Grow Your Own Cutting Garden: 10 Cut Flowers for the Intermediate Gardener
If you’ve already mastered some of the beginner cut flowers I reference here in my last blog, you’re ready to add a few more challenging flowers to your garden.
I classify these as more intermediate because each of these varieties may have one or more needs:
the need to be started earlier and usually indoors
more time babying them inside
particular needs when harvesting
the need for succession planting
For greater ease in growing any of these, skip the succession planting for now and just do one planting of each during the last seeding week I mention for each variety.
If you want to test your skills further, pick a few to succession seed for a longer blooming garden.
Campanula
These are fun and delicate blooms that look fabulous in the garden.
I also use them consistently in my wedding work.
In the vase they 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.
Cosmos
Cosmos is a staple of mine every year. Varieties I love are: Rubenza, Double Click Varieties and Cupcakes.
I plant mine in two successions, one starting week 15 and another starting week 18. The varieties I plant in week 18 are usually more fall themed colors like Rubenza and Double Click Cranberries.
Pinch these when 4-6 inches tall to get the most blooms per plant.
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.
Harvest when just beginning to open for longest vase life.
Double Click Cosmos in the Turnstone Farm Gardens
Dianthus
I fell in love with the “Sweet” varieties last year and am growing three different colors from this line.
My seeding will occur during week 13 and 15.
Harvest for the vase when the florets are 10-20% open. They will continue to open in the vase giving a solid 2 weeks of vase life.
Godetia
While this one didn’t make my initial “best of” list I’m still listing it here for the home gardener. “Grace Mix” gives you a nice variety of colors for your garden.
I’m giving this one more go this coming year to see if I can get a bit more length to the stems.
I’m seeding these in week 15 and 18.
Godetia will last forever in the garden and in the vase - florets just keep opening up. It is short and sturdy for garden beds.
The petals are easily damaged by rain. Although we had an exceptionally rainy summer in 2022 which was my first year growing these.
Phlox
Cherry Caramel, Dulce de Leche and Sugar Stars are what I grow each year.
I start these in week 14, 17 and 19.
These are delicate blooms that have a solid vase life. Harvest when the flower just begins to show color. If you cut before they are fully open they will open in the vase.
This is a solid cut and come again flower and the more you cut, the more blooming stems will grow.
Scabiosa
This is a tall plant with long strong stems.
I love “Black Knight”, “Oxford Blue” and “Fire King” but there are many more fabulous varieties.
Start in week 13 and week 16.
Scabiosa looks whimsical 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.
Black Knight Scabiosa
Snapdragons
My go to variety is any color in the “Potomac” variety family. They are strong and sturdy with fabulous blooms.
If you want something more unique try “Madame Butterfly” varieties or “Chantilly”. These two types have the most unique florets but are much more delicate and break fairly easy. If you’re just bringing them from garden to your house, they should do fabulous.
This is one of the earliest flowers I plant and I start these in week 11 and week 14. They grow slow and you can put them in the garden extra early since they can weather a few light frosts.
Harvest for the vase when 1/3 of the florets have started to open.
Me netting a bed of snapdragons in the original Turnstone Farm Flower fields in Southern Wisconsin.
Statice
These are great for a long lasting cut flower or for drying.
They come in a variety of colors but my favorite is QIS Apricot.
I start these by seed in week 12 and week 14.
Cut when most of the flowers are fully open and showing color.
Sunflowers
Although these are relatively easy to grow, I put them here for a couple reasons. The first being that they are good practice for succession planting. I plant these in weeks 18, 20 and 22.
Varieties I’m growing this year include the Sunrich series and the Procut series. I grow these each year and then will add in one fun and new variety each year.
You can succession plant sunflowers a couple ways: plant the same variety every 2-3 weeks for 3 successions. OR plant different varieties (that each have a different DTM) at the same time. Then repeat this once or twice.
You can also play with growing them close together to get the perfect sized sunflower for the vase. I space mine 4-6” apart for best results.
Harvest for the vase when petals are just beginning to unfurl but are fully colored.
Space your sunflowers 4-6” apart to create the best size flowers for your vase.
Rudbeckia
I love the Cherokee Sunset, Indian Summer and Prairie Sun varieties.
I start these by seed in week 13. I don’t find it necessary to succession seed as these are cut and come again flowers. You cut them and they keep growing new stems!
Harvest when the stems pass the wiggle test. Simple grab onto a stem and wiggle back and forth. If the bloom wobbles on a floppy stem, wait to cut until the stem has matured further. Once the flowers are fully open I check daily for a nicely rigid stem
Look at this freaking beauty!!!! Rudbeckia is stunning in the cut flower garden.
I hope this gave you new ideas for your home cutting garden this year. Start with 1-5 new varieties and see how they do!