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How to grow a cut flower garden


How to Plant & Grow a Cut Flower Garden, plus 5 flowers to get started

While growing vegetables is my passion, I also grow a cut flower garden because I enjoy having a non-stop supply of beautiful flowers to harvest for homegrown bouquets. And while many plants are grown for their flowers – perennials, biennials, bulbs, and even edibles – annual flowers like zinnias and sunflowers are among the most popular type of cut flowers grown by gardeners. They’re productive, easy to grow, beautiful, and can be planted in gardens or containers.

Zinnia Queeny Lime Orange is a recent introduction with large, dahlia-like flowers in a unique combination of apricot and lime green.

Planning a cut flower garden

If you’re new to gardening, start with the right spot. Flowers need plenty of sun and rich, well-drained soil. Prep the site before planting by loosening the soil and digging in some compost and a slow-release flower fertilizer. Raised beds are a popular choice for gardeners who want a tidy garden that is easy to care for.  No space for a cut flower garden? No worries! If you’re a casual cut flower gardener like me, you can tuck annual flowers wherever you have space – between vegetables, amongst your perennials and shrubs, or even in pots and planters.

First timers may want to stick to a few easy-to-grow annual flowers like zinnias and sunflowers. Read the descriptions in seed catalogs or on the plant tags at the nursery carefully. You’ll want to organize your cut flower garden so that the tallest plants are at the back of the bed, medium-sized ones in the middle, and short stature plants at the front. Also take note if certain cut flowers, like sweet peas or climbing nasturtiums grow on vining plants. These will need netting or a trellis to climb. Tall annuals, like certain zinnia and sunflower varieties, may need stakes or other types of support to prevent them from toppling over as they grow.

The ProCut Series Sunflowers are extremely popular among cut flower growers for their beautiful color range and long-lasting, single stem flowers that are pollenless. This is ProCut White Nite. (Photo Courtesy of Johnny’s Selected Seeds)

Planting a cut flower garden

While many annual flowers are fast-growing and can be direct sown in the garden in spring, planting seedlings gives you a head-start on the season. Generally, I start my annual cut flowers inside under my grow-lights around 6 to 8 weeks before our last expected frost. Read the seed packet or catalog for variety-specific growing information. 

You can also buy annual flowers like cosmos and phlox at your local nursery, but it can be hard to source the varieties that have been bred for cut flower production. And if you want high-quality cut flowers, these are the varieties to grow. They offer outstanding characteristics like long vase life, longer stems, and bigger flowers. Again, it pays to read seed catalogs carefully.

The key to a non-stop supply of beautiful blooms is succession planting. Cut flower farmers don’t plant zinnias, for instance, just once. Why? After a few weeks of intense blooming, the flower production of many annuals declines or the bloom size shrinks. Planting fresh seedings every two to three weeks ensures a steady supply of large, florist-quality flowers. My season is short, but I still make three plantings of zinnias so that I have gorgeous, huge blooms for my bouquets.

Growing cut flowers

There are a few tasks to keep on top of as the growing season progresses. Many plants, like zinnias and Celosia benefit from pinching. Pinching is done to young plants to encourage them to branch and produce longer stems for bouquets. Plants are usually pinched when they are 10 to 12 inches tall. Use your fingers or a clean pair of pruners to remove the growing tip, pinching back to a healthy set of leaves.

Pay attention to watering as water-stressed plants produce fewer and smaller flowers. Hold soil moisture with a mulch like straw, shredded leaves, or black landscape fabric applied to the soil surface. Mulch also reduces weed growth and, if a black landscape fabric is used, it will warm the soil promoting growth, especially in late spring and early summer.

To keep flower production high, feed the plants every two to three weeks with a liquid organic flower fertilizer. Never leave dead flowers on the plants. If they are producing more flowers than you need, harvest them all as they open and share them with friends, family, neighbors, or a local nursing home. Spent blossoms that are left on the plant reduce production so be sure to pick all newly opened blooms several times a week.

Harvesting flowers at the right time of day and with the right techniques can mean the difference between an arrangement that lasts for hours or one that lasts for weeks! (Photo Courtesy of Johnny’s Selected Seeds)

Picking flowers from a cut flower garden

Did you know that proper flower harvesting can extend the vase life of cut flowers? Here are a few cutting tips:

5 Awesome annuals for your cut flower garden:

1. Sunflowers

Sunflowers are a must in a cut flower garden. Not only are they easy to grow, their cheerful flowers come in a wide array of colors, sizes, and forms. There are two main types of sunflowers: single stem and branching. Single stem sunflowers do exactly what you think – they produce a single stem that is topped with one flower. When growing single stem varieties, like the Pro Cut series, you can plant the seeds close together (6 to 7 inches apart) to get more from your growing space, but expect smaller flowers. Those planted on a one-foot grid spacing will produce larger blooms. Single stem sunflowers last up to two weeks in water. 

Branching sunflower varieties, on the other hand, yield plants that produce flowers over an extended season. The stems are generally not as strong as those of single stemmed sunflowers and they do take several weeks longer to flower. Personally, I like to plant some of each type so that I have a long harvest season and plenty of variety. 

One last note about sunflowers – certain hybrids are pollenless and don’t drop pollen that can stain clothing and tablecloths. You may wish to grow these in your cut flower garden.

I love sunflowers! And to enjoy the longest season of the cheerful blooms, I plant fresh seeds every 2-3 weeks from late spring through mid-summer.

2. Celosia

I am a BIG fan of the velvety, long-lasting flowers of Celosia which come in a tempting palette of colors. Some species have feathery plumes, while others have rounded, folded combs and are also known as cockscomb. All make excellent cut flowers for homegrown bouquets.

Celosia takes a bit too long to go from seed to harvest to direct seed in my zone 5 garden and therefore I grow them from seedlings. You can grow the seedlings yourself or buy them from a local nursery. If you’re after a certain variety however, I’d recommend starting your own seeds indoors about eight weeks before the spring frost date. Chief Mix is a choice blend of cockscomb-types in bold shades of dark red, fuchsia, carmine, and gold.

Celosia is a heat-lover and wants a site with plenty of sun as well as compost enriched soil. The two to four foot tall, top-heavy plants benefit from sturdy support, so after planting it’s a good idea to erect horizontal netting over the bed to encourage tall, straight stems.

Chief Mix Celosia produces large, velvety cockscomb flowers held on 36 to 40 inch tall plants. (Photo Courtesy of Johnny’s Selected Seeds)

3. Zinnias

If I could only grow one type of cut flower, it would be zinnias. I grow several species and at least a dozen varieties every summer in my veggie garden. Zinnias bloom all summer long, require little fussing, and have an incredible range of flower sizes and colors. Plus, they’re super fast from seed to bloom. That said, I still prefer to start them indoors so that I don’t have to wait as long for the show to begin. 

To plant a bed of zinnias for cutting, space the seedlings around 10 inches apart and erect horizontal netting a foot above the ground. As the plants grow, they will grow up through the netting and not flop over in high winds or heavy rain. 

Once zinnias have been flowering for a few weeks, the bloom size begins to diminish. Succession planting fresh seedlings every few weeks extends the crop of large, high-quality blooms. Cut flower farmers often pinch their zinnia plants to encourage longer stems. Zinnias should be pinched when they’re around a foot tall. Using clean pruners, remove the top few inches and cut back to a fresh set of leaves.  

Grow a rainbow in your garden with zinnias! This cottage garden favorite is one of the easiest cut flowers to grow and can be direct seeded or transplanted after the risk of frost has passed. Benary’s Giant Mixed produces huge flowers up to six inches across in a variety of bright colors. (Photo Courtesy of Johnny’s Selected Seeds)

4. Rudbeckia

While there are hardy perennial Rudbeckias, there are also some, like Rudbeckia hirta, that are grown as annuals. When started indoors and planted out after the last spring frost, this hardworking cut flower begins to bloom by mid-July and continues all summer long.

Like zinnias, these are super easy to grow, but unlike zinnias, they don’t need to be pinched to produce plenty of flowers. Cherokee Sunset mix yields large four to five inch diameter flowers in rustic red, orange, bronze, yellow, and gold. Many of the flowers are doubled, but there are also single and semi-doubled flowers too – a wonderful mix of flower colors and shapes. 

With annual-grown Rudbeckias like Cherokee Sunset, you’ll enjoy huge four to five inch diameter flowers in rustic shades of red, orange, gold, and chocolate. (Photo Courtesy of Johnny’s Selected Seeds)

5.

Phlox

Phlox drummondii is an under-appreciated annual that produces charming clusters of dainty flowers. Some are dwarf plants, growing just a foot tall, while others grow up to two feet and make excellent cut flowers. My must-grow varieties include Art Shades Mix or Cherry Caramel which add old fashioned charm to bouquets.

Unlike most of the annual flowers I’ve featured, phlox does not transplant well and is often direct seeded in mid-spring, or as soon as the soil can be prepared. If you do wish to start the seeds indoors, use care when transplanting the seedlings to the garden and avoid disturbing the roots.

The ridiculously beautiful flowers of Cherry Caramel phlox have made it an in-demand variety for cut flower growers. (Photo Courtesy of Johnny’s Selected Seeds)

For further reading on how to grow a cut flower garden , check out the wildly popular book, Floret’s Farm Cut Flower Garden.

To learn more about growing beautiful flowers, check out the following articles:

Are you going to grow a cut flower garden this year? 

7 Tips for Growing a Cut Flower Garden and How to Make Beautiful Arrangements

I love growing and arranging my own bouquets from my cut flower garden. There is nothing like the satisfaction and creativity of growing something so beautiful from a tiny seed. Learn my favorite varieties to cut and my tips for making beautiful arrangements.

Are Flower Gardens Worth It?

I remember a conversation a few years ago when a friend, who grew a wide variety of cut flowers in a very small space, told me why she didn’t grow tomatoes and herbs. I was curious because, at the time, growing anything but vegetables seemed like effort wasted.

I mean, you can’t actually eat flowers, my practical side reasoned.

She lived in a city condo with a very small yard, and enjoyed flowers so much, that growing vegetables seemed like a waste of space to her.

You can buy vegetables at the store, was her logic.

It only took a few years for me to do a 180 and realize the value in “wasting” a few rows of garden space on some carefully selected cut flower varieties.

There is an old Chinese proverb that says, “If you have two loaves of bread, sell one and buy a lily. ”

The value of flowers was not lost on the speaker of this proverb.

Flowers are Inherently Beautiful

Flowers are inherently beautiful. The joy gained from walking past fresh flowers is valuable in and of itself. An end, not a means to an end.

They don’t feed your belly, but they do feed your soul.

They offer a special beauty that is only available for a few months out of the year.

Planting seeds, harvesting flowers, and arranging them into beautiful bouquets are all part of the enjoyment for a gardener, knowing that they were planted for no other reason than to admire their beauty.

We certainly waste time and efforts on much more frivolous pleasures.

7 Tips to Grow a Beautiful Cut Flower Garden

1. The more you cut, the more they produce.

Now this isn’t universally true for all flowers, so check the variety you are planning on planting.

For example, I grow peonies in early spring. They are beautiful, and have the loveliest smell of any flower I have ever beheld, but they are short lived. Basically, they break almost every rule for a good cut flower candidate. Once you cut them, you better get out the camera, because they last all of one to two days in a jar full of water. My plant produces about five or six large flowers, and that is all. Cutting them back doesn’t encourage them to make more.

I’m guessing all these facts add up to the reason peonies are so dang expensive to buy in the store.

I find the same to be true for daffodils and gladiolus.

In my summer cut garden, I favor cosmos and zinnias, because they produce from late June through mid to late October, or whenever the first frost happens to be.

The more you cut, the more they produce.

Just two rows of zinnias and cosmos will keep your home in bouquets for all of summer, and most of fall.

Other great varieties are dahlias, sunflowers, roses, hydrangeas and lavender.

This year I planted several white tea roses by the barn. I was instructed by the nursery to cut them back to the bottom where there are five leaves. This will yield a beautiful long stemmed rose for my arrangements and keep the plant thriving.

2. “Dead head” your flowers.

My flower friend that I talked about earlier taught me this lesson.

When you are out harvesting flowers, make sure to cut off all the dead or dying blooms that you didn’t get to yet. The plant is wasting extra nutrients and water on a bloom that is already near the end of its life cycle, so relieve the plant of this burden by snipping off all the dead heads.

This will encourage the plant to focus its energy on creating and opening new blooms, instead of maintaining the old.

3. Plant flowers that are especially hardy to drought and weeds.

For me, this comes down to four exceptional varieties: cosmos, zinnias, dahlias, and sunflowers. (This may vary, depending on the zone you are in.)

I have tried growing plenty of other types of flowers, but none have ever done as well as these four.

In fact, they are so easy to grow that I always get ‘volunteer’ plants all over my garden from flowers that dropped seeds the fall before.

I have zinnias growing in my driveway.

They aren’t known to re-seed themselves, per se, but I have it happen in random spots around my garden and home every single year.

If you are a lazy gardener, like myself, you will really only need to weed when the seedlings are small and first coming up. I usually neglect my weeding duties from June on, and my flower crop is none the worse for it.

I enjoy cut flowers all summer long. More than I can even use.

Check your zone to find out which flowers grow best in your region. Some are more suited to heat and humidity while some favor cooler environments and shade.

I live in Missouri, so summers are hot, humid, and usually pretty dry.

It is necessary to keep the soil moist while the seeds are germinating, but after that they can get by with very little water.

Bear in mind, I did not water the volunteer zinnias growing in my driveway, yet the seeds managed to sprout anyway, so they could probably handle that as well. But as a general rule of thumb, seeds need to have moisture to germinate.

4. Use natural weed repellent

I love this handy guide for using essential oils to ward off garden pests.

Zinnias are especially prone to beetles that eat little holes in the blooms and make the leaves look like lace. I have actually encountered this issue in my garden this year.

Essential oils like cedarwood, lemongrass, eucalyptus, thyme and peppermint mixed with a little water in a spray bottle can help keep pests away.

According to the doTERRA blog, “Vinegar makes an effective herbicide and weed killer.”

For weed control, you can put mulch or grass clippings between the rows, and around established plants.

If you are brand new to gardening, make sure to do a google image search to find out what the seedlings look like for the seeds you are planting. This way you will be able to differentiate the weeds from the tiny seedlings.

5. Long stem varieties that last up to a week after being cut are ideal.

Geraniums, the darling of hanging baskets everywhere, are beautiful, but their tiny stems make them terrible candidates for cut flowers.

You want something that can stand tall in a vase or mason jar.

Light blooms with strong stems do well for extended periods of time, after they are cut.

Like I mentioned before, peonies are my favorite flowers of all time, but you better take them in while you can.

The gorgeous top heavy blooms start to wither and fade away just a few days after being cut.

6. Choose plants that produce for several months.

For minimal effort and maximum blooms, select flower varieties that keep on producing like a tomato plant does, allllllll summer looooong.

This year I planted hydrangeas all over our homestead to enjoy the beautiful blooms year after year. You gotta love perennials!

My beloved cosmos continue on so long, that by late summer/early fall, they stand over seven feet tall. They start producing flowers when they are less than two feet tall. They just keep going and going and going…

The only thing that can get them down, from my experience, is a frost.

And that, my friends, in the life of a cut flower gardener, is a sad sad day. That’s when you bring in the pumpkins!

7. Choose blooms with colors and shapes that coordinate, and match your home decor style.

Be proactive in planting your cut flower garden by thinking ahead several weeks to the end result.

I made the mistake the first couple of years of just throwing seeds out there, without thinking about the bouquets and arrangements I would create with them for the next several months.

Maybe I wasn’t really confident anything would actually come up at all.

But when they did, I had oranges, reds, yellows and speckles, and all kinds of crazy mismatched blooms on my hands.

I planted every color zinnia on the market, and ended up with arrangements that looked tacky, and too vibrant for my home decor style.

Now, I choose flowers with softer shades, like white, pink and green.

Tips for Making Beautiful Arrangements

1. Include some buds.

In my older mindset, you know the one where I thought growing flowers was a pointless endeavor, I thought cutting buds before they were completely open was wasteful.

But, remember the philosophy I later developed… Beauty is not wasteful.

And, by golly, I think unopened blooms look spectacular in a flower arrangement.

I always include several, and I really think cutting them back like that ultimately encourages the plant to produce more.

2. Add herbs.

I like a little added greenery in my flower arrangements.

Mint and basil are both perfect additions to your cut flower garden for this application.

3. Use unconventional vessels, instead of a vase.

Think ironstone pitchers, mason jars, galvanized buckets, and enamelware.

Whatever you are drawn to, and is gracing your shelves already, put flowers in that.

Me, I have ironstone everywhere, so that is typically the route I take.

I normally order all my seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds online.

Pink and White Cosmos

Polar Bear Zinnias

Sunflowers

Basil

Sunflowers are very hardy cut flowers, and are super easy to grow.

I hope you all are encouraged to start growing your own cut flower gardens!

It truly is so simple and worth the effort to have fresh blooms in your home, without spending a dime, all summer long.

Flower garden from the cover: scheme with annuals for a sunny place

Grow seedlings, bring, plant, pinch - and all this so that the plant has time to please you for one season? It is not surprising that many flower growers prefer to think three times before planting annuals in their flower garden. And yet, such plants should not be completely discounted.

Most often, annuals are planted in order to refresh the composition with plants that adorn the site for more than one year. However, few people dare to equip a flower bed on their site, which would consist of 100% annuals. nine0003

Meanwhile, just such flower beds will be an excellent solution for summer residents who do not yet have a clear idea of ​​what they would like to see on their site in the end. It does not hurt to pay attention to a flower bed, consisting only of letniki, and to those gardeners who do not like monotony and therefore are in a state of constant creative search.

Using annuals, you can "try on" one or another color scheme in order to determine the most suitable varieties. Do not forget that annuals, although they require some attention during the period of sowing and growing seedlings, usually do not cause any trouble during the season. nine0003

Which plants are used in the flower garden

flower garden scheme

If you are looking for an open sunny place for your flower garden, pay attention to this flowerbed of annuals.

  1. Maritime lobularia - 16 plants.
  2. Gomphrena spherical - 16 plants.
  3. Sparkling salvia - 16 plants.
  4. Marigolds - 16 plants.
  5. Quaranthus - 16 plants.
    6. nine0019 Snapdragon - 16 plants.
  6. Petunia - 16 plants.
  7. Ipomoea tricolor - 4 plants.

Maritime Lobularia

Lobularia belongs to that rare category of plants that can delight with their abundant flowering almost until the very cold. If you want the plant to bloom at the very beginning of summer, then you will have to start planting seeds for seedlings in late March or early April. When the threat of frost has passed, the seedlings can be planted in open ground. nine0003

Lobularia is watered only in very hot and dry summers. In order for the plant to bloom again, closer to August, when the first wave of flowering comes to an end, lobularia will need to carry out a "radical" pruning. Very soon, the plant will build up the lost green mass and bloom again.

Original pattern uses Pastel Carpet.

Gomphrene spherical

Gomphrena is a low (up to 40 cm) annual herb with spherical inflorescences and bluish foliage. Gardeners appreciate this culture for the fact that even at the very end of autumn, gomphrena flowers continue to be decorative. Even after cutting, this plant retains its attractive shape, which makes it especially valuable in the eyes of those who like to decorate their home with bouquets of dried flowers. nine0003

In the climatic conditions of the middle zone, gomphrenu is grown exclusively by seedlings, because. when sowing in open ground, there is a possibility that the seedlings simply will not sprout. The plant is sown for seedlings in early March, and planted in open ground in May, when the threat of return frosts has passed.

The original flower garden uses Bicolor Rose ( Bicolor Rose ).

Sparkling Salvia

In its natural habitat, the sparkling salvia grows in the same place for many years, but in the middle zone it is grown exclusively as an annual. Salvia blooms from June until frost.

For seedlings, the seeds of this plant are sown in mid-February or early March. However, they do this not in order to get earlier flowering, but in order to plant seedlings in place of already faded spring bulbs. Almost does not need watering. He loves sunny places and reacts poorly to stagnant moisture, so after rains the plant is recommended to loosen. nine0003

The original flower garden uses Blue Wonder.

Marigold

Marigolds are frequent guests of flower gardens in the middle lane. Bright yellow and rich orange caps of these plants delight with their flowering from early summer until almost frost. When you are about to prepare the flower bed for the winter, marigolds can be embedded in the ground by digging shovels on the bayonet. The only disadvantage of marigolds is perhaps their somewhat specific smell, which is not to everyone's liking. nine0003

There are many varieties of this crop. For our scheme, yellow-flowered varieties from the Calando or Luxor series are best suited. The original version used Lemon Drop.

Cataranthus

A close relative of the well-known periwinkle, catharanthus, belongs to the category of plants that can do very well without watering for a very long time. Unlike many other annuals, catharanthus can be sown directly in open ground. And yet, most often this crop is grown through seedlings, since the plant blooms only 2-2.5 months after sowing the seeds. For seedlings, catharanthus is sown in late February or early March, and planting in open ground is planned for late May or early June. nine0003

Snapdragon

One of the most popular annuals grown in midland gardens. Its flowers, collected in large inflorescences-brushes, can decorate any garden. There are a large number of varieties of this plant, however, if you are going to implement exactly our scheme, first of all you will have to pay attention to low-growing varieties with orange or salmon flowers, for example, Twinny or Bronze ring F1. nine0046

Snapdragon blooms profusely and for a long time - from June to October. It is undemanding in care, almost does not react to temperature changes.

Petunia

Petunia is one of the most popular annuals grown in gardens in the middle lane. Prefers loamy and sandy soils, but can grow in any fertile soil.

If you are looking for an unusual variety of petunia for your garden, look for plants with double or bicolor flowers. However, do not forget that most often varietal specimens are propagated not by seeds obtained from the parent plant, but by cuttings. Only in this case you will receive planting material that has retained all the qualities of the mother plant. nine0003

Ipomoea tricolor

Ipomoea is a climber with heart-shaped leaves and 4-9 cm funnel-shaped flowers. The color of the petals varies from pale blue to deep blue. The middle of the flower can be either white or yellowish, depending on the variety.

The main distinguishing feature of this flower is its ability to open and close the petals in different light conditions. The flowers open in the morning and close in the evening or on cloudy days. It is curious that on sunny days the pedicels of the liana turn after the sun. nine0003

If your task is to set up a flower bed in an open area, but you are afraid that being in direct sunlight can be fatal for your plants, be sure to check out our diagram of a bed of annuals.

Adapted from www.bhg.com

12 EASY CUT GARDEN FLOWERS FOR GROWING IN CONTAINERS

One of my favorite things in the garden is growing flowers for flower arrangements. But there is an unfortunate misconception that you can only grow a flower garden (often called a cut flower garden) if you have plenty of space. In fact, you can grow flowers in most containers and even the smallest outdoor areas. nine0003

Depending on your comfort level, you can sow seeds directly or buy mature plants from a nursery. If you decide to sow your own seeds, follow the directions on the back of the seed bag for best results.


These gorgeous flowers are perfect for a container garden.



Full sun

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Credit: Sarycheva Olesya

Zinnias

These old school favorites are perfect for beginner gardeners. They bloom all summer and love hot, sunny conditions. Zinnias come in many shades of the rainbow, including heirloom varieties that are truly unique. Some of my favorite varieties are Queen Red Lime, Oklahoma Salmon, and Zinderella Lilac.



Cosmos

I love these little flowers and their long stems. These are hardy, continuous blooms that make a great addition to any bouquet. There are many different cultivars - some with larger, eye-catching flowers, and some with small, delicate flowers. The stems can get long quickly - if you see your space waddling, try supporting them with a peg and string system at the back. Another option is to find options that stay shorter. nine0003

I recommend Sort of Chocolate for something unique, Double Click for something fancy and Sonata for something traditional.

angels of the zodiac

Purple basil

Purple basil is an interesting addition to garden cuttings. While it can be used for culinary uses, I prefer basil to bloom purple and I use it in compositions. It has a long vase life when cut to maturity and adds a delightful scent to your bouquets. nine0003

Snapdragon

Snapdragon is a longtime favourite. They grow on a thorn with flowers that are similar to their namesake: snapping dragons. Snapdragon cultivars come in a variety of colors—from the purest white to almost black—and are easy to grow in full sun. Plant a mixture of different flowers or try heirloom varieties for a unique flair. My favorites are Black Prince, Twinny Peach, and Chantilly Purple.

Part of the sun

Hellebore

Hellebores are well-known perennials, but unknown to many amateur gardeners. Hellebore are larger plants, but they are ideal for partial tanning. The plant produces stunning flowers that are usually purple in color. Harvest only after the petals are firm to ensure a long vase life.

These plants flower in the spring, but you can use the beautiful foliage throughout the season.

Columbine

These plants grow in high mountain meadows and forests, with spurs resembling graceful stars. They do well in partial sun and can grow up to 20 inches tall. There are many varieties to choose from, of which the dwarf varieties are particularly delightful. My favorite strains are Treasure Dwarf's Little Spur, Blue and White Double Vinky, and Black Barlow. nine0003

Astilba

Astilba, also known as false goat's beard or false spirea, is a popular choice for partial sun gardens. These plants add bright, vibrant color to any container and are a great cut flower. Varieties come in colors ranging from white to dark red and lavender.

Lamb's Ear

Floral designers often use this soft leaf in compositions because of its velvety texture. The leaves look and feel tender, but lamb's ear is easy to grow in a container. During flowering, the plant is a lavender or purple ear. nine0003

Shade

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Credit: Breca

Cough

There are many varieties of hosta. Some are very large and some remain dense and compact - and these dwarf varieties are perfect for containers. Use their leaves and flowers for cutting. My favorite varieties are Mini Mouse, Blue Mouse Ears, and Filigree.

Bleeding Heart

I love the cardiovascular plants in my garden. Not only are they great landscape plants, their foliage and flowers have a good vase life. You'll find different cultivars that produce flowers in a wide variety of colors, and if you choose to overwinter your plant, it will come back year after year. nine0003

Foxglove

Foxglove, or foxglove , has been cultivated for centuries. Be careful: parts of the plant are deadly if swallowed. If you are considering growing this plant in your garden, please do your research before moving on.

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