Florals and a cut garden have so many purposes around the farm. Besides adding curb appeal and landscaping, they can be cut to use in the home for natural decor. Today I am sharing floral tips as well as a fun, DIY summer planter!
We have just recently moved to a new property and we are still working through our housing plans at the moment. This leaves a lot of my projects to outdoor projects. This Spring and Summer we are working to build up our garden along with a few other projects. Part of our garden is flowers and I am so excited! I have several places to begin planting and a lot of work to do but this is one of my favorite projects.
FLORAL ARRANGEMENT AND PLANTER TIPS
MIX FLOWERS, VINES AND HERBS
I love when the pots fill out and look a tad overgrown. It looks very intentional and well kept rather than empty. My favorite way to start this look is to mix different varieties and a lot of them. I love to mix different herbs, flowers and vines to create variation in the pot. This also allows for overflowing planters which I love so much!
LAYER WITH DIFFERENT HEIGHTS
This goes along with tip #1. To make your planters look full, use different flower varieties at different heights and layer, layer, layer! Instead of planting the tallest in the back, next tallest in the middle and smaller in the front, try mixing the smallest and medium florals together. I do still like to keep the tallest toward the back. Plant anything that vines around the edges but around all sides.
USE DIFFERENT PLANTER TYPES AND HEIGHTS
I love the look of everyday items on display. Anything can be used as a planter! Crocks, washtubs, wooden crates, so many options. I also suggest putting planters on different props as well like stools, tables, and even layered on porch stairs to vary the heights and add interest. Plant in beds around your property as well as in planters as decor.
PRUNE AND DEADHEAD FOR BEST GROWTH
This is not inclusive to all plants and flowers but a lot of flowers will do better when you prune and deadhead. It allows the plant to focus its energy toward new, healthy growth rather than older parts. This allows for more blooms as well as healthier plants overall.
PICK A FEW FAVORITES TO MASTER, THEN ADD TO IT
As can any farm project, florals can get overwhelming fast. Just walk into any nursery and you will see dozens of different types of flowers. Each variety has its own set of rules on when (and if) it comes back each year and how to care for it.
But do not get discouraged! I am not expert and this is all still relatively new to me. The easiest way to get started is just to pick a few varieties and run with them. Find out what grows best in your area, learn all you can about them and master those varieties. Then slowly add to your collection as you learn more! This is the best way to go about farm projects and not get overwhelmed.
I started with roses and hydrangeas, both perennials. I have also had daisies. This year I am adding peonies, zinnias, and dahlia’s to the mix. One step at a time!
GIVE IT TIME
My last tip is to just give it time. This is so hard when you go on Pinterest and see photo after photo of beautiful planters and gardens. It is very likely that those gardens have been in place for years. Things self seed over time, thought has been put year after year into what to add next, and a lot of water and sunshine have allowed for things to grow. It takes time for a garden to really fill out and take shape and the same goes for boxes and planters.
Trial and error has to take place. You plant things, realize they are not right and tear them out. And you slowly figure it out.
DIY SUMMER PORCH PLANTER IDEA
Lately we have had a lot of rain which makes it difficult to work on any planting or do any garden work. But I have been itching to get my hands in the dirt and brighten this place up. So I headed to the nursery to gather a few favorites for a DIY summer porch planter to get my late start for the season.
My grandmother gave me two crocks that were family antiques. These were used for ferments such as pickles and sauerkraut on their farm when my mom was a kid. They are so special. Due to years of hard use, one is cracked. I found them to be perfect farmhouse flower planters for the front porch!
They add so much farmhouse charm and the flowers and plants look beautiful flowing out of them.
SUPPLY LIST
- Planter vessel such as old crocks, boxes, wash tub, etc.
- Potting soil
- Rocks for drainage
- Beautiful flowers
HOW TO MAKE THIS DIY SUMMER PLANTER
The first thing you’ll want to do is layer your crocks and get them where you want. These are very heavy so I placed them where I wanted prior to planting. My favorite ways are to layer different sized crocks. You can sit one on a taller stool or something similar to layer and add varying heights.
You will want to add rocks several inches up to allow for drainage. I just found some around the property and layered them in the bottom. You could use any rocks or gravel.
Add your soil and get to planting! I added my tallest closer to the back, layering them in varying heights next to each other. The different colors are mixed throughout to create a messy, overgrown look. I really love this look for pots and flower boxes as it really allows the pot to get filled out.
In my crock I have Daisies, Marigolds, English Ivy and a few others.
This is such an easy way to spruce up any front step or porch. I hope you loved it and are inspired to take a vessel you already have and make something beautiful!
