One of my favorite (but somewhat frustrating) parts of flower farming is that the garden changes every single week.

A flower that wasn’t ready a few days ago can suddenly be covered in blooms, while another crop begins slowing down for the season, or it is hit with pests or disease. That’s part of what makes growing cut flowers so interesting. You’re always working with what’s looking the best, and pivoting to make things work.

I thought it would be fun to start sharing a weekly “Bloom Report” here on the blog. Each week I’ll walk through what’s blooming, what’s going into bouquets, what’s doing well in the garden (or not so well), and what I’m learning along the way. Whether you’re growing flowers yourself or just enjoy seeing what’s in season, I hope these updates give you some inspiration!

Dahlias Are Finally Starting to Shine

After months of planting, watering, fertilizing, staking, and waiting, the dahlias are finally beginning to produce blooms for bouquets. I haven’t been able to make a full dahlia bouquet yet, but I am starting to incorporate them into my bouquets more.

I am continuing to be stunned at their beauty; and only a handful of varieties have actually bloomed at this point!

Unsurprisingly, dahlias have won my heart. They are such interesting flowers because no two blooms are exactly alike. Some are perfectly symmetrical, while others have loose, ruffled petals that make every stem unique. Even on the same plant, the flowers can vary slightly in size and color.

One thing I’m learning is not to cut them too early. Unlike many flowers, dahlias don’t continue opening once they’re harvested. If you pick them before they’re fully open, they’ll stay that way in the vase. I’ve been waiting until the bloom is almost completely open and the petals on the back feel firm before cutting. A key tip is looking at the middle of the bloom at the petals and deciding if they have more opening in store.

I’m excited to see what the next few weeks bring because even though we are well into Summer, many of my plants are just getting started.

Hydrangeas Have Been the Surprise Favorite

The pink hydrangeas have been one of the biggest highlights in my bouquets this week. (Shhhh, I don’t actually grow these in my backyard. These are actually from my parent’s yard. Thanks mom and dad!) However, I planted the hydrangea bush YEARS ago when I still lived at home, so I like to think I still have partial claim over them!

Hydrangeas have been perfect for creating a full arrangement with just a few stems, and their shape and color pair well with almost everything blooming in my garden right now. I love mixing them with echinacea for texture and adding herbs and fresh greenery to soften the arrangement and give some spikes in the bouquet.

Hydrangeas can have a reputation for wilting quickly after they’re cut, but harvesting them at the right stage makes a huge difference. More mature blooms generally last much longer than fresh, soft blooms that have just opened. Like many other flowers, herbs, and vegetables- make sure you cut just above a node on the stem, so the plant is able to branch out.

What’s Going Into My Bouquets Right Now

Every bouquet has been a little different depending on what’s ready that morning, but lately I’ve been reaching for combinations like:

• Dahlias
• Pink hydrangeas
• Echinacea (especially the double scoop varieties)
• Shasta daisies
• Yarrow
• Fresh herbs for fragrance and texture (oregano, sage, mint, catnip)
• Greenery clipped from around the property (who knew the Little Devil Ninebark bush in my front yard was such a prized shrub for flower farmers?? It was meant to be!)

One of my favorite things about growing my own flowers is that I get to choose the colors and combinations. No two bouquets are ever exactly alike.

What I’m Watching in the Garden

Not everything is perfect, and that’s just part of growing flowers- or anything for that matter.

Some flowers have struggled with the summer heat while others have completely taken off. A few varieties that I expected to produce heavily are behind schedule (snapdragons), while others have surprised me with how productive they’ve been (celosia).

Not only has it been HOT, but we had a solid week of rain, which one would think would be great! However, too much can have an opposite effect. With heavy rains come powdery mildew, fungal rot, and other complications. Certain fertilizers used can wash away easily as well. I purchased 7 new rose bushes that were on sale, which means they have just been overwatered and crowded. This tends to lead to the dreaded black spot fungus, and I’m seeing signs of it popping up on the leaves.

I’m also keeping a close eye on my dahlias as more blooms begin opening. Healthy foliage, strong stems, and plenty of buds are encouraging and exciting, but I need to make sure things stay nice and healthy. At the first sign of trouble in the dahlia bed, things need to be pulled to prevent spreading to the other plants.

Every year, I learn something new, and I’m enjoying sharing both the successes and the challenges.

Looking Ahead

Over the next couple of weeks I’m hoping to see even more dahlias opening, continued hydrangea production, and a few other flowers joining the bouquet lineup (lisianthus, aster, dara, and stock). I’ve succession planted more sunflowers over the last week between the lisianthus to hopefully time out perfectly for fall.

As more varieties begin blooming, I’ll continue sharing bouquets, growing tips, harvest updates, and honest lessons from the garden here on the blog.

Thanks for following along with this little backyard flower farm. Whether you’re growing flowers in a backyard garden, dreaming about starting a cutting garden, or simply enjoy fresh bouquets, I’m glad you’re here.

I’d love to hear from you in the comments: What flowers are blooming where you live right now? Are you growing dahlias this year?