February is For Flowers!

The end of February is one of the most exciting times of the year for zone 9-9b gardeners, because it’s time to start your seeds! The anticipation starts to build for us in December and January, but the risk of frost is all too real to begin sowing seeds. This past January it ended up being 29 degrees at our house! We haven’t seen that temperature in years and some of our plants took a little hit from the cold, but they will bounce back. Seedlings on the other hand, wouldn’t fair so well with that kind of weather, which is why you need to wait until middle-end of February before sowing.

Having a cut flower garden is something we’ve always wanted. We’ve played around with a few plants here and there in our old garden, but this year, we are dedicated three raised beds to purely cut flowers! Cut flowers are great, as you can grow, cut, and arrange your own flowers all at home! Talk about a money saver and a chance for you to be creative! Our worlds tend to be so busy that we don’t allow our time to have creative moments, but your brain craves them! Once our flowers get going, we will be sure to share some arranging ideas using foliage plants and your cut flowers.

As you may know, zone 9-9b can be a tough one when it comes to growing cut flowers. Some flowers you may know and love, such as Dahlias, just don’t do well in our heat and humidity. In central and north Florida they can survive, but we ride the line of being just a smidge too south for them. The good news is, there are some great opportunities with other cut flowers to grow! Zinnias, Cockscomb (Celosia), Cosmos, Snap Dragons, Marigolds, Sunflowers (branching varieties are best), Salvia, Angelonias, Globe Amaranth, Queen’s Anne Lace, and Calendula are all great options. If you haven’t purchased seed yet, be sure to get them from a reputable seed source (check out our previous blog- Seeds, Glorious seeds) and don’t buy them straight from a store. You will need varieties that are grown specifically for cut flowers (having long stems is quite important) and many stores carry varieties that are used in flower beds and landscapes.

Tips for Sowing Seeds:

• Purchase seeds from reputable sources (Check out our blog on where to buy seeds)
• Utilize soil that holds moisture but will not be too heavy. We use Jolly Gardener Pro-Line 44N
• There are many different types of trays you can purchase to grow your seeds in. Your local chain store should have them by the seeds, but if not, you can purchase them here from Johnny’s Seeds. We recommend a 38-50 cell tray.
• Plant in moistened/ damp soil. Be sure to using the classic saying” plant the seeds twice the size of the seed.” In some cases, this will be easy, such as Zinnia seeds which are quite large. As for Snapdragons, let’s just say we hope some germinate. We suggest planting 1-2 seeds per cell in your trays.
• Label your seed trays with the name and date. It’s easy to mix them up!
• Make sure your tray has moisture at all times. The soil should never dry out as your seedlings can’t handle the stress of drying out.
• Seeds should germinate (sprout) 5-10 days after planting. Usually, your seed packet will tell you germination time frames.

Check out the list below of some flowers I have already seeded as of Valentine’s Day to get some ideas.

• Baker Creek Heirlom Seeds: Zinnia ‘Pink Senorita’, Zinnia ‘Candy Cane Mix’
• Johnny’s Selected Seeds: Zinnia, ‘Benarys Giant Deep Red’, Zinnia ‘Giant Golden Yellow OG’
• Floret: Globe Amaranth ‘ Pastel Mix’, Zinnia ‘Isabellina Creamy Yellow’, Snapdragon ‘Madame Butterfly Dark Red’

In two weeks we will start another round of seed trays to do what’s called “succession planting.” Every 2-3 weeks plant new trays, this will keep your garden full and keep the flowers coming all season long! Check back for how our seeds are growing, as well as how to take the next step to growing your cut flower garden!