Growing cut flowers is not always the simplest task. Which is why I will be providing you a list of the easiest cut flowers to grow, for a beautiful summertime floral arrangement.
While deciding to grow some flowers for a floral arrangement, it is important to think about which flowers pair well together in terms of their needs, and picking flowers that grow all relatively in the same season. Below you will find a list of my favorite cut flowers that are very easy to grow during the summer, and some helpful tips for starting a cut flower garden.
Starting your cut flower garden
- Cut flowers can be directly sown in spring, but for certain flowers I like to start growing my seedlings inside for 1 or 2 months under a grow-light. This is to ensure that if we get hit with cold days in the spring, the flowers will survive.
- Make sure the soil is free of any weeds while they are growing, so that they aren’t competing for nutrients.
- I like to put down a lot of slow-acting and granular organic fertilizer into the soil before planting my flowers.
- When planting your seeds you want to separate the taller flowers from the smaller ones, and lay out the flowers in order, in terms of when they are expected to bloom (whether it is earlier in the season or later in the season).
- Mulch is very important to a cut flower garden, this is to ensure that weeds don’t grow in your garden.
- If you don’t see progress in your garden, you can always reseed midseason and replant something new!
5 of the easiest cut flowers to grow
1. Zinnias are a great cut flower to grow, if you are new to cut flower gardening. They are not only so beautiful because of their bright colors but, the more you cut them the more they produce. Zinnias are also easily grown from seed. They are great for succession planting, by planting new seeds every few weeks, you are able to extend their season.
2. Sunflowers are such a cheerful flower, and are a must for a flower garden. These flowers can be directly sown into the soil, but you may need to cover them with a net because birds and other animals also love sunflower seeds. There are two types of sunflowers, branching which will give you multiple blooms over about a week, and single stems which only produce one flower. Helpful tip, if you cut the sunflowers when you see only about two petals lift, they will have a longer vase life! Check out our sunflower grow guide to learn more.
3. Cosmos can be directly sown and they can grow blooms for weeks after just one planting. These flowers come in a wide variety of pinks, yellows and white. The more you cut them, the more they will produce.
4. Heather is a beautiful filler for an arrangement. These flowers have long stems with little pink, purple or white flowers all around them, and Heather is a very long lasting flower when cut.
5. Dahlias pair perfectly with sunflowers and zinnias. These flowers hate the cold, so it may be better to start them off inside with a grow light for a month before transplanting them outside for summer. These plants will also need to be staked when you first plant them, so that they have extra support to grow.
These five flowers are not only easy to grow for a beginner, but they also make the perfect arrangement for summer. They will add so much color inside and outside your home, creating such a natural beauty.
