10 Cut Flowers You Can Start From Seed

Have you ever heard of a “cutting garden” before? I hadn’t until recently! But as a country girl who loves gardens and flowers, I fell head-over-heels in love with the concept! In thinking about you, I realized it’s something you would likely enjoy learning about as well.

I’m quite new to it myself, but I wanted to introduce you to the cutting garden and also give you 10 cut flowers you can start from seed.

 

What Is a Cutting Garden?

When I first heard about a “cutting garden,” I didn’t know what to think. Truth be told, I almost felt bewildered by the title!

But when I discovered that a cutting garden is a simple country garden filled with flower types that keep well after being harvested, my heart bubbled over with delight!

I’ll take one of those, if you please.

Like me, you’ve probably created beautiful flower arrangements for your home in times past. And much like me, you’ve probably felt disappointed when some of your flowers began to whither and drop petals a few days later!

The cutting garden is the answer to our problem, because cut flowers are the secret to long-lasting bouquets!

 

What Are Cut Flowers?

There are many different types of cut flowers. Some are annuals (meaning you need to plant them every year), others will naturally self-seed in the garden and still others are perennials that grow from bulbs, corms or tubers.

In this tutorial, I’m going to give you a list of old fashioned cut flowers you can start from seed this spring and summer.

And in this blog post, I give you a list of perennial cut flowers that you can grow from bulbs, corms and tubers.

 

6 Benefits of Having A Cutting Garden

Having a supply of fresh flowers on hand is a wonderful! Here are some of the benefits that come with growing your own cut flowers.

1. Having a flower garden will bring you outdoors and into nature.
2. Studies show that gardening calms the soul and even helps fight depression!
   
3. Growing your own flowers allows you to bypass the dyes and sprays that so many floral arrangements are amply supplied with to prolong their lifespan.
4. If you like flowers, growing your own is a wonderful way to save money on bouquets!
5. Fresh cut flowers help you and I bring the charming, country vibe we desire into our homes.
6. Flowers are one way you can give to other people, whether you go visiting or just send someone home with a flower-filled, mason jar vase!

 

Where to Grow Cutting Flowers

The beautiful thing about a cutting garden is that you can create one nearly any place.

Cutting flower gardens can be created in large pots or planters. Most flower blossoms enjoy the warmth they receive when grown along a house or garage wall.

You can create small flower beds along your driveway, a fence line or even just outside your front door.

It doesn’t matter if you live in town or if you don’t have much space. Flowers like to grow! And if you get creative, you can usually find space for them. 

 

5 Tip for Creating a Cutting Garden

Here are some quick tips that will help you set up a simple but successful flower cutting garden!

1. Most cut flowers do best in full sun, so choose a location that has southern exposure and will get at least 6 hours of sunlight in a day.
2. Your flowers will need water, so make sure you cutting garden is within reach of a garden hose!
3. If you are pulling up lawn or weeds to create your cutting garden, some flowers will love the poor soil! But others will benefit from some decomposed animal manure (get some at your local garden center) or organic worm castings (you can get some here).
4. To amend your soil, spread 2-3 inches of animal manure or worm castings over the garden and then mix into the top 4-5 inches of dirt.
5. Do you have deer in your area? You may need to rig up a small fence to keep them away from your blossoms! I show you how to make a cheap and easy garden fence here that you can build on a large or small scale.

 

Cut Flowers You Can Start From Seed

Though by no means exhaustive, I’ve created a list of 10 old fashioned cut flowers that go well in a cottage style garden. You’ll also see I’ve included hardiness zones in which each flower type should grow and doing well.

 

1. Asters

1. USDA Hardiness Zone: 3-8
2. Growing Climate: full sun-partial shade
3. Color Scheme: commonly purple but also comes in white, pink blue and red
4. Self Sowing: yes

 

2. Black-Eyed Susan

1. USDA Hardiness Zone: 3-9
2. Growing Climate: full sun (6+ hrs per day)
3. Color Scheme: yellow petals with black centers
4. Self Sowing: no; plant survives via it’s root system
5. Note: some varieties are perennials and others are biennials

 

3. Calendula

1. USDA Hardiness Zone: 2-11
2. Growing Climate: full sun (6+ hrs per day)
3. Color Scheme: cream, yellow, peach and apricot
4. Self Sowing: yes

 

4. Cosmos

1. USDA Hardiness Zone: 2-11
2. Growing Climate: full sun (6+ hrs per day)
3. Color Scheme: white, yellow, pink, orange, red
4. Self Sowing: yes

 

 

5. Snap Dragon

1. USDA Hardiness Zone: all zones
2. Growing Climate: full sun (6+ hrs per day)
3. Color Scheme: all colors and bi-colored
4. Self Sowing: yes
5. Note: perennial in USDA growing zone 7-11 without self sowing

 

6. Statice

1. USDA Hardiness Zone: 3-9
2. Growing Climate: full sun (6+ hours per day)
3. Color Scheme: white, peach, pink, yellow and violet
4. Self Sowing: weak

 

 

7. Sunflower

1. USDA Hardiness Zone: 4-9
2. Growing Climate: full sun (6+ hrs per day)
3. Color Scheme: white, yellow, bronze, red
4. Self Sowing: yes

 

 

8. Sweet Peas

1. USDA Hardiness Zone: all zones
2. Growing Climate: full sun-partial shade
3. Color Scheme: white, pink, red, purple, blue and bi-colored
4. Self Sowing: yes

 

9. Sweet William

1. USDA Hardiness Zone: 3-9
2. Growing Climate: full sun-partial shade
3. Color Scheme: white, yellow, pink, light purple and red; also bi-colored
4. Self Sowing: yes, but not all varieties.

 

10. Zinnia

1. USDA Hardiness Zone: 3-10
2. Growing Climate: full sun (6+ hrs per day)
3. Color Scheme: every color but blue
4. Self Sowing: yes

 

 

Difference Between Hybrids and Heirlooms

While most of the cut flowers on this list are self sowing, I want to briefly touch on something you may not know, something you should know if you are hoping to let your cut flowers go to seed and naturally resow the soil year after year.

If your flowers are not an open pollinated or an heirloom variety, blossom colors may change after their first year.

Like the hybrid lupine I started from seed last year. Lupines are usually a deep purple color. However, while this particular lupine variety would self sow, the seed packet stated that blossoms would lose their color and reappear white in the following years

If you want blossoms that remain true to the parent color, you need to plant heirloom or open pollinated seed.

 

Where to Find Heirloom (or Open Pollinated) Flower Seed

Open pollinated or heirloom flowers seeds can be purchased from many different seed companies. Most carry a variety of hybrids and also, open pollinated seed.

My American readers can find all-heirloom flower seeds at Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. I’ve always been happy with the quality the provide.

In Canada, you can get a variety of open pollinated flower seeds from West Coast Seeds.

 

Tips for Choosing Your Flower Colors

Each of the above flower types come in many different colors. Before you buy seed, you need to decide on the colors you want in your cutting garden!

Do you enjoy brilliant yellows, fiery orange and fire-engine reds? Or are you a lover of soft pastels, like baby blue, white, peach and lavender? Maybe you love blossoms with a darker tones like deep purples, blue-black or wine reds?

Many gardeners prefer a mix of the above. Take a few moments to browse flower photos online and see which colors grab your attention (in a pleasing way). And then you can purchase your seed according to your color scheme!

 

Planting Your Flower Seed

Many of these simple cottage flowers can be directly sown in the garden. But as a precaution, always take time to read the back of your seed packets. Specific directions will be given for your growing zone and climate.

Everything else you need to know about planting and caring for your flowers should be outlined on the seed packet or (if you purchased online) from the seed company’s website.

 

How to Create a Cutting Garden

Whether you live in town or in the countryside, I’d encourage you to start growing cut flowers for your home, even if you only begin with 2 or 3 varieties.

I made this list of 10 cut flowers you can start from seed to inspire and give you a friendly nudge into the beautiful outdoor world. And I hope you’ll start cultivating a few flowers for enjoyment’s sake this summer!