Market Farming

["Rose & Fred Lieberman" <pyrite AT clarityconnect.com>]

As a cutflower grower - albeit not that experienced - I can offer some
ideas.

Carnations are "supermarket" fare and aren't that impressive in "country
style" mixed bouquets.

Asters, depending on your growing area, may take too long to develop.

Zinnias and marigolds are wonderful and easy.  You might want to try other
"easy ones", like calendula, cosmos, cutflower sunflowers (as opposed to
birdseed sunflowers),  cleomes, coreopsis, centaurea, etc., etc., etc.  Just
get a Johnny's catalog and pick out anything with the little picture of a
scissor and anything under 90 days.

You'll end up with a non-supermarket mixed bouquet.  If you're growing herbs
anyway, take a couple of cuttings and put them in the bouquet for added
fragrance, just in case your flower selections don't have any perfumes of
their own.

Don't forget to throw in other interesting things: local grasses after
they've come to head, and thin branches from local shrubbery and trees that
have something fetching about them.

Good luck,

Rose