If you ask me, the secret to being everyone’s favorite neighbor or friend is always having a handful of blooms ready to share. And the best way to do that is to grow your own cut flower garden so you can step outside, snip a few stems, and instantly make someone’s day.
In this Best of Growing Joy replay, I’m bringing back one of my favorite conversations with flower farmer and friend Brooklyn Sherri, a Denver-based urban flower farmer and founder of the Cool Choice Plant Studio for kids. We break down cut flower gardening for beginners and talk through the best flowers for a cut flower garden, including easy annuals, reliable perennials, and beginner-friendly blooms that bring beauty, pollinators, and joy into your space.
We also cover the flower gardening basics that make all the difference, like annuals vs. perennials, pinching, deadheading, and how to confidently grow flowers with less fear and more fun.
In this episode, we learn:
- [00:02:23] Maria’s garden update
- [00:05:40] Who is Brooklyn and how she became a flower farmer
- [00:08:31] Why everyone should have flowers in their garden
- [00:09:15] Brooklyn shares the personal connection she feels when growing flowers
- [00:12:08] Things to consider before growing flowers in your garden
- [00:14:06] The best flowers to grow for beginners: sunflowers, zinnias, strawflowers, and more
- [00:17:05] A quick recap on annuals vs perennials
- [00:18:32] The best perennial flowers to grow for blooms year after year
- [00:21:22] How to plan your flower garden so you have blooms all year long
- [00:25:48] Brooklyn’s favorite ‘cut and come again’ flowers
- [00:27:16] How to make the best soil mix for your flowers
- [00:29:30] When to use fertilizers on your flowers
- [00:31:04] Where to get the best potting mix, compost and fertilizer for your garden
- [00:32:41] Where to order your garlic for this season
- [00:35:03] Why you want to fertilize your flowers (and some signs that they need it!)
- [00:36:12] Determining how much light your flowers need
- [00:37:30] Maria shares her experience with her first garden and reading seed packets
- [00:41:17] How to transplant your flowers and harden them off
- [00:44:27] How to pinch flowers, what is it for, and when you should do it
- [00:48:04] What should you do with your flower’s first bud?
- [00:48:25] What is deadheading and how to do it properly
- [00:51:03] Brooklyn’s growing tips for peonies
- [00:52:43] How to grow flowers from corms and bulbs
- [00:57:33] Brooklyn’s top five favorite flowers (and greens) to grow
- [00:59:34] A little heartwarming story about Mama Failla and her garden gifts
- [01:03:22] Maria shares her newfound interest and joy in flower gardening
Have you ever wanted to start your own cut flower garden?
Check out the full show notes and blog to learn which flowers are easiest to grow for beginners!
Follow Brooklyn:
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The Cool Choice
Petal and Herb Farm
Ya Grandma's Garden and Houseplants on Clubhouse
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