Last year, we became accidental flower farmers when we decided to add a few small beds of flowers to our vegetable garden. Not only did our garden thrive and buzz with pollinators, we fell in love with fresh blooms to cut for our house and share with friends.
Maybe you aren't quite ready to become a full time flower farmer, but you are thinking about adding some flowers for cutting to your landscape plans. Here are three tried and true varieties we love for cut flowers all season long.
Cosmos
With their crepe-paper-like delicate petals and bountiful blooms, cosmos added color to our garden from June to October last year (we are zone 6a). Most cosmos are know as "cut and come again". This means the more you cut, the more they throw up new blooms. Our plants reached over 5 ft last year and were covered in pastel petals. My favorite cosmos include double click, sensation mix, and seashell.
Zinnias
It's hard to imagine summer without bright and cheery zinnias. Last summer we grew Benary's giant and Oklahoma mix zinnias. I could barely keep up with cutting them. Zinnias have a relatively long vase life, vibrant color, and were a favorite of bees and monarch butterflies in our garden. In addition to the varieties mentioned above, check out the Queen Lime series for some seriously gorgeous flowers.
Sunflowers
Sunflowers are an iconic flower for late summer and early fall. Colors range from the standard yellow petals to deep burgundy and even creamy white. A bouquet of large sunflowers blooms makes a perfect centerpiece for a late summer barbecue or dinner party. We grow giant and standard varieties at the farm. The ProCut series are the best for cut flower production, and branching varieties give you the most blooms per stem. I'm looking forward to adding the Ring of Fire variety to our garden this year.
Adding just these three flowers to your garden or landscaping will up your bouquet game, bring in lots of pollinators from bees to hummingbirds, and give your plenty of natural decor or gifts for the whole summer season.
