One Last Bouquet Before Summer Fades

Late-season annuals offer plenty of color before Northern Colorado’s first frost

By Blaine Howerton | North Forty News

September has a way of making gardeners pay closer attention.

The mornings are cooler, daylight disappears a little earlier, and even on warm afternoons there is a hint that the growing season is nearing its end. Here in Northern Colorado, that makes every flower still pushing out new blooms feel a little more valuable.

This is one of my favorite times to walk through the garden with a pair of clippers and bring some of that late-summer color indoors.

Annual flowers that have spent months growing and blooming are often at their best right now. Zinnias, cosmos, dahlias, amaranth and other cutting flowers can provide beautiful bouquets right up until frost.

And you don’t need a formal cutting garden to enjoy them.

Start With What Is Already Blooming

A good bouquet doesn’t require a complicated plan. Look around the yard for flowers with strong stems and blooms that are just beginning to open.

Zinnias are particularly useful because they produce bold colors and sturdy stems. Cosmos add a softer, almost wildflower appearance, while dahlias can become the centerpiece of an arrangement all by themselves.

Don’t overlook smaller flowers and foliage. A few stems of ornamental grass, herbs or interesting greenery can transform a handful of flowers into an arrangement that looks intentional.

The imperfections can be part of the charm. A backyard bouquet doesn’t have to look like something from a florist’s cooler.

Cut Flowers at the Right Time

Morning is generally a good time to harvest flowers, particularly before the heat of the day puts additional stress on the plants.

Use clean, sharp clippers and make a clean cut rather than crushing or tearing the stem. Remove leaves that would otherwise sit below the waterline in the vase.

Get the stems into water quickly.

Those few simple steps can make a noticeable difference in how long cut flowers remain attractive indoors.

Keep Cutting

One of the pleasant surprises about many annual flowers is that cutting them doesn’t necessarily mean you’re shortening the show.

Regularly removing mature blooms can encourage some plants to continue producing flowers rather than putting their energy into seed production. Deadheading serves much the same purpose.

So go ahead and cut that bouquet.

There is little reason to save every beautiful bloom for later when “later” is increasingly at the mercy of Northern Colorado’s nighttime temperatures.

Watch the Forecast

September gardening along the Front Range always involves a little weather gambling.

Warm, sunny afternoons can continue well into fall, but a single cold night can damage or kill tender annuals. If frost is forecast and your flowers are still going strong, covering plants overnight may buy them some additional time.

Use frost cloth, sheets or another lightweight covering that protects the plants without crushing them. Remove the covering once temperatures warm the following morning.

Sometimes that small effort is enough to extend the season by days or even weeks.

Save Something for Winter

Not every flower has to end up in a vase of water.

Amaranth, ornamental grasses and several other garden favorites can be dried and used in arrangements long after the growing season has ended. Hang suitable stems in a dry location with good air circulation and experiment with what you have.

You might also leave a few spent flower heads in the garden. They can add winter interest, provide seeds for birds and serve as a reminder that a garden doesn’t suddenly become useless when blooming stops.

Enjoy the Last Act

Gardeners spend much of spring waiting for things to grow and much of summer trying to keep up with them. September offers something different.

There is less urgency.

Take a walk through the yard. Cut the zinnias you’ve been admiring. Bring a dahlia inside. Fill a jar with cosmos for the kitchen table.

Winter will get here soon enough.

For now, the garden still has flowers to give.