35 Best Flowers to Grow in A Cutting Garden for Beautiful Bouquets (2024)

A while back, I made the commitment to myself that, with very few exceptions, I wanted to be able to grow enough flowers that I no longer had to purchase them from the store for my table. I needed to create a working cut flower garden to go outdoors any time and gather at least a small bouquet to liven things up indoors.

A cut flower garden can be a complicated thing. Where the flowers we leave outdoors can be tattered or chewed on, most people prefer their indoor flowers to be more presentable. For a beekeeper like me, pesticides are not an option, and keeping the insect population down is tricky.

My best advice for growing flowers without creating a bug buffet is to bring in some beneficial insects, like ladybugs or mantids, to be natural pest control. Outside of that, creating the right environment, planting for varied bloom times and colors, and choosing varieties that thrive in your environment are important factors to consider. Here are 35 flowers that work excellently in the cutting garden and the home.

Lavender

	botanical name Lavandula
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2’-4’
	hardiness zones 5-9

Lavender can be difficult to get the hang of growing, but once you’ve got it down pat, they are very low maintenance. Lavender comes from the Mediterranean region. It likes poor soil with excellent drainage. It grows as a perennial in zones 5-9 and can be grown elsewhere as an annual plant. Its long, stiff stems make it great for cutting and drying.

If you want to find the perfect flowering plant to neglect, lavender might do the trick. Don’t plant your lavender near anything that needs frequent fertilizing because this plant prefers not to be fertilized. Give your lavender plants full sun for as many hours as possible, and enjoy the wonderful-smelling flowers and foliage in spring and summer.

Zinnia

	botanical name Zinnia
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 6”-4’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Zinnias are an ideal cut flower for the garden. They grow quickly, blooming just 60 days after planting. They come in a wide array of colors and flower formations, are very attractive to pollinators, and also have a long vase life.

The seeds need no stratification and will grow in most soil types. They don’t mind the heat and are quite drought-resistant. I like to plant zinnias several times between spring and fall because they bring me so much joy with their ease of care and colors in the garden. In warm climates, they can be grown year-round.

Dahlia

	botanical name Dahlia
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2’-6’
	hardiness zones 8-10

Now that I grow dahlias, I can’t imagine not having them in my cut-flower garden. While dahlias don’t have the greatest vase life, nothing else compares if you are putting together a special arrangement for an occasion. The sheer variety of these flowers is astounding.

Dahlia flowers come in many different shapes and sizes, from huge (12”) dinnerplate-sized blooms to compact pompon flowers with wonderful shapes and eye-catching symmetry. Dahlias are perennial in zones 8-10, and their tuberous roots can be dug up and stored for the winter in cooler climates.

Strawflowers

	botanical name Xerochrysum bracteatum
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2’-3’
	hardiness zones 8-11

For cutting and drying, you simply can’t beat strawflowers. The name truly doesn’t do these flowers justice. Strawflowers are cheery and brightly colored with many stiff papery bracts that radiate around a central disk.

They look like many other flowers in the Aster family, of which they are a part, but they have uniquely stiff flower parts that hold up incredibly well to drying.

I remember my mother growing these in her garden and being fascinated by how they retain their color and beauty when dried. If you like dried flower arrangements, this is one plant you should not pass up. Usually grown from seed, strawflowers are perennial in zones 8-11 and grown as an annual plant elsewhere.

Sweet Pea

	botanical name Lathyrus odoratus
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 5’-6’
	hardiness zones 3-8

Cut sweet peas are difficult to ship and have a brief vase life, so they are very difficult to find for purchase as cut flowers. All the more reason why you should include them in your garden, as this is the most certain way of enjoying these delightful and wonderfully fragrant little flowers.

Sweet peas like mild weather, so their seeds should be soaked overnight and sown in late winter to give them ample time to bloom before the hot summer rolls in. They come in a wide variety of colors and are heavy feeders, so be sure to mix plenty of compost or manure into the soil before planting.

Snapdragons

	botanical name Antirrhinum
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 6”-15”
	hardiness zones 7-11

Snapdragons are a childhood favorite of mine and most children I know. Their fun little flowers, when pinched on the sides, resemble a dragon opening its mouth. What is not to love about that?

Snapdragons like mild weather, so they struggle in the heat of summer. If you give them enough water and a bit of shade during the hottest months, you’re likely to see them bloom again in the fall.

There are snapdragons in nearly every color of the rainbow, and they are intensely bright and beautiful flowers. They have a moderate vase life, making a wonderful filler with their tall stalks of flowers with soft, lanceolate leaves arranged in a spiral up and down the stems.

Sunflowers

	botanical name Helianthus
	sun requirements Full sun
	height up to 12’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Few flowers have the popularity and staying power of the sunflower. A flower that screams sunshine and happiness, such as this, is an excellent addition to the cut flower garden.

I have found sunflowers tricky in the past, not because they are difficult to grow but because every critter, from moles under the ground to birds high overhead, loves to munch on their tender green shoots.

Starting your sunflowers indoors and hardening them off before planting them will help prevent some of the microgreen munchers from gobbling up your sunflower babies. These big, impressive bloomers are a great addition to the cut flower garden and have an excellent vase life.

Black-eyed Susans

	botanical name Rudbeckia
	sun requirements Full sun
	height up to 5’
	hardiness zones 4-9

For years, I noticed Black-eyed Susans in gardens and the wild without much intrigue. That is until my brother’s partner gifted me a pack of seeds last year that she had acquired from a local seed library. One can’t accept seeds they don’t intend to grow, so I started a few seeds in the spring, and wowzers!

I was unprepared for the sheer magnitude of flowers that a handful of seeds produced. They are such lovely, cheerful flowers, and the local bees couldn’t get enough of them. Being an avid pollinator gardener, needless to say, I’ll never overlook these sweet flowers again.

Marigolds

	botanical name Tagetes
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 6”-3’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Marigolds have their place in so many gardens. Their sweet flowers are great companions for other plants, as their scent tends to be a pest deterrent, which affords some protection to the plants in their vicinity. They also have their place in terms of cultural significance, most notably for their symbolic use during the Mexican holiday Dia de Muertos.

There are varieties of marigolds that span a wide range of sizes and colors. My personal favorite is Tagetes patula, the French marigold. I love their bright colors and durability in a cut flower arrangement. Marigolds are also edible flowers, so they have use in a culinary or kitchen garden and the cut flower garden.

Hydrangea

	botanical name Hydrangea
	sun requirements Partial shade
	height 4’-12’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Hydrangeas are a staple for florists and gardeners. Their oversized panicles of flowers in shades of pastel blue, pink, green, and white are a sight to behold when this perennial shrub is in bloom. Their blooming season is quite long, and these plants will live for decades with the right care and environment.

If you are looking for a good backdrop plant for your cut flower garden, it doesn’t get any better than a hydrangea bush. Give these plants some protection from the afternoon sun for best results. They can be a bit sensitive in that way. Keep them well-watered through the hot summer months.

Roses

	botanical name Rosa
	sun requirements Full sun
	height Varies widely
	hardiness zones 5-8

Roses are a must-have in the cut flower garden for unmatched elegance and a traditional aesthetic. However, roses are heavy feeders and need plenty of nutrients. Make sure to amend the soil with plenty of compost and organic material before planting, as well as give your roses fertilizer on a regular basis for the best blooms.

Pay attention to the type of rose bush you decide to plant for cut flowers. The best flowers for cutting are those with long stems. Hybrid tea roses have long stems and large, single blooms that work well. If you like petite clusters of roses, floribunda roses are just the thing. You can’t go wrong with a grandiflora for a combination of larger flowers on long stems.

Lisianthus

	botanical name Eustoma
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1’-3’
	hardiness zones 8-10

For a flower that looks like a rose but has an extra long vase life, look to lisianthus for a great combination of these qualities. Lisianthus can be tricky to grow, but they are stunning and make excellent cut flowers. They have a long blooming period and a vase life of up to two weeks.

Lisianthus flowers are usually seen in shades of pink, purple, and white. Some flowers are a combination of two of these colors, and there are bright and pastel variations. In zones 8 and higher, they are perennial plants and will be easier to grow. In cooler climates, these plants act like annuals as they are frost-tender.

Ranunculus

	botanical name Ranunculus
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 8”-2’
	hardiness zones 8-10

Also known as the Persian buttercup, these flowers have a delicate beauty that sets them apart from many tougher plants we typically associate as good for cutting. Native to the Middle East, European botanists have been hybridizing these flowers for more than a century, and the results are breathtaking.

Ranunculus flowers are tightly organized rosette-type blooms. Their many layers of paper-thin petals resemble roses and are attached at the ends of gracefully arching stems. The foliage is a low rosette that grows close to the ground, avoiding interference with the long stems that make these flowers ideal for the cutting garden.

Yarrow

	botanical name Achillea millefolium
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 3’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Often underestimated, yarrow proves itself over and over as a delightful filler flower. The clusters of tiny flowers look like something from a fairy garden, and the wispy, fernlike foliage adds a nice texture to the cutting garden. Yarrow is a good, strong grower with a spreading habit, but it is not considered invasive.

I always associated yarrow with the color yellow, which is common. However, many varieties range in color from yellow to white, pink, and even red. Yarrow is very low maintenance, surviving some of the coldest winters and reliably returning yearly without fuss.

Celosia

	botanical name Celosia
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 4”-3’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Celosia is an interesting flowering plant in the Amaranth family. Like other types of amaranth, all parts of the plant are edible! The flowers come in diverse colors and forms, from the popular co*ckscomb varieties to others that resemble small flames or colorful pointed trees perched atop their tender leaves.

Some varieties of celosia are very short, making them less desirable for cutting. Taller varieties are great for this purpose, though, and really make a statement in cut flower arrangements. These flowers have a long blooming season, beginning at the end of spring and enduring until the first frost.

Amaranth

	botanical name Amaranthus
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 4’-6’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Speaking of the Amaranth family, while standard types of amaranth are best known for their culinary use as a grain or green, the large plumes these plants produce are incredibly dramatic in a cut flower arrangement. The ‘Love-Lies-Bleeding’ variety has a morbid name but is stunning both in the garden and at home.

Amaranth is a heavy feeder, so it needs some space in the garden. Try not to make other plants compete with this one, as it sends out a substantial root system and will interfere with other plants nearby that aren’t as strong. These will also tower over the garden, reaching six feet tall!

Anemone

	botanical name Anemone
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1’-5’
	hardiness zones 4-10

Anemones are rhizomatic plants native to all continents except Antarctica and Australia. Their flowers resemble a poppy in form and typically in color as well. They are medium-sized blooms with boldly contrasting centers, making them stand out in bridal bouquets and other floral arrangements.

These relatives of ranunculus are highly favored among cut flower farmers and hobbyists. Different varieties have different growth habits, with some staying close to the ground and others growing quite tall and stately.

Poppy

	botanical name Papaver
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1’-4’
	hardiness zones 2-10

The poppy is a wonderful example of a flower rich in symbolic meaning. Poppies are also well known for their culinary use as seeds for bread and have gained notoriety due to the use of a specific species in the manufacture of opiates. Poppies are native to Europe, Africa, and North America and prefer well-drained soil with an acidic pH.

The most recognized poppies are the bright red American Legion Corn poppy and the brilliant orange California poppy. Ironically, these two flowers are from an entirely different genre but are from the same family, and they share a common moniker. Poppies readily reseed themselves, so they will spread nicely and turn into a lovely drift.

Carnation

	botanical name Dianthus caryophyllus
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 30”
	hardiness zones 5-9

Most carnations sold for home growing are unlike the tall, leggy varieties often found in stores and floral arrangements, but they still make very nice cut flowers. Carnations have an easily recognizable flower with tightly packed petals and a spicy, distinctive aroma.

Although you may see carnations in many bold, glowing shades that match the holidays, these are generally dyed. Most carnations come in warm pink shades like red, pink, coral, and white, which are good for dying. Carnations usually don’t bloom until their second year, so these plants are a practice in patience.

Beardtongue

	botanical name Penstemon
	sun requirements Full sun
	height up to 5’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Beardtongues are a great perennial that works excellently in a cut flower garden, as they won’t need to be grown from seed year after year. They come in many sizes and colors and are extremely adaptable, growing in some very tough conditions in the wild. Planting more than one variety can keep these flowers blooming through all three growing seasons.

Plant your penstemons like you plant your lavender. These two plants make great companions as they both like gravelly or sandy and infertile soil. If your soil is very clay-heavy, these may not work for you, and they don’t like rich soil either. Beardtongues don’t require cold stratification, but a brief period of cool weather will increase the germination rate.

Bachelor’s Button

	botanical name Centaurea cyanus
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1’-3’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Also known as cornflowers, after which the color cornflower blue was named, bachelor’s buttons are delightful little flowers that come in their signature blue as well as shades of pink, purple, and white. These small flowers are surprisingly sturdy and are a great filler flower for the cut flower garden.

Bachelor’s buttons also make great dried flowers to pair with your strawflowers and hydrangea in a long-lasting dried arrangement. The best blooms come in early summer, but these flowers are cut-and-come-again types that will continue blooming sporadically until the first frost.

Starflower

	botanical name Scabiosa stellata
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2’-3’
	hardiness zones 8-11

The first time I saw these flowers, I knew that I had to have them in my own garden. Although, to be more specific, it’s not the flowers I covet but the highly decorative seed heads that they leave behind. This is another must-have for the dried flower lover, as it retains its shape and integrity very well as a dried flower.

Scabiosa flowers are commonly known as pincushion flowers, but this particular species has a unique appearance. When it blooms, its flowers are scraggly and not noteworthy, but those seed pods are truly a work of art.

Aster

	botanical name Aster
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1’-6’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Asters are wonderful cool-weather flowers that make excellent filler for floral arrangements and are very popular among pollinators. My asters are among the plants that receive the most attention from Monarch butterflies in my pollinator garden, and that alone is enough to keep me interested.

The most common color for aster flowers is violet, but they also come in varying shades of blue and white. In addition to its value for pollinators, its seed heads are very desirable to songbirds. Asters like rich, moist, loamy soil and don’t grow well in sandy or clay-heavy soil types.

Cosmos

	botanical name Cosmos
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1’-3’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Plant some picture-perfect cosmos for a cut flower that brings lots of birds, bees, and butterflies to the garden. Easy to grow and huge bloomers, cosmos are delicate in appearance but sturdier than they look. They have a remarkably long vase life for as ethereal as the blooms appear to be and retain their color beautifully after cutting.

Cosmos are fairly disease and pest-resistant, making them a great option if you don’t have much time to invest but want a bounty of flowers in your cut flower garden. Chocolate cosmos are known for their delicious fragrance, which smells like… you guessed it, chocolate!

Mullein

	botanical name Verbascum
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1’-3’
	hardiness zones 5-8

This is one of those plants that, once you’ve heard of it, you will wonder why you don’t already grow it. Verbascum is a large genus of flowering plants with a vertical growth habit, so they look great and mingle with plants of other shapes and sizes. Pollinators love them, and they are exceptionally easy to grow.

Verbasc*ms can grow in sun or shade and are very drought-tolerant once established. If the flowers are left to dry on the plant, they will self-seed, but they aren’t difficult to control. You can just pull up the volunteers. These towering beauties make great cut flowers and are a statement in the garden.

Sweet William

	botanical name Dianthus barbatus
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 12”-24”
	hardiness zones 3-9

Sweet Williams are technically carnations, but they are a small variety that makes a great filler flower. The flowers tend to open a bit flatter in profile rather than remaining in a tight cluster like their larger cousins. They do have a similarly sweet and spicy fragrance.

These plants can tolerate full sun under certain circ*mstances. In the heat of summer, though, they will appreciate a bit of shade or filtered sunlight. Sweet Williams are slow spreaders, so there is no need to worry about them taking over the garden. They are just a nice, sweet little plant, as their name implies.

Larkspur

	botanical name Delphinium
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1’-3’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Larkspurs are beautiful spring-blooming plants with large flower spikes in shades of purple, blue, pink, purple, and white. They prefer cool to mild weather and require a steady supply of moisture, so they must be planted in soil with good drainage. If given the right conditions, they are fast growers and early bloomers.

While these make wonderful cut flowers, it is important to note that larkspur is poisonous to humans and pets, so handle them with care, wear gloves when cutting these flowers, and don’t leave them within reach of any kids or critters.

Statice

	botanical name Limonium
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 15”-30”
	hardiness zones 8-10

Statice is another flower that is excellent for dried flower arrangements. The papery calyces surrounding this plant’s small white flowers are vivid and long-lasting, even retaining their color when dried. The plant hails from the Mediterranean region, where it grows in sandy or chalky soil and enjoys very good drainage.

Once established, statice requires very little care. Pinching off and occasionally watering will keep this plant producing more flowers throughout the summer. Statice is a perennial in zones 8-10, but it is commonly grown as an annual plant in zones 2-7, as it is fast-growing and can bloom in the first year.

Flax

	botanical name Linum usitatissimum
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 16”-36”
	hardiness zones 5-8

Flax is an incredibly useful plant. Not only are its seeds used as a supplement full of fiber and amino acids, but they are also the source of linseed oil. Linseed oil is used for wood finishing projects, similarly to tung oil. Flax fibers are known for their use in the textile industry. They are used to make linen fabric.

Flax also happens to make very nice cut flowers. One caveat here: the flowers only last for about a day. However, the finely textured foliage and wispy stems make a beautiful, ethereal addition to arrangements.

After the petals fall, the flower leaves behind a small green pearl-like bead that’s the perfect whimsical touch. The richly pigmented blue flowers, when present, are small and delicate. The plants should flower about 60 days after planting, which is fabulous for an impatient gardener like me!

Lupine

	botanical name Lupinus
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1’-3’
	hardiness zones 5-9

Lupines can be controversial. They are poisonous and, in some cases, have been known to become invasive. However, there is no denying their ornamental value. They are stunning, and many gardeners grow these beautiful pea family members in the cutting garden.

Although a bit high maintenance, lupines produce exquisite flowers. These tall flower spikes are covered in sweetpea-like flowers in shades of purple, pink, white, and blue. The flowers are so eye-catching and flamboyant that they look magnificent in a flower arrangement.

Orlaya

	botanical name Orlaya
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2’-3’
	hardiness zones 2-11

The lacy white flowers of the orlaya plant are a perfect filler flower and bloom within about ten weeks after planting the seeds. It is a prolific bloomer that produces more the more it’s cut back. If that doesn’t make it ideal for the cutting garden, I don’t know what would. The vase life of the flowers is average at about one week.

Orlaya is a late summer and fall blooming flower that can tolerate a light frost, so it blooms for a long time. In mild climates, the seeds can be directly sown in early spring. In cooler climates, start seeds about six weeks before your average last frost.

Queen Anne’s Lace

	botanical name Daucus carota
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3’
	hardiness zones 3-9

One of my all-time favorite flowers for a cutting garden, Queen Anne’s Lace is as ethereal and lovely as a plant can be. This member of the carrot family is often considered to be a weed, but for me, it is too lovely to be called by that name. The way the delicate, lacy flower heads bob around on thin, arching stems is simply wonderful.

Queen Anne’s Lace is not picky about its environment and can tolerate poor soil. It does reseed itself rather aggressively, so cut the flowers often, and you will have less to worry about. If too many seedlings pop up the following spring, just pull them out by the root as you would pull weeds.

Sea Holly

	botanical name Eryngos
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1’-3’
	hardiness zones 4-9

This European native might remind you of another famous flower, the thistle. Although not technically a flower, sea holly produces spiky, bluish-purple cones that add a lot of texture and interest to the cutting garden and your cut flower arrangements.

Sea holly are quite cold-tolerant and fast-growing perennials. They require cold stratification, so plant them in the fall for spring growth. These plants are long-lived perennials, so they won’t need to be replanted yearly. They thrive in sandy, well-drained soil types.

Phlox

	botanical name Phlox
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2’-3’
	hardiness zones 2-9

There are many varieties of phlox, but for our purposes, we will exclude creeping phlox and focus on the medium and tall varieties that work best in cutting gardens. You might recognize these flowers from their wide use in floral design, as they are long-lasting and have a very pleasing scent.

Phlox are perennial plants that are very appealing to pollinators. Their exposure needs vary from one type to another, with the taller varieties more tolerant of full sun and the lower growing types more accommodating of some shade. Phlox can be grown from seed, but cuttings are the most common propagating method.

Verbena

	botanical name Verbena
	sun requirements Full sun
	height up to 5’
	hardiness zones 7-11

Verbena is a great, long-flowering plant that is sturdy in the garden and beloved by pollinating insects. Like phlox, there are many different types of verbena, some of which are very low growing and creeping, others which stand quite tall and imposing. These taller types are great for the cut flower garden.

Plant your verbena seeds in rich soil that has been amended with plenty of compost. These plants need moist soil and are not drought-tolerant. The more you cut verbena flowers, the more the plant will produce, so cut away!

Final Thoughts

Creating a stunning and useful cutting garden has been a passion of mine for quite some time. While it isn’t easy to create a garden like this in one season, over time, you can create a magnificent garden that brings beauty to the outdoors and indoors as well.