| I would like to know the flowers available to use in an end of July wedding? |
| I'm assuming you mean flowers you grow yourself. The last frost date in Massachusetts is somewhere between April 6 and May 9. (You could call a local weather station or County Cooperative Extension office to find a more specific date for your area, but note that the last frost can vary considerably from year to year, depending on weather conditions.) From that last frost date, count forward to your wedding date for how many growing days you will have. For an example, let's assume April 30 to July 30, which is about 90 days. So you need to choose flowers whose seeds will germinate, grow and be in flower in about 90 days. It's best to plant a variety of flowers in case there's a problem with one. If you've never gardened before, I'd suggest buying bedding plants in six-packs to make sure you have color. 90 days to maturity is about the least number of days for most flowers to bloom; some take about 120. You can also cut the time somewhat by starting seeds indoors while it's still cold and transplanting out after the danger of frost is passed. As to which flowers, that's such a personal thing. And, it's not clear from your question if you want flowers for bouquets or background to the wedding site. You might want to order Burpee's catalog (it's free) or look online at www.burpee.com to see what you like. You want to stick with annuals, which will bloom this year, rather than perennials, which may bloom the first year, but usually bloom the second year. Sunflowers are terrific bloomers and have such a "happy" persona! They are easy to grow. Some other easy to grow annuals that have about 90 days to maturity and come in a variety of colors are calendula (yellows/oranges), bachelor's button (blue, pink, white), cosmos (yellow/orange or pink), snapdragon (many colors), sweet peas (prefers cool summers), and zinnia (many colors and shapes). I hope this gives you some ideas. If you have other specific questions, please feel free to send another email to the Q&A site. |
