Perennial Flower Bouquets | The Press

For Mother’s Day, give your mom some perennial flowers that will bloom successively in the garden – from the last snowfalls to the first – in addition to offering a spectacular presence in bouquets. To be rediscovered year after year as a reminder of a tender moment.

Isabelle Morin
The Press

For eight years, the Floramama flower farm has been growing flowers in ecological culture on one hectare of land located in Frelighsburg, in the Eastern Townships. With more than 70 varieties planted to date, its founder, Chloé Roy, composes bouquets imbued with poetry and thus sows small doses of happiness among her subscribers. On the occasion of Mother’s Day, the floriculturist reveals her tips for composing bouquets and a selection of flowers among her favorites.

March and April: early hellebore

At the beginning of April and sometimes even as early as March, the hellebore is there. With its flower heads inclined towards the ground and its modest size, it remains discreet, but it charms irresistibly when observed more closely. The secret to its prolonged flowering is that its sepals mimic the appearance of petals. Once its fruit has formed, it still looks like a flower. It is at this stage that the harvest is optimal. Shade favors its flowering, making it a favorite in shady gardens.

Flowering: 4 to 6 weeks
Height in the garden: between 20 and 40 cm
Cultivars to discover: Black Diamond, Apricot Blush, Ivory Prince and Cotton Candy

June and July: spectacular peony

In good conditions, that is to say in the sun and in fertile, well-drained soil, the peony can live for decades, even more than a century, says Chloé Roy, who reports the case of a lady whose the peonies, planted by his parents more than a century ago, still bloom today. With their towering pom poms, peonies are sure to be the focal point of a bouquet and the garden. Some varieties, however, have the defect of collapsing under the weight of their flowers and it should not be believed that these are necessarily those with double flowers. To avoid having to tutor the plants, be sure to choose cultivars with strong stems. Peonies are harvested when their flower buds have the consistency of marshmallows, but are still closed. If they are too hard, the flowers will not open; if they are picked too late, their life expectancy will be shortened.

Flowering: 4 to 6 weeks
Height in the garden: from 1 to 1.5 m
Varieties to discover: White Ivory, Coral Charm, Judith Eileen, Red Charm, Serene Pastel

August and September: generous echinacea

Echinacea comes in an astonishing diversity that encompasses impressive specimens with double rows of petals. Easy to grow in full sun – “Echinacea wants to grow!” – its plants reseed themselves without being invasive. As a bouquet, it is used both in flowers and when the petals have faded. We then obtain balls of seeds to be dried to incorporate them into our compositions.

Flowering: from August to September, depending on the variety
Height in the garden: from 40 to 70 cm
Varieties to discover: Pink Double Delight, Cherry Fluff, Powpow White, Sweet Sandia, Doubledecker

June and September: the bearded iris ascending

Contrary to the classic varieties which flower only once, those which are said to be “remontant” do so twice, at the beginning of summer and of autumn. Bearded irises stand out from the crowd with their serrated collar. We only harvest their stems, which however have several flower buds, and when the flower is just beginning to unfold its petals. When planting, make sure to put the roots underground, but keep the rhizomes on the surface of the soil where they can catch the light. Irises love the sun.

Flowering: June and September
Height in the garden: from 20 cm to 1 m
Varieties to discover: Concertina, Pink Attraction, Immortality, Lest We Forget, Champagne Elegance

September to November: the autumn anemone

The flower of the autumn anemone is small and delicate, but withstands the wind well. With its abundant flowering and pretty foliage, the plant is not lacking in bouquet appeal. It is content with partial shade, but will be more prolific in a sunny location. Once launched, its flowering continues until the first snowfall. It is harvested when its first flower buds begin to open. As it likes to have warm feet, it will be provided with mulch in the fall to promote a good recovery in the spring.

Flowering: end of August, beginning of September and until the first snowfalls
Height in the garden: 100 cm
Varieties to discover: September Charm, Tiki Sensation, Whirlwind, Queen Charlotte

The art of composing a bouquet

“I generally prefer groupings of flowers to mixed bouquets,” says Chloé Roy, whose signature is romantic and natural. Same in the garden. The secret of a beautiful bouquet lies largely in the combination of colors. We stay in everything that is soft, pastel and erased or tarnished tones, advises the flower grower who avoids garish colors such as red, yellow and bright blue.

Green, dominant in nature, creates calm and gives a more natural effect to the bouquet. With branching, the trick is to create an incision to split the tip of the stem, which helps the wood catch its water. The stems of the flowers can be cut at an angle.

To prolong the life of your bouquet

“What reduces the lifespan of flowers is the proliferation of bacteria in the vase,” explains Chloé Roy. To prolong it, it is therefore necessary to change the water and wash the vase with soap every day. We then take the opportunity to cut the tips of the stems.

The vast majority of flowers need sun in the garden. At home it is different. They should be protected from direct sunlight. The hotter it is, the faster they will wilt.

Where to cut?

It all depends on the height of the flower and the bouquet to be created, but the reference is the forearm, from the fingertips to the elbow. “It’s always important to leave as many leaves as possible on the plants. They act like solar panels to capture energy which is then redistributed to the plant. If you cut too low, you exhaust the plant. It is therefore a balance between the two: the bouquet and the plant. »

Flowers in the garden

Fertile, well-drained soil guarantees good flowering and a healthy plant. The problem is that in garden centers, they are often forced to flower in the spring to be more attractive. “If we want to ensure the sustainability of the plant, it’s sad, but it’s better to cut all the flowers before planting and those that appear during the first season, underlines the flower grower. In this way, the plant will be able to concentrate its energy on rooting. »

As it is the leaves that capture the energy, we can always make miniature bouquets by cutting only the floral head. On average, plants need three years to establish well. During this period, it is preferable to let the plant develop a maximum of foliage. To promote flowering, faded flowers can be removed before they go to seed. The plant will remember that it needs to flower more to produce more seeds!