When I was a child, I wasn’t interested in spending time outdoors. My mom even threatened to move us to a flat without a garden if we didn’t start using it. However, I actually enjoyed deadheading daffodils on my own. The quiet repetition, the satisfying feeling of pinching off a crispy flower, and the swelling plant ovary in my palm were all aspects I appreciated about gardening. I still find joy in snapping the stem of a spent daffodil.
Although it’s now summer, the underlying principle remains the same. Plants exist to reproduce through seed production. Many of us grow them because of the flowers they produce to attract pollinating insects. While the flower is the star of the show for us, it’s just a means to an end for the plant.
Once a plant has bloomed, it focuses its energy on creating seeds. This is great if you want seeds, but if you want another round of flowers, you need to intervene. That’s where deadheading comes in.
During this time of year, deadheading becomes a lovely way to unwind. Picture me with my baby asleep, the day cooling off, condensation forming on a glass, and secateurs in hand. Depending on where you live and what you have in your garden, deadheading can be quite a task. Roses, in particular, require diligent deadheading to prevent petal shedding. However, I find the romance in this process, and it eliminates the mundane step of carrying the deadheads to the compost bin. Active deadheading will keep your roses flourishing throughout the summer.
The same underlying principle of removing spent or faded flowers applies to the rest of your garden, especially with plants like dahlias and sweet peas. With dahlias, you can tell if a bud is about to flower by its rounded shape, while a pointy bud has already blossomed. The more you cut sweet peas, the more they will flower.
Each plant requires a slightly different technique. For flowers destined for a vase, such as sweet peas, it’s best to cut them as close to the main stem as possible. Follow the flower stem down to a joint and snip there. When deadheading roses, cut the stems to the flower cluster, being careful not to remove any buds or blooms.
And as for the deadheads themselves, please don’t leave them on the lawn like Walter Fish, the husband of the late gardener Margery, did. Instead, add them to your compost or use them in a vase. If you prefer a more laid-back approach, you can leave them on the soil to decompose naturally.
Remember, deadheading is not only beneficial for the appearance of your garden, but it also promotes new growth and prolongs the blooming season. So, grab your secateurs and enjoy this meditative task while embracing the beauty of your plants.
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