Start Your Own Backyard Cutting Garden in Southern Minnesota
It’s January in Minnesota.
The garden is frozen solid. Snow boots are laying sideways by the door. And everyone’s skin is chapped.
But January is actually one of my favorite gardening months.
It’s when all the dreaming and planning happens.
I love to pencil out my garden plans on actual paper. Lot’s of messy scribbles. Circling flower names I love. It satisfies that growing part of my soul when the ground is still frozen and summer feels far away.
And if you’ve ever wanted a backyard cutting garden, winter is the perfect time to plan for it.
Start Small (or don’t, do it for the bees)
You don’t need a field. A 4-foot by 10-foot bed is the perfect place to start. It’s manageable, productive, and won’t overwhelm you when you have ball games every night of the week in the height of summer.
A few must-haves:
Full sun — these flowers do not want shade. If it’s shady, they’ll be stunted.
Easy access to water — during dry Minnesota spurts, daily watering makes a huge difference.
Fencing— or a good dog that can chase the rabbits and deer off.
Choose Fast-Growing Flowers (Because it’s Minnesota)
Our season is short, so we want flowers that grow quickly and produce generously. These are my top five, tried-and-true, beginner-friendly favorites:
1. Zinnias
The workhorses of the cutting garden. My absolute favorite variety is Benary Giants — they can reach 4 inches across and come in bold, happy colors. Buy the tall varieties so you get long stems for vases.
2. Sunflowers
Easy. Cheerful. Impossible not to love. The birds will love you if you forget to cut a few.
3. Celosia
These add texture to your bouquets. I love the plume celosias that look like feathers.
4. Cosmos
These guys are the ultimate low-maintenance flower. They don’t even want to be fertilized. Plant them, water them in, and then mostly ignore them until it’s time to cut. They thrive on a little neglect and bloom like crazy.
5. Marigolds
Reliable and underrated. Great fillers, easy from seed, and they just keep going.
All of these flowers are easy to grow from seed, so buy your seeds now!
Cut Them Often
Here’s the magic trick most people don’t realize:
The more you cut, the more these flowers produce.
Aim to cut at least once a week — twice a week is even better. Don’t wait for a “special occasion.” You can have flowers in every room if you want, impress your friends.
Keep the Critters (and Weeds) Out
Southern Minnesota wildlife loves your flowers as much as you do.
Fence early to keep out rabbits and deer
Weed often — a sharp hoe is your best friend
A few minutes here and there beats a full-blown weeding meltdown later.
Common Minnesota Cutting Garden Mistakes (So You Can Skip Them):
Planting flowers that take too long to mature — our season is short, so fast growers are a must.
Not enough sun — these flowers want full sun all day.
Waiting too long to cut — cutting weekly (or more) is how you get more flowers.
Skipping fencing — rabbits and deer will absolutely eat these like a salad buffet.
Over-fertilizing — especially cosmos. Some flowers prefer a little neglect.
Learn from my mistakes. I’ve made them all.
Want to Grow Along With Us?
We’ll be starting seeds soon, and I’d love to have you follow along.
If you’d like to grow along with us this season, you’re welcome to join our weekly email, sign up below.
I share:
Simple seed-starting tips
What we’re planting on the farm