One of my favorite feelings in the summer is when I go outside with a pair of scissors and a basket and pick which flowers I want to display in my house or give as a gift to a friend. A cut flower garden was an intimidating thought at the beginning of my gardening journey. I didn’t know what plants are good for cutting or vases, or how to plant or grow them.
It was a trial-and-error experience initially, but now we grow hundreds of individual flowers each summer with little effort and stress. Below is a list of six of our favorite, easy-to-grow cut flowers.
Where should I buy easy to grow cut flowers?
Buy seeds online for a large variety and options. You can also buy seeds at your local arm store or even big box retailers. You can buy plant starts at local greenhouses for the most variety, but you can also get them from places like Tractor Supply or Walmart’s Garden Center.
Do I have to grow cut flowers from seed?
You don’t! Here are some thoughts about growing cut flowers from seed versus plant starts:
Starting flowers from seed requires more up-front effort, supplies, and space. If you already grow flowers or have an outdoor garden, you probably have most of the supplies and space you would need. If you don’t, it will be a more expensive up-front cost the first year.
When you buy seeds, you have more variety to choose from, which really allows you to cater to your style. If you’re not careful, though, you can quickly spend more than if you bought flower starts by purchasing several varieties of each type of flower you want.
Buying flowers that have already been started in a greenhouse can be a bit more expensive, depending on the quantity that you want, but they may be hardier and healthier than what you could start at home. You will be limited in the types and varieties of plants depending on where you shop.
When is the best time of day to cut flowers?
The best time would be in the morning before it gets too hot. The plants have a harder time healing and recovering if it’s very sunny and hot when they get cut. You can cut flowers at the end of the day, but as the sun sets and the temperature cools, it can cause the plant to be more prone to sickness.
Easy to Grow Cut Flowers:
Amaranth:
Amaranth is a grain that comes in a variety of colors. We have grown purple amaranth, autumn touch amaranth, and green amaranth. These are great filler flowers for arrangements, or you can fill a vase with just the amaranth for a large, eye-catching centerpiece!
Growing:
If growing from seed, you can start amaranth indoors 4-6 weeks before your last expected frost date, or direct sow it in the soil after the last frost. This plant gets very tall and can be very heavy.
Cutting/Vase Life:
This flower is usually ready for cutting from midsummer all the way through the fall! Cut the amaranth when the heads are large and the color is deep. After cutting them, ensure that you remove all extra leaves, especially those that will be below the water in the vase.
Cosmos:
Cosmos are a cut-and-come-again flower that produces beautiful flowers for months. You can get them in a variety of colors and shapes, my personal favorite is the cupcake cosmos, but I love any in the purple and white shades! This year I’m trying an apricot colored variety!
Growing:
If growing from seed, you can start cosmos indoors 4 weeks before the last frost. These grow quickly, so it’s beneficial to stake them to help guide them and keep them stable. Harvest and deadhead often to encourage continuous blooms.
Cutting/Vase Life:
Cosmos don’t last very long in a vase, only about 4-6 days. You can cut them when the buds haven’t fully opened yet to help stretch the length of time they look good in a vase!
Gomphrena:
Gomphrena is a late summer annual. They thrive in the heat and look beautiful in bouquets. They look like clover blossoms but are slightly larger and stiffer with longer stems.
Growing:
If growing from seed, these can be started indoors about 6 weeks before your last frost. Plant outside after all dangers of frost have passed. Gomphrena spreads out, so space them about a foot apart in the garden.
Cutting/Vase Life:
These plants produce many branches, and the more you cut them, the more they will produce blooms. They are naturally long-lasting, up to 2 weeks without any sort of plant food. They also dry beautifully, allowing you to hang them in a dark place for a few weeks to use at a later time.
Snapdragons:
Snapdragons are an early summer annual. They come in an assortment of colors and, if grown from seed, tend to create long-stemmed flowers that are great for cutting! You can get different colors and varieties from most garden stores and online flower shops. These are great to plant early so that you can start enjoying cut flowers early in the summer!
Growing:
These flowers come from extremely tiny seeds. The seedlings can emerge in only 3-5 days, and these plants are tolerant of cold and light frosts, so you can transplant them into your garden earlier than most cutting flowers. They will require some support as they can grow tall, so be prepared for that!
Cutting/Vase Life:
You should cut snapdragons for the vase when only the bottom two or three flowers are opened to have a longer vase life.
Sunflowers:
Sunflowers come in a variety of sizes and colors. They are beautiful in vases by themselves or mixed with any of the other flowers in this list! These are also really easy to grow!
Growing:
Sunflowers can be directly seeded into the garden or started indoors and transplanted outside after the frost. Small seedlings are a snack for birds and squirrels, so cover plants that are smaller than 4 inches. Plant sunflowers close together so that the stems stay thinner (about 4-6 inches apart).
Cutting/Vase Life:
You can harvest sunflowers as soon as the first petals start to open. Remove most of the leaves from the stems. These last for a while in vases!
Zinnias:
Zinnias are one of my all-time favorite flowers to grow. It’s probably a bit of nostalgia because they are the first type of flower I planted that grew well and had enough of to make beautiful bouquets. For an in-depth look at Zinnia planting tips, check out this post!
Growing:
These are warm-weather lovers. Seeds can be directly planted into the ground about 3 weeks after the frost, or you can start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost. Transplant them outside about 2-3 weeks after the last frost date. Space the plants about 10-12 inches apart and plant them in full sun.
Cutting/Vase Life:
If you don’t cut these flowers regularly, make sure to at least deadhead them to encourage more growth. Check to see if they are ready for cutting by holding the stem about 8 inches below the flower and gently shaking it. If the stem is stiff, it’s ready to harvest. The flowers stay pretty in the vase for 5-7 days! These flowers are known for making the water dirty, so I recommend using an opaque vase instead of a clear one.
While growing a cut flower garden may seem like just a hobby, it’s a simple way to bring life to your living room or joy to a friend. Hopefully this list of six easy to grow cut flowers has inspired you to dedicate at least a small patch of your garden to cut flowers. Let us know what flower you’re most inspired to grow down in the comments below!
Don’t lose this list when planting season comes around! Pin it to your gardening board so you can find these easy to grow cut flowers list again!
