The 5 Best Flowers for a Cutting Garden

January 8, 2020 Amy Maloney

What’s better than going out your back door and cutting fresh flowers from your own garden?

We’ve compiled a list of The Five Best Flowers for a Cutting Garden.

Foxglove, ‘Dalmatian Peach’
This bi-ennial (perennial that blooms every other year) self seeds. Each plant can produce 5-7 cut flowers throughout their growing season. The more you cut, the more they bloom.
From Floret’s website: The towering stems boast soft peachy-apricot blooms that glow from the inside out. An excellent addition to bouquets and wedding work, this salmony beauty is a must-have in any cutting garden. While most foxgloves are biennials, this new hybrid flowers the first year from an early sowing of seed and will also produce the second year if left in place.
Poppy, ‘Princess Victoria Louise’
This perennial has large crepe-paper like blooms in salmon pink with a dark center. Papavers are easy to grow, long lived and virtually care free, it is also deer and rabbit tolerant.
After you’ve determined the correct length of the stem for your vase, sear the bottom of each stem with a flame. Searing the end of each stem will keep the sap from escaping and allow the flower to drink water.
Peony, ‘Bowl of Beauty’, ‘Krinkled White’ or ‘Sarah Bernhardt’
There’s a reason why Peonies are loved my so many people. They’re an easy perennial to grow and they only get better with time. It’s best for the plant to cut only 1/3 of the blooms each season. For longer lasting flowers, cut the stems when the heads are still closed, but squishy to the touch.
Sweet Pea, ‘Windsor’ or ‘Jacqueline Ann’
This perennial is easy to grow and are loved by many for their large, deep purple blooms. This plant loves to climb and is an excellent choice for a trellis, wall, fence or arbor.
Clematis ‘Jackmanii’
This annual can be grown from seed and should be planted beneath a strong trellis to support their vines. For the longest vase life, cut stems that have at least 2 unopened blooms at the tip.
From Floret’s website: Stunning in the garden, this richly hued beauty has warm chocolaty-maroon blooms that make a real statement. Blooms are quite fragrant and ride atop long strong stems, making it a fantastic variety for cutting. Every cutting garden deserves a row of fragrant, nostalgic sweet peas. A fistful of these demure little blooms are how Floret was born and they continue to spellbind us each season.

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What Wedding Flowers Cost →

December 26, 2019 Eliza Gray

Peach Gray Girly Photo Border Wedding Pinterest Graphic (2).png

Congratulations, you’re engaged!

By now, you’ve set a date and have begun thinking about planning your wedding. If you have a budget, there’s a lot to consider if you want to stay on track. Before meeting with vendors, take a moment and prioritize the aspects of your wedding are the most important to you, as a couple.

If flowers are high on your priority list, a good rule of thumb is to reserve 10-15% of your total wedding budget for flowers. (For instance, if your wedding budget is $60,000, then $6,000-$9,000 is a good amount to set aside for floral designs).

Many couples allocate the majority of their budget to renting a venue or reserving a tent, renting tables, chairs, specialty linens and glassware and hiring a fantastic planner, photographer, lighting company and caterer. From there, couples think about flowers, their cake, dessert and small details like place cards, menu cards, Save the Date cards and formal invitations.

If flowers are important to you as a couple and you have a tight budget, keep your guest list small. Inviting fewer guests means fewer rentals (tables, chairs, linens, glassware), plated meals and alcohol. You can treat your guests to a more intimate experience with finishes that are luxurious and unique.

Below is a rough breakdown of what wedding flowers cost:

A Bridal bouquet can cost anywhere from $150-$200+. Much depends on the size and varieties of flowers used and seasonal availability.
Boutonnieres are labor intensive and cost anywhere from $20-$25.
Corsages require detailed work as well and cost $35 a piece, on average. Poseys can cost $35-$50 each.
Bridesmaids bouquets range anywhere from $75-$100+, depending on size and seasonal availability.
Ceremony Flowers can cost $400- $1200+ depending on the scale of the design. Some couples opt for a simpler design of flowers - either attached to one side of the arbor or chuppah. Other couples opt for elaborate arrangements lining the aisle with a grand display at the altar area.
Welcome Table flowers make a great focal point for your guests. Many couples choose to place their escort cards here. Expect to pay $150-$300 depending on the size of the table.
Cocktail Tables are small in size and a comfortable place for guests to stand while enjoying a post ceremony drink. Small arrangements are recommended for these tables, generally costing $25-$40 a piece.
Centerpieces. Reception tables are either 60” or 72” round or an 8’ -10’ rectangular table. Round tables allow for either low and wide or tall and dramatic centerpieces. If a couple has 20 round tables, a florist might suggest alternating the height of these arrangements to add interest to the room. Round table arrangements can cost a minimum of $125 and can easily reach $300+ depending on how full and dramatic the designs are.
If the reception includes rectangular tables (either separated or arranged end to end in a row), flowers can either be arranged in groupings or in a line. Assorted arrangements placed down the center of the table can cost anywhere from $135-$250+ per table. Garland is another option*, costing $20/ft on average depending on the type of greens used. Adding flowers increases that number to $35-40/ft.
*If the dinner service is “Family Style”, a long continuous line of garland will not be possible.
Gift Tables, Bars and Dessert/Cake Tables. For each of these tables, adding floral arrangements can cost about $100 each. If you’d like to save a little on your overall floral budget, you can choose to display bridesmaid bouquets on these tables instead.
Finally, don’t forget about delivery and set up fees* (which include labor, van rentals, travel time, day-of installation and rental pick up the day following your wedding). Wedding florists are service providers, so there will be sales and labor tax as well.
*Delivery and set up fees can vary based on the scale of your wedding.

Pretty Flowers’ complete wedding design starts at $4000.

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Why Hire Us For Your Wedding? →

October 9, 2019 Eliza Gray

This may be your first time planning a wedding or your second. Maybe you’ve done some homework, maybe you know exactly what you want- maybe you don’t.

When putting together your team of vendors, how do you decide on a florist? What should you look for?

Consider Pretty Flowers for these reasons:

Communication. You should feel like you can talk openly and freely with your florist. Like any effective relationship, its success relies on trust. You should also feel heard. We answer all emails within 48 hours. If you have a busy work schedule and don’t have time to send emails or take a call, we’re happy to text, too.

Experience. We have 35 years’ combined experience designing flowers for weddings at most of the venues along the Maine coast. If we haven’t been to your wedding destination, we will plan a site visit to get a lay of the land and meet the on-site manager prior to designing your proposal.

Flowers. We source local flowers and greenery as much as possible. We’re proud to support the many hard working flower farmers in Maine. We also shop from the New England Flower Exchange in Chelsea, MA for more unusual flowers from all over the world. These resources enable us to create the artistic bouquets and arrangements that are unique to you and your wedding.

Creative Thinking. We love a challenge and we love design. Give us an opportunity to create something spectacular and dynamic for your wedding that leaves your guests with a lasting impression.

Design elements. What better way to enhance beautiful florals than with contrasting fabric, specialty vases, glassware and decorative elements? We‘re happy to offer these extra items, because we believe that beauty is in the details and we want your tables to look like a work of art.

Proposals. We’re visual people working in a visual industry, that’s why we feel it’s important to provide each couple with a detailed proposal with colors, flowers and inspirational photos that will walk them through their wedding from beginning to end.

Planning and Coordination. Do you need someone to help manage vendors, organize rental delivery dates or handle logistical tasks? We’re happy to provide this additional service so you and your guests can relax.

Vendor Relations. There are many amazing vendors in our great state of Maine and we’ve worked with a lot of them. A successful wedding happens when everyone’s efforts come together seamlessly. That’s why we like to reach out to vendors before your event to communicate and discuss how our services might overlap. And, if there any gaps in service, we will address them too.

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Tara + James | The Stone Barn at Sebago Lake →

November 28, 2018 Eliza Gray

We had the pleasure of providing the flowers for Tara + James’ wedding on September 29th at The Stone Barn. The Stone Barn is a part of St. Joseph’s College and is situated at Sebago Lake in Standish, Maine. She of the Woods & Malorrie Ann Photography photographed the day.

Tara’s bouquet was wild and textural with rich, varying tones of yellow, tan, taupe and chocolate. We incorporated Crocosmia pods, Miscanthus grass, Seeded Eucalyptus and Copper Beech leaves to give Tara’s bouquet volume and interest.

*Photo by: She of the Woods + Malorrie Ann Photography*

VENUE: THE STONE BARN | PLANNER: PINCH ME PLANNING | FLOWERS: PRETTY FLOWERS | PHOTOGRAPHY: SHE OF THE WOODS + MALORRIE ANN PHOTOGRAPHY

The Beauty is in the Details →

February 1, 2017 Eliza Gray

Amy and Keith's Wedding was one of our favorites, with its' vibrant jewel tones set perfectly against the misty and damp October day at a private residence in Auburn. Many thanks to Emily Elizabeth Events and Jamie Mercurio for creating and capturing the beauty of this special day.

Photo credit: Jamie Mercurio Photography

Floral arrangements: Pretty Flowers | Maine | Event Design: Emily Elizabeth Events | Photography: Jamie Mercurio Photography

A bouquet worthy of Cirque du Soleil →

April 26, 2016 Amy Maloney

What do you do with an old, dirty juggling baton when a couple of crazy circus performers ask if there is any way to incorporate it into the Bride's wedding bouquet?

Never one to shy away from a challenge, I looked at this funny shaped thing for a while. I needed to figure out how its size and shape could work with the pretty flowers of Cheryl's bouquet.

After a thorough cleaning and with the assistance of my trusty "tool guy" we cut up the baton, removed the skinny handle, cut it in half and drilled holes on either side. I sandwiched the stems of Cheryl's bouquet between the baton and laced it back together with lovely ribbon and...voila!