Helpful Resources

What to grown and when?

When I started growing cut flowers 8 years ago it became very evident how incredibly short Manitoba’s growing season is.  It was frustrating to say the least and growing cut flowers hardly felt worth it!

As the years have passed, we have learnt some great techniques to extend our season as much as possible.  And one of these ways is by growing a variety of flowers that thrive in different temperature conditions.  Learning about cool loving flowers has been key for us here in Manitoba and trying to get an earlier jump on our season and extend it as late as possible in the fall.

We often receive the questions from gardeners new to cut flower growing…where do we start, what do we grow, what do we plant when!!!!???

To help you all get started we have created a chart outlining some of the varieties we grow and separated them into 4 bloom time categories that are wonderful for cutting and provided some further information about each variety.

The 4 bloom time categories are:  Spring   |   Early Summer and Frost Hardy   |   Summer Loving   |   Late Summer/Fall

If you are a beginning grower my suggestion would be to pick 3 varieties from each of the four categories and give them a whirl!!  Build your list up slowly, don’t overwhelm yourself at first and slowly add recommended perennials to your list, shrubs you can cut from etc.  Don’t be afraid to experiment!  Learn how to start seeds inside in early spring.  Get a jump on the season!  Get your hands in the soil before the snow melts and you will become obsessed with the little green plants that are just waiting to get planted outside when the temperatures are right.

We have also listed in the chart some tips and tricks for each variety and we do recommend you use “cut flower specific” varieties whenever possible for the best results.  Any of the corms/seeds/bulbs that are available from our online/instore shop are grown and recommended for the cut flower industry.

Good luck and happy gardening flower friends!!!  If you are looking for some additional guidance and support, please check out our upcoming Cut Flower Workshops that are coming up this Spring.

Download the chart HERE!