My first time growing it. Doesn't look like much in the plant but the little pops of blue really do a lot for the bouquet imo, and it still flowers in part shade, which is good because I have a lot of areas in my garden that aren't sunny enough for the typical cut flowers.
I grew Timeless Mix from Johnny's and highly recommend!
Finally :)
I actually had a handful of sungolds that got eaten before they made it inside.
These are New Girl and Black Angel. The Black Angel is reasonably productive, sets fruit early, but as a determinate plant, it only has about 8 more green tomatoes on the plant, before I pull it out. I am very happy with the taste and texture - tastes similar to my black krim last year and I like that it's a nice small size.
The New Girl are ok. They taste like a nice classic red tomato but they are not that productive. I think next year I'll try a different hybrid, maybe Celebrity Plus.
I also have Mountain Sunrise, which is doing very well but still waiting for the tomatoes to blush.
I grew the giant orange marigolds for the first time this year and have been delighted with their productivity and appearance. I also really like Court Jester marigolds for adding whimsy to bouquets.
Are there any unusual varieties that you like for cutting? I'm looking for seeds for next year.
I've tried and not liked the look of Frances Choice. Strawberry blonde is way too short unfortunately. I am thinking about adding white swan next year. I really like the unusual petals of yummy mummy but I can't find any tall versions. Would love any additional suggestions!
Finally the summer flowers are starting in zone 6b. I don't know if I did something wrong but my sunflowers, marigolds, and zinnias were super super slow this year. These are the first ones and they did not disappoint - I tried Oklahoma salmon and Johnny's ballerina zinnias for the first time.
I also tried these Rouge Royale sunflowers and orange marigolds for the first time and love them!
I'm in zone 6b Massachusetts.
For cut flowers, do you think yarrow continues to flower well after its second year or do you rip out and replant? I have read conflicting things online. Last year my yarrow (Colorado mix and Summer Berries) flowered nicely, some was in its second and some in its first year. This year, all the yarrow came back with lots of leaves (not new seedlings because I could see where they were coming back up) but it hasn't flowered well at all. It's been a very cold and then super hot spring and summer so I can't tell if it's just a bad year or if I actually need to rip up the yarrow and replant new ones for next year.
What has been your experience?
I managed to grow feverfew this year (last year I didn't really understand the biennial schedule) and feverfew + canterbury bells are so nice together. This makes me want to try other feverfew varieties for next year.
My snapdragons, coreopsis, and calendula are just starting to get going now so I can't wait for more variety in the next couple weeks!
Is there any cut flower that's new to you this year that you will add to your must grow list for next year?
Not really arranged but just cutting stuff from the garden and tossing into a jar. Zone 6b is really getting into the swing of things.
Feverfew and sweet William are new to me keepers! Prolific and importantly pest-free. I started feverfew inside and transplanted last fall. Sweet William I just direct sowed last spring.
Harvested a couple tulip bouquets from my garden. I can only bear to cut them when it's about to rain and the tulips are already on their way out... So I don't get much vase life but it's still beautiful.
I grew gudoshnik double and akebono for the first time this year and love them. The dark purple palmyra tulips are double tulips but came back from last year and even multiplied in my garden! So I think I'll also leave all the new double tulips in the ground this year again.