Easy Cut Flowers to Grow
If you want to grow easy cut flowers this year but you’re short on time, money, and materials, I’ve got you covered!
Learning to grow cut flowers may seem intimidating. There is so much information out there that sometimes it can muddy the water. But cut flowers can be really easy to grow and take very little time.
Today we are going to cover 5 gorgeous cut flowers that can be grown easily and quickly. They can be picked up locally at Lowes or Home Depot, or anywhere that sells flower seeds. Also, these seeds/plants can be placed directly in your garden without any indoor seed starting and very little prep work (you’ll have to clear out the weeds).
The first thing you need to do is confirm your average last frost. That’s the date it’s safe-ish to start planting warm season annuals, like cut flowers. You can check the Almanac here for last frost date if you’re unsure. Just type in your zip code and you’ll get an average last frost. After that date you can start planting your seeds into your ground.
5 Easy Cut Flowers to Grow this Year
I’ve found these 5 cut flowers to be both easy to grow and easy to find in stores. Also, each plant comes in a variety of colors so you can really have fun with your color palette.
This list is to help you grow easy cut flowers. So everything we discuss is going to be direct seeded into an area that gets 6 or more hours of sun. A word of caution / warning / advice / do as I say and not as I do – – seeds cannot dry out once you water them. If your seeds dry, they won’t germinate/grow.
So, while I personally prefer to start seeds inside where I have better control, and better humidity (which helps me when I skip watering accidentally on purpose), people that can dedicate 30 seconds to go outside 1 or 2 times a day to water their seeds will do great!
Now onto this list!
1. Amaranth
Amaranth is such a cool plant. It’s shaped in tassels and spikes. Personally, I love both! When you put a few cuts of amaranth into an arrangement, people will immediately ask what it is. It’s unusual and so cool!
The image below shows “coral fountain” amaranth draping down the left side of the bouquet.
How to Grow Amaranth from Seed
Place 2 seeds every 6″. Plant the seeds 1/4″ deep and water thoroughly. Simple right?
If you can water at least 1 time a day (twice is better), you should see a tiny plant in about 5 days. Make sure to remove weeds from the area. If you’re new to seed starting outdoors, you may want to mark the exact area where you planted so you can figure out what is a plant versus what is a weed when they emerge. Weeds grow fast!
Thinning amaranth plants… We place multiple seeds in a spot to help guarantee we will get at least 1 plant. If more than 1 comes up in a spot, simply snip out that extra plant/plants leaving just 1 behind.
How many amaranth plants do you need / want? That’s going to be up to you. If you want 2 bouquets a week, I’d make space for about 6 – 12 plants. I always over-plant though. If something gets eaten, or knocked down, I like to have back ups. And, I love the way the plants look so I like to have extras for my viewing pleasure (that sounds creepy).
I have found that rabbits don’t eat amaranth plants. I haven’t tried it with deer yet.
When should you harvest (cut) amaranth? You can cut amaranth when 3/4 of the flowers are open for a fresh flower arrangement. If you want dried flowers (oh yes, these can be dried too!) wait until the seed has begun to set.
2. Cosmos
Cosmos are light and airy plants. They add a bit of whimsy and lightness to a flower arrangement. I like to add several branches to an arrangement to make an impact.
They also look really pretty in your landscape. You don’t have to use designated space to grow them if you have some open areas in your flower beds. Just be sure your other plants won’t overcrowd the little seedlings (they need lots of light to grow)
The wispy white flower with the yellow center is a cosmos in the photo below.
How to Grow Cosmos from Seed
Place 2-3 seeds about every 12″, 1/4″ deep. Water at least once a day until they germinate. You’ll have to keep the soil moist after that as well, but you’ll have more wiggle room in watering once the plant is up.
Thinning cosmos … Cut out extra plants so you only have 1 cosmos plant about every 12″. If they are too close, the plants grow thin and floppy.
How many cosmos plants do you need / want? Once again, it’s up to you. But I would say plant lots if you have the space around your garden. These plants grow to about 4′ tall and look so pretty peaking out from behind shorter plants.
I have found that something eats cosmos when they are small. However, if you can keep critters away until the plants are a little bigger, they are fairly safe. Deer browse my cosmos, but I have especially high deer pressure.
When should you harvest (cut) cosmos? You can cut cosmos when the petals just start to open. Don’t wait until the flower is fully open. And you may have to cut deeper into the stem and sacrifice some side shoots. Get used to sacrificing buds for cut flowers. That’s how you get good stem length!
Cosmos have a short vase life, about 4 days. I usually just pluck them out of the arrangement as the other flowers are usually still beautiful.
3. Herbs
Grow a variety of herbs this year for easy cut flowers in your garden. It may sound strange, but it is a delight to your senses when you inhale a big whiff of herb when you put your nose in a beautiful flower bouquet!
There is a general rule of thumb that about 1/3 of your flower arrangement should be greenery. I take a hard pass on this view! I love flowers. The less green the better, in my opinion.
However, I do love a great smelling bouquet, and that’s why I’m including herbs in this list. In the picture above, you can see a small sprig of basil for scent in the back of this bouquet.
There are special cutting herbs you can buy, like Mrs. Burns Lemon Basil or Cinnamon Basil. But any herbs will do. You can get a basic culinary basil from the store, drop a few seeds in the ground and have a gorgeous basil plant to eat and cut from.
I’ve used basil, parsley, thyme, and sage (all grown from seed) in fresh cut bouquets. Just 1 sprig will add an aroma that will make you take a big whiff.
Some herbs, like mint and lavender, take forever to grow from seed, so you should just buy those as small plants.
How to Grow Herbs for Easy Cut Flowers
Place 2-3 seeds every 12″. Plant the seeds 1/4″ deep and water thoroughly. Basil doesn’t like to dry out, so keep the soil moist at all times.
Thinning basil… You don’t need to thin basil. If 2 or 3 seedlings pop up in a spot, that’s perfectly fine! Just be sure to give each set of plants about 12″ – 18″ (I usually go 12″) of space.
How many herb plants do you need / want? I love herbs and grow as many as I can. Most pests leave them alone, like deer and rabbits. I grow herbs in pots, in the ground, and in flower boxes. They are in my front flower beds as well as in various spots around the backyard. I say plant as many as possible! They smell great, they are edible, they look great in bouquets, and they are easy to grow and care for.
When should you harvest (cut) herbs? You can start to cut herbs, like basil, when the plant starts getting thicker branches. Try to cut them in the early morning to keep them from wilting.
Many herbs will actually root in water and can be replanted into dirt! So the vase life is excellent!
4. Sunflower
Sunflowers may be the easiest plant to grow if you can keep little critters away (like chipmunks, squirrels, mice). Sunflowers come in a range of colors and some bloom in as little as 55 days.
A bouquet of sunflowers by itself is gorgeous! You don’t even need anything else! If you love having sunflowers for cutting, I would plant a patch of about 12 every week. Many cutting sunflowers are 1 cut and done. One seed gives you 1 gorgeous flower head. You cut it and your plant is gone.
So, succession plant sunflowers. Every week is a bit aggressive. I really never make it. But if you grow them once every 2 weeks, or 3 weeks, or even once a month, you will get a continued harvest of sunflowers for easy cut flowers.
Sunflowers also look dazzling in the landscape. If you get a “branching” variety, you can take 1 cut from it and then let the rest of the flowers stay for an accent in your flower bed.
How to Grow Sunflowers for Easy Cut Flowers
Place 1 seed about every 4″, 1/2″ deep. Cover with soil and water. I like to plant my sunflowers in blocks of about 12″. Keeping them together helps them stand up and support one another a bit. And by keeping the spacing close, we get smaller flower heads. Keep the plants watered until they germinate and then I’ve found sunflowers are a pretty hands off flower.
If you want huge flower heads, then you’ll want to space your seeds according to the package. I find the giant heads are just too big for a bouquet and the stem is too thick for a vase.
Thinning sunflowers… I just make sure each sunflower plant has about 4″ of space.
How many sunflowers do you need / want? I like to have 12 sunflowers blooming about every 2 weeks. So I aim (it doesn’t always happen) to plant about 12 seeds every 2 weeks through July/early August. Usually I end up missing a session, so I have 12 sunflowers each month, July, August, and September. The last planting is early August and I end up with a crop in late September or October.
When should you harvest (cut) sunflowers? You can cut sunflowers at about anytime, which is awesome! Cut them when they are still curled up and you can see what color they are going to be. The flower will still open up in the vase. You can also cut when they are fully open. It’s up to you. I try to cut when a petal or two is still trying to unfurl. Once they are fully open the bees are all over the flower heads and I feel bad cutting them down. Is that just me?
Sunflowers have a great vase life! They can last about 10 days in a vase.
5. Zinnia
Zinnias may be the most common easy flowers for a cut flower garden. They are abundant in colors, shapes, and variety of blooms.
They also look gorgeous in your landscape. Plant half for cutting and the other half for curb appeal!
How to Grow Zinnias from Seed
When you buy your zinnia seeds, be sure it has a height of at least 30″. Some zinnias are landscape plants only. They are beautiful but you won’t be able to cut them as their stems are too short.
Place 1 or 2 seeds (they have a great germination rate) about every 12″, 1/4″ deep. Water at least once a day until they germinate. You’ll have to keep the soil moist after that as well. Zinnias like moist soil, but not damp leaves. Try not to splash the plant with too much water, especially in the evening, to avoid powdery mildew.
Thinning zinnias … Cut out extra plants so you only have 1 zinnia plant about every 12″. If they are too close, the plants get crowded and fight for nutrients and air flow, causing disease.
How many zinnia plants do you need / want? Zinnias are great plants to succession plant, just like sunflowers. You can actually plant subsequent batches of zinnias when you plant your sunflowers. In all reality, 3 zinnia plants will give you a lot of great flowers. I like to overprint, so I would try to find space for 6 plants, and succession plant them every 2-3 weeks.
Pinching Zinnias … When the plant is about 8″ – 12″ tall, pinch out the leading bud. This will help the plant branch out to produce more flowers. It will delay blooming a bit. You can leave 1 or 2 plants not pinched just to see your flowers sooner, if you’d like:)
When should you harvest (cut) zinnias? Zinnias need to be fully open and the neck should be strong. To test the neck, hold it about 8″ below the flower head and gently wiggle it back and forth. If the flower head flops, it needs another day or two on the plant. If it stays rigid, it’s ready to be cut!
Cut Flowers can be Easy to Grow for a Beautiful Cutting Garden
I hope this helps to demystify cutting gardens. While you can get complicated (which can be fun), you can also keep things really simple, yet still gorgeous, with a few good cut flower selections.
I didn’t mention fertilizing as I don’t really fertilize. You can add compost to help build up your soil’s health instead of relying on commercial fertilizer. That’s what I’m doing. Relying on our soil saves money (score!) and really does improve our garden and ecosystem for years to come.
If you are going to start a cut flower garden, I’d love to know what varieties you plan to grow!
Thanks for stopping by!
