I'm wanting to grow some flowers to supplement my decorations for my wedding in mate July.I have a little bit experience growing flowers and vegetables, but I would really appreciate advice and wisdom form seasoned gardeners. I'm in southern WV, zone 5. I'm thinking of growing Coneflowers, Penstemon, Globe Thistle, Nicotiana, sunflowers. Any suggestons for other flowers I should look into, or reasons I should avoid these? Thanks!
Have you considered adding zinnias to your list? They come in a myriad of colors, shapes, and sizes and are long-lasting as cut flowers. If you plan to have sunflowers in your bridal bouquet, be sure to get the kind that doesn't spread pollen everywhere. The yellow pollen stains, and can simply ruin the front of a bride's gown.
The nicotiana that I had do not last after cutting and are very delicate !! They are very fragrant though !!
I was thinking about using the sunflowers as aisle decor, so I should probably looking into making sure I don't get pollen everywhere when setting them up. Do certain types of sunflowers have less pollen or is it treatment? And zinnias look like they would be a wonderful addition to the list. And thanks for the info on the nicotiana. I might avoid it if it is delicate.
Yes, some sunflowers are pollen heavy (usually old-fashioned varieties) and the newer hybrids have less or no pollen. Instead of nicotiana, you may want to consider nigella damescena (aka Love-in-a-Mist, which is so appropriate for a wedding). It is a fluffy flower in blue, white, or pink, and is a good cut flower. Nigella self-seeds all over so if you plant it once, you have it for a lifetime!
Are you looking for only annual from seed? Otherwise dahlias, gladiolas, stock, salvia and snapdragons are easy grow plants, too.
Seeds can be annual or perennial. However, I probably should mention that the flowers will have to be container grown.
I wouldn't recommend perennials for flowering this year. If you know someone who has them established, that would work, though. They usually grow the first year and then flower the year after, same with biennials, growth the first year flower the second year. Bulbs or corms will flower the first year you plant them, though. Growing in containers is a little more challenging than in the garden, if you miss watering them for a day or two that could wipe out the planned blooming period or kill the plants all together. You will need to be very diligent at attending to them. Look into using "wild flowers", too. Queen Annes lace is a great filler, Shasta daisies, coneflower, butterfly bush (not wild, just popped into my head). Buy a few small sized combination planters in the spring, replant them and tend to them until you need them, would be an easy inexpensive decoration. A sprengeri fern, alyssum, a petunia and maybe a stalk, such as millet or a dracena, if you need it to have height, makes a nice full pot by July as long as you water, fertilize and prune a little here and there to keep it compact. Just a few ideas if you are needing any. Take it/them at face value and use them or discard them or ask more questions about them.
"Coneflowers, Penstemon, Globe Thistle, Nicotiana, sunflowers" Coneflowers will work, Penstemon is ok...if you can find a variety called "Sour Grapes" it tends to be very cool, much better than the ugly Husker Red. Globe Thistle---superb. Nicotiana---ok choice, be careful where you plant it. Sunflowers...eh. If you have an opportunity to visit a nursery during the time you want flowers, you can see what is blooming at that particular time. You can buy perennials that will bloom in the same year, why wouldnt they? Better off planting bare root from potted containers than seed. Although some varieties, growing from seed is better..suck as Leonoitis-Wild Dagga--very cool plant...just annual though but very unique. You might get some Russian Sage (Perovskia), Shasta Daisy-Thomas Killen variety seems the strongest...much better than Alaska, Nancy and a few others that wilt in the high heat of the day. Salvias...May Night, Purple Rain, go with a cool Atemesia called Lactiflora..much different looking than your typical Silver Mounds. Oh and let's not forget your Meadow Rue--Thalictrum. If you have a source..the ever so stunning white Filupendula. Og flowers flowers flowers.....[/url]
