Creating an outdoor space for cut flowers is a wonderful way to spruce up your home. With a little planning, you can create beautiful arrangements year-round.
Start by planting spring, summer and winter blooming plants that provide a wide color range. Then fill out the garden with foliage to add textural interest once flowers wilt.
1. Phlox
Phlox is a perennial flower that transforms your garden into a vivid tapestry of colors. It thrives in sunny conditions but is also tolerant of a little shade.
Moss pink and creeping phlox work well with many other flowers, including lilies, bee balm, rudbeckia and clematis. Blue phlox such as “Emerald Blue” and ‘Blue Paradise” are mildew resistant. Tall garden phlox should be divided every 3 years to prevent overcrowding.
2. Roses
The rose is the ultimate symbol of love, but it’s not just for beds and borders. Tough customers like ‘Rosa rugosa’ and species (flowering naturally uncrossed) roses can cope with challenging coastal conditions and require less cosseting. Ramblers such as ‘Kiftsgate’ can clamber over hedges and fences with little attention.
With once-flowering species and ramblers, the spent blooms form colorful rose hips that brighten the autumn landscape. Rose hips also feed birds and other wildlife through winter.
3. Zinnias
Zinnias are easy to grow and tolerate heat and drought. They offer eye-catching color and attract pollinators in large numbers. Planting them near fruiting vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers can improve pollination rates.
Choose from single, double and semi-double varieties based on floral structure. Look for short series that are closer to knee high, allowing them to fill in where taller varieties fade quickly.
4. Persian Buttercup
Ranunculus asiaticus, or Persian buttercup (Ranunculaceae), is a perennial tuberous flower with exquisite blooms. This beautiful ornamental plant is a great choice for Mediterranean gardens, cottage gardens, or mixed borders and containers.
Grow buttercups from corms in warmer climates, planting them in fall or early spring. Soak the corms in water before planting, but do not overdo it as too much water can encourage fungal disease.
5. Amaryllis
You might think of amaryllis only as a holiday flower, but they can rebloom year after year with proper care.
Plant them in a container with loose potting soil and bring the pot indoors after blooming to a sunny spot for warmth and light. Add a houseplant fertilizer and water to keep the soil moist, but not soggy.
To prolong the bloom, support the stem with a stake placed just next to it (but not touching) in the container.
6. Sunflowers
Sunflowers are easy to grow and a great way to introduce kids to gardening. They also add cheerful color to a garden or container. Plant them in warm, loose soil that has been enriched with lots of compost or a light application of fertilizer.
Sunflowers are annuals that sprout, mature and flower in a single growing season. They love bright summer sunshine. They’re beloved by birds, squirrels and chipmunks who feast on their seeds.
7. Lily of the Valley
A botanical jewel, lily of the valley adds a sense of freshness and renewal to any garden. Its delicate flowers (up to 15 nodding bell-shaped blooms) adorn shady woodland edges and flower arrangements.
The sweet-scented, white flowers rise above dark elliptic green leaves. This shade lover is easy to grow, deer-resistant, and spreads rapidly.
Plant pips in spring or fall. Lily of the Valley tolerates partial to full shade, but prefers rich soil with lots of organic matter.
8. Daffodils
Daffodils are a reliable perennial that is tolerant of many different conditions and soil types. They also have few insect and disease pests and grow quickly.
‘Orangery’ daffodils are the perfect way to add a splash of color to your garden with their ivory or yellow petals with a bright orange cup. They rebloom in mid-spring.
Look for bulbs in late March or April and plant them when the foliage has turned yellow (in cooler climates September to November). Planting under trees can be tricky, but daffodils are surprisingly resilient.
9. Catmint
A stalwart perennial for cooler climates, Catmint (Nepeta) offers a calming backdrop to bright summer flowers. This genus is easy to grow and tolerates heat, drought and cold temperatures.
One of the best is ‘Walker’s Low’, which is smothered in indigo-blue blooms from early summer to midsummer. Shear it throughout the season to extend the flowering period and maintain a neat appearance.
10. Sweet William
The sweet, spicy fragrance of these colorful flowering biennials and short-lived perennials is reminiscent of cloves. They are hardy in zones three to nine and make lovely garden flowers. They can also be grown in containers.
Dianthus barbatus, also known as bunch pinks or bearded pinks, is a flowering garden plant in the carnation family (Caryophyllaceae). This perennial wildflower produces densely crowded clusters of bright-colored flowers.
