5 Flowers to Grow and Harvest in Summer: Easy and Spectacular Varieties for Your Bouquets
After the long winters we all have that call of nature in spring where we want to see life and beauty born throughout the beautiful summer season.
So we are busy like busy little bees creating the most beautiful gardens for the pleasure of the eyes but also to make beautiful bouquets to embellish our interiors.
In this article, we offer you practical information sheets on summer varieties that we particularly like.
Dahlias
Dahlias are one of our most hands-on varieties on the farm. We have to plant the tubers in the spring, top the plants, stake the plants, put netting over the buds so they are not attacked by pests, dig up the tubers in the fall after the first frost, clean them, divide them, store them all winter, select the most beautiful tubers the following spring and start the planting cycle again… But despite all this handling, dahlias are undoubtedly one of the varieties that makes us incredibly amazed. There are no fewer than 57,000 registered dahlia cultivars and many different types such as ornamental, cactus, ball, pompom… There really is something for everyone.
We plant the tubers in spring, one week before the last frost on the ground. They must be well buried underground and still without any tender shoots on the surface of the soil to avoid any risk.
In sandy soil, they should be provided with at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of water per week. Otherwise, they should be given this same amount of water weekly until the first shoot has emerged from the soil. Consistent and sufficient irrigation is the key to their success throughout their presence in the fields.
We top the plants when they are 30 to 45 cm (12 to 18 in) tall to encourage the proliferation of secondary stems, which are less bulky and easier to incorporate into bouquets.
Once the flower buds have formed, we cover them with organza bags and seal them to protect the flowers from tarnished plant bugs (if the buds are bitten by insects, the flowers will become deformed). We make sure to use bags large enough to allow the flowers to open inside. When the flowers are fully open, we harvest long stems of at least 40 cm (16 in), removing any offshoots. At this point, we remove the bags and immediately place them over new flower buds.
After the first autumn frost (or 120 days spent in the field), we dig up the tubers, wash them, and divide them. Each season, a mother plant produces several new tubers that can be planted the following season. During the winter, we keep them in the cold room at a temperature of about 5 degrees Celsius inside plastic crates filled with wood chips and closed, taking care that they do not touch each other.
Our favorite cultivars : Brown sugar, Café au lait, Cornel, Cornel Bronze, Ice cube, Peach'n'cream, Linda's baby, Sweet Nathalie, Wizard of oz, Polka, Platinum blonde.
Lisianthus
Another of our favorites is undoubtedly the lisianthus. Again, this is one of the varieties that can present some challenges to grow, but its beauty and generosity make it a must-have for every season on the farm.
It takes on average 6 months from sowing to first harvest, these tiny seeds (often coated in clay) are a real challenge to sow. On the farm we sow them in the greenhouse at the beginning of March and transplant them into a cold greenhouse at 2 pairs of true leaves (May). To optimize germination we recommend maintaining 100% humidity, not covering the seeds or moving the seeds when irrigating. Keep a temperature between 16 and 20 degrees at all times and avoid more than 22 degrees for an extended period during the seedling stage to prevent the plant from making a rosette (dormant plant = no flowers). Lisianthus growth, both from seed and in cultivation, is very slow. Be patient!
Despite all the challenges, lisianthus are among the great champions in terms of number of flowers per stem (sometimes up to 10 flowers on a single stem), longevity in vase (easily 10 days to 3 weeks in optimal maintenance conditions).
For harvesting, we recommend letting it wilt the first flower on the plant as it is much earlier than the others. Harvest only when the subsequent flowers are open, on average 3-4 flowers open and more, according to your taste.
Our favorite cultivars : Corelli light pink, Voyage (light apricot, pink and lavender), Doublini.
Eucalyptus
The challenge for every florist farmer is to have a constant supply of foliage to create balanced arrangements. Eucalyptus remains one of the most popular plants during the summer season. We love its sweet fragrance, its blue-green hues, and its long, poetic branches that add movement to the arrangements.
Growing it isn't very difficult. We sow it indoors in March for transplanting in May. We always prefer growing it in a caterpillar tunnel or greenhouse because this allows the stems to elongate and be more suitable for bouquets. You can still grow it outdoors (avoid temperatures below 15 degrees Celsius) but the plants will be shorter. It is possible to plant it on perforated geotextile to bring more heat to the soil, which eucalyptus particularly likes!
It's important to let the soil dry out thoroughly between waterings, weed regularly, and of course maintain consistent exposure to sunlight and heat. For watering, we favor drip irrigation, which keeps the foliage dry and helps prevent fungal diseases, such as powdery mildew, as well as certain pathogens and fungi, such as phytophthoras and pythiums.
Harvesting generally takes place from mid-August until October when the stems are long enough.
Our favorite cultivars : Baby blue, Silver plate, Lemon bush
Sunflowers
One of the essential crops on the farm, particularly for its rapid maturity (between 50 and 75 days from sowing to harvest). There are more than 70 varieties of sunflowers, all with warm, inviting hues that warm our hearts throughout the season.
Since sunflowers prefer warmer temperatures, we sow them directly outdoors in well-drained soil and full sun, when all risk of frost has passed. As for growing them, they only need to be watered and weeded regularly.
Grown on a small scale and in good conditions, sunflowers rarely suffer from phytosanitary problems.
Once harvested, we do not leave any leaves on the branches because they tend to wilt. We harvest the flowers as soon as a petal begins to rise from the center, the rest of the opening will take place in a vase.
Successive sowings allow for continuous flowering throughout the season.
Our favorite cultivars : Buttercream, Chocolate, Firecracker, ProCut® white lite, Sunfill™purple, Teddy bear
Zinnia
One of the summer season's hits, the zinnia (native to Mexico) comes in a multitude of shades, some of which are very complex and incredibly funky (especially the Queen Lime collection, which we particularly like). Adored by pollinators, especially butterflies, in the field, it also makes an incredible focal flower for bouquets, and its plants are extremely productive.
Its growth is quite rapid, so we do not leave more than 3 weeks between sowing and transplanting. They are then put in the ground when the ground is well warmed up and all risk of frost has passed. We use geotextile planting to gain temperature and limit the amount of weeding.
Plants should be topped around 35cm (14 in) or as soon as the first flower forms, then we remove any subsequent buds that appear before the plants reach the correct height for harvesting, 75-85cm (30-34 in).
Zinnias can be prone to many pests and phytosanitary problems (powdery mildew), but more so at the end of the cycle. Therefore, it is sufficient to plan for more succession and leave the plants in the field for a shorter period to avoid facing challenges in this area.
Harvesting takes place when the flowers are almost open but some petals are still undeveloped and the center of the flower is flat. It is also important that the stem is rigid to ensure the flower is ready to be cut.
Our favorite cultivars : Benary's giant slamon, Golden hour, Oklahoma salmon, Queen lime (blush, orange and red), Zinderella (peach and lilac)
