Few things bring more joy than fresh flowers in the home and office. Flowers are readily available from your local florist, online, farmers markets and the grocery store. We recommend that you DO NOT use flowers from a grocery store as they simply are not fresh. Your florist is best able to provide Quality, Fresh Flowers at an affordable price.

If you have the time and the inclination to start a cutting garden you will find it a richly rewarding venture that will provide cuttings throughout the year. In Central Santa Maria we are blessed with a climate that allows year round production of cut flowers from our garden. While some varieties will need the warmer summer temparatures many varities will grow through the year.

We recommend you find a sunny location in your yard roughly 10 by 10 feet or larger. Assuming the bed has been prepared and that you have good loamy, rich soil you would plant the following varieties at approximately two week intervals. By planting fewer flowers at regular intervals you will insure a full production without having too many flowers all at once.

Begin by raking the area of well prepared soil to a fairly level surface. If you are working with a plot of ground which is against a fence or other type of backdrop you will be using Plan A. If your plot is in the open such as in the middle of the lawn you will be using Plan B.

Plan A- The portion against the fence will be the back of your cutting garden and will have the tallest flowers. You will then work to the front of the garden where you will have the shortest plants. This will provide ease of cutting and will provide a beautiful arrangement in the garden so that you will enjoy the fruit of your labor even before you begin to enjoy it in your home. Now working from the back of the plot you will have three imaginary sections in which to plant. Row 1 is in the very back, Row 2 is in the middle and Row 3 will be in the front and will have the shorter varieties of plants.

Plan B- In this plan you have your cutting garden in an open space. This is particulary well suited for the center of a lawn which will visually break up the lawn and provide lush color. In this plan you will be working in concentric circles or squares with Circle 1 being in the very center, Circle 2 surrounding Circle 1 and then Circle 3 surrounding Circle 2. Circle One will be the home of the tallest varieties of flowers for your cutting garden, Circle two will be somewhat shorter and Circle 3 will be the shortes varieties. In this scheme you could finish the entire circumfrence of the garden with a very low flowering plant which would not be useful for cutting but which would finish the plot and provide continued color even when you have cut heavily into the more useful blooms.