While Vermont has a relatively short growing season it is possible to have plantings that keep your vases full from March through October. Many flowers, branches and berries have a long vase life. I have experimented with a wide array of plant material. My first snip is in February with magnolia and forsythia branches that I force. In October rose hips, viburnum berries, snapdragons, hydrangea blossoms, dahlias and bittersweet vines keep me well supplied.

How can you turn your yard into a personal florist shop?

Learn to see beyond the ordinary. Many small trees, shrubs, vines, evergreens and perennials offer a wide array of possibilities. Use annuals as fillers and sources for expanding your color palate.

Look at plants with an eye towards their range of possibilities. The PJM Rhododendron is a good example. Branches can be picked in early March and forced indoors. Snip some more branches in late April to early May when they are in full bloom. Then in October their leaves have turned a beautiful reddish-bronze making them a perfect foil for cream colored snapdragons which are reblooming. Viburnums are another shrub with multi-season interest.

Bulbs and annuals need to be replenished yearly so plant them in an easily accessible site. For me the vegetable garden is the easiest place to include these plantings so I have designated several beds for this purpose. I have also found tulips and peonies to be happy companions.

Many perennial varieties have long been popular cut flowers. Choose a few favorites and plant them en masse so you can snip enough stems for an arrangement. Think about including some low growing annuals with your ground cover plantings. Cascading petunias and mignonette are rapid growers that don’t mind being pruned and they have a long vase life.

Evergreen branches are mostly considered for winter arrangements but I use them all year. The golden cypress is particularly lovely. If you want to have plenty of branches for winter window boxes and arrangements then postpone your yearly pruning until November.

Finally wander into the herb garden and give your basil, parsley, mint, oregano, lavender and thyme a trim. Use the stems to create fragrant edible bouquets.

The following chart lists some plant suggestions that will embellish your landscape as well as your vase. (To view chart please refer to the newsletter)

For a listing of perennials and annual plants ideal for cut flowers see the chart in the Horsford’s Gardens and Nursery 2003 Plant catalogue. You can pick this up when you visit the nursery.