fragrant their exotic fragrance can fill up an entire room! Winter hardiness is a plus too!
Psst...looking for a perfect white lily? Don't miss our 'Casablanca' variety.
Gladiolus
Tall spikes of flowers, gladiolus are perfect when adding a bit of height behind your shorter plants! They provide a striking vertical accent when combined with plantings of annuals, perennials or shrubs.
To make sure the stems are strong, be sure to plant the corms deeply enough. A general rule is to plant each corm about 4 times as deep as it is thick, and space them 4-6" apart. Like Dahlias, they do best in well drained soil with lots of organic matter. You can stagger your planting of gladiolus bulbs for a summer-long harvest, just be sure to store your bulbs in a cool, dry space.
If you're planting purely for a cutting garden, remember to plant in rows for easy access to flower spikes!
For mini bouquets, try these shorter flowers...
Ranunculus
For a stunning mini bouquet (12-16" high), we love the little rosette shape of ranunculus! Available in a range of warm tones and color mixtures, plant now and enjoy in late spring, early summer! Plus these cuties attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds!
Ixia
Also known as Wand Flowers, plant Ixia 2-3" deep in full sun and you'll have 14-16" high star-shaped flowers on small spikes in late spring! Available in a mix of reds, pinks and white, it makes a perfect little bouquet.
Sparaxis
Growing 10-12" high in full sun, shop our Harlequin mixture featuring red, pink, orange and white flowers with that quintessential yellow center. A butterfly and hummingbird favorite!
If you think you can't do bulbs because of shade, try these shade-lovers...
Begonias
Ruffled flowers will bloom all summer long until frost. Plant in morning sun or bright shade, the hanging variety is perfect for your porch or patio! Growing 10-12" high, Begonias are a pollinator's favorite and come in an array of colors and in both hanging and upright varieties!
Calla Lily
Easy to grow, our shade loving aethiopica variety boasts those classic large (24-36" high) white flowers that bloom late spring to mid-summer. Perfect for a shade to part shade area of your garden and container planting, plus they're deer resistant!
Lily of the Valley
Growing 6-12" high, these small white bell-shaped flowers are valued for their delicate beauty and incomparable fragrance! Growing well in shade or part shade, enjoy flowers in early summer and dark green foliage all season long.