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Kate's Flower Farm

My Top Favorite Local Flowers to Use this Summer

Ballerina Zinnia from Johnny's Selected Seeds
Ballerina Zinnia from Johnny's Selected Seeds

Summer is when a majority of flower crops are blooming across Michigan. It is bountiful, beautiful, and colorful.


Flower farmers are able to operate through most of the year (spring, summer, fall) with utilizing different crops that bloom at different times. Think Hellebores in the late Winter, Tulips in Spring, Zinnias in Summer, Dahlias in Fall.


As I write this, we are in the middle of summer in Michigan. It's hot but feels so good after a harsh winter!


Currently, the field is pushing out some beautiful flowers. Here is a list of my top favorite flowers to use in arrangements and bouquets this summer:


  1. Zinnias!

    1. Specifically my favorites right now are Ballerina Zinnia from Johnny's Selected Seeds and Precious Metals from Floret Farm)

    2. Zinnias can be cut from over and over in the garden through the length of the season. If you live in a warmer climate, you can do more succession planting of zinnias to keep the blooms healthy throughout your growing season.

  2. Snapdragons

    1. Currently blooming are the Appleblossom Potomacs. I ordered these plugs from Farmer Bailey way back in the early spring.

    2. Snapdragons are amazing to use in arrangements. While there is no scent, they can fill a large spot and draw the eye in.

    3. Feverfew
      Feverfew

  3. Feverfew

    1. My feverfew grew SO MUCH since last year. The stem lengths were at least double from last year (I truly think more like 3x). It is such a cute filler to work with.

    2. In SE Michigan, you can plant small plant starts the year before and get amazing stems from them the next spring! Highly recommend. The first year I grew them, I found plant starts at my local nursery. This year I seeded my own and ordered plugs from Farmer Bailey.

  4. Cosmos

    1. Another joy to work with for some airy vibes. Cosmos are quick to grow and actually prefer bad soil. If they are 'fed' too much they will turn out to be mostly leaves with minimal blooms.

    2. Cosmos have many different colors and bloom types. Some look like a cupcake liner for baking, some are extra fluffy on the inside. I grew lots of Afternoon White Cosmos from Johnny's Selected Seeds for summer but also have started Rubenza Cosmos for a deep purple/red come Fall.

  5. Marigolds

    1. I didn't like Marigolds until last year really. The first year I only grew Coco Gold which was nice, BUT I wasn't into orange at the time. It didn't feel unique enough to me as a small grower to set apart my flowers from the ones people purchase for their landscaping.

    2. But if you find the right seed provider, you can discover colors like White Swan which is a nice creamy yellow. Marigolds grow extremely fast and will give you bloom after bloom. A great one to use over and over for the busy farmer/florist.


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These are great varieties to help in your cutting garden, but I would highly suggest you look into colors of each that are different that the typical blooms from the garden center. I've found that people are intrigued by the different colors or bloom types that I grow since they don't typically see them available to them at large. This gives me a step up.


I would also encourage you to have extra seed packets on hand. Don't settle for one packet of 25 seeds since you only want 25 plants. Yes, germination rate isn't a problem in these flower varieties BUT they are quick growing and easy to sow if you need some extras before the end of your season.


Happy gardening!

Kate

 
 
 

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