Best of 2022: My Favorite Flowers from the Cutting Garden
Fall is time to dig out all the garden notes you’ve been taking and put that data to good use.
I’ve been reviewing my notes and I’m here to tell you what I absolutely LOVED in my cutting garden this year.
These are all annuals, grown specifically for my cutting garden.
I will follow this post with a blog on perennials. As they become a bigger part of my cutting garden, they deserve their very own article.
So without further ado, here are my top 9 Cutting Annuals for 2022:
Hot Biscuits Amaranth
Amaranth is a beautiful grain that has gorgeous foliage and stunning inflorescence.
Hot biscuits consistently out-produced all the other Amaranth varieties I grew in height and size. It was such an amazing fall-colored addition to bouquets.
I looks full and interesting in the garden and does amazing in the vase. I consistently had it in the vase for 2 + weeks.
In addition, you can hang it to dry for an everlasting bouquet.
Campanula
These are fun and delicate blooms that look fabulous in the garden.
I also used them consistently in wedding work this year. See above bridal bouquets!
In the vase they also lasted a good 1-2 weeks in good condition.
This is an all round excellent flower.
Cut these for the vase when the first flower opens up as the other buds will continue to open in the vase.
Vintage Brown and Iron Varieties Stock
Stock is an early season bloomer and helps fill the gap between tulips and all the other garden varieties.
Its smell cannot be beat.
The flowers are edible.
It lasts for a solid week + in the vase.
It comes in a variety of colors: white, apricot, purple, light and bright pink and yellow.
While a more challenging flower to grow as it must be started earlier, dislikes dry conditions (spring 2022 anyone!), and dislikes heat, it is well worth the challenge.
Salmon Frosted Breadseed Poppy
This one was a show stopper this year.
These were like little explosions in the vase. I cut them just as they start opening up and then they poof out into big fluffy balls of color.
While all poppies have a short vase life, this one did a little better than most. I got a solid 3+ days of blooming time in the vase.
That’s good news y’all!
Some flowers are more ephemeral than others.
Giant Orange Marigold
This flower makes my favorites list every year.
Here’s why:
It has a stunning and cheery color.
It smells heavenly.
It dries well.
It can last up to 3 weeks in the vase.
One plant pumps out blooms almost all summer long.
It’s easy to grow.
Bronze Queen Nicotiana
I LOVED this flower. It is delicate and whimsical and was the perfect addition to most of my bouquets.
As a garden flower it adds interest and texture but is a little sparse. It is not big, showy or bright.
In the vase is really where it shines.
It has a long vase life and it is so fun to look at those delicate little trumpet flowers!
Godetia
While this one didn’t make my initial “best of” list I’m listing it here for the home gardener.
I have not decided if I’m growing it again next year for my cutting garden but I would highly recommend it as an addition to any flower gardeners repertoire.
The pros: it lasts forever in the garden and in the vase - florets just keep opening up. It is short and sturdy for garden beds. It does well in shorter vases.
The cons: it is too short to use in most bouquets. The petals are easily damaged by rain.
Try it and see if you like it!
Rubenza Cosmos
Cosmos is a staple of mine every year.
These flowers are delicate and ephemeral. They look stunning and full in the garden and marvelous in the vase.
Part of their joy is that they can’t be shipped since they are so delicate.
You can only have these in your vase if you grow them yourself or buy from a local farm.
Rubenza is a magical deep maroon color with a vibrant yellow center. I find myself marveling at it’s beauty EVERY time I see it.
Oxford Blue Scabiosa
This is a tall plant with long strong stems.
It looks gorgeous and lively in the garden or you can cut it just when the first florets begin to open. When cut at this time it will last a solid 1-2 weeks in the vase.
Scabiosa loves cooler temperatures so does better in our cooler Alaskan summers.