Growing a Cut Garden in FL 9B

This spring, I decided to take charge in the yard and start growing a cut-flower garden in my back yard. Unsurprisingly, because I had mulled over the idea for years without finding solid information, I did not find a lot of good resources to go on. 

Florida, especially central and south florida, are challenging for flower gardening. It's hot and extremely humid, there are pests galore, and all the existing resources seem to have Georgia as the southernmost state. 

I found refuge in the instagram group, #FloridaFlowerGrowers though. And, through those lovely accounts I was able to pluck up the courage to grow my own cut flowers.

What I Grew

Cosmos and Zinnias are the flowers I decided to give a go in September. I planted a tray of seeds to transplant out into the garden when they had some roots and true leaves. I didn't have irrigation and after temperatures were hovering in the low to mid 90s with little to no rain. So, direct sowing was out. 

I had marginal success. But, enough so that I'm encouraged to do more this year. It's January 2nd and I have just seeded some dahlia seeds, collected the last seed from my spent cosmo plot, and put in some very late ranunculus that I do not anticipate will do well. :( 

Lessons Learned

As a first time flower gardener in Central Florida, here are my top lessons.

1. Get an irrigation plan. It can be inexpensive, it can be simple, but you need an easy way to add water to your plants when they are young. Everything that was planted in an area without irrigation? Dead. This is what I used (Affiliate link: https://amzn.to/3QcgKD6)
2. Plant something already! Don't wait for the "good time" to plant according to the internet or books. From what I'm learning ... If it's a summer plant up north, it's a fall or late winter plant here. If it's a spring plant there, it's a depth of winter plant here. If it's a late summer early fall plant there, you maybe can grow it in the late spring here. Cosmos and Zinnias did great from September - January, with irrigation. The hard freeze last week did them in, so I saved the seeds.
3. Cut often and cut deep - these flowers grew and branched more every time I cut. Sacrifice the early buds to pinch and you'll be rewarded with a huge bloom. Rememeber to dead head if you aren't cutting bouquets enough!
4. Add compost or mulch or both to your flower bed after planting. The blooms will thank you
5. Pinch HARD before a hurricane and hope for the best. I cut all my baby flowers back to the lowest two sets of leaves (about 4 inches) before Hurricane Ian. They all survived and thrived. They withstood hurricane force winds and gusts off the lake, because they were aero-dynamic! (See sad instagram story: https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17854601582788430/)
6. Be flexible. Take good notes. I'll do better with that this year!

I just planted some dahlia seeds and ordered a boatload of new cosmo varieties to plant as soon as my ranunculus pop out some leaves and I can turn irrigation back on. 

I cannot wait to have all those fresh bouquets again! I had enough this year to dress the whole  thanksgiving table for 14 people!