The Best Cut Flowers for Early June Bouquets
The best cut flowers for early June are long lasting, full of fragrance, and are simple to start from seeds indoors. I’m going to help you get your best early flowers growing in your cutting garden!
A cut flower garden is a gift that keeps on giving – – or is that the jelly of the month club; )? When I started cutting flowers from my garden a few years back, I felt such awe and joy at having fresh bouquets of flowers in my home. It was a gift to myself that I then spread to others by gifting bouquets, as well.
Fresh flower bouquets are a luxury many of us, especially mothers, don’t give to ourselves. But, with a little bit of planning, we can have fresh flowers in our homes every week from mid-May through October (depending on weather).
If you’re interested in a cut flower garden that’s full of color in spring, summer, and fall, you’ll have to think past the summer annuals we all know and love, like zinnias. In my Pittsburgh, PA garden (zone 6b), zinnias don’t make their appearance until July. We can do better than that! Let’s get started on the most gorgeous cut flowers for early June!
Why a Cut Flower Garden?
If you’re like me, you love blooming flowers in the beds and borders surrounding your property. I love when bearded iris make their debut in May and when Siberian iris show off in June. And while they’re both gorgeous as cut flowers, I can’t always bring myself to cut them out of my landscape.
That’s why a dedicated cut flower garden is so perfect! When we designate a certain spot of our yard / garden for cut flowers, we don’t have to feel guilty for cutting any blooming beauties. When we cut these gorgeous flowers, they are fulfilling their cut flower destiny!
Okay, well, that’s what I tell myself as I still feel some guilt for cutting them. Truth be told, I never hack down the whole lot. Cut flowers are so pretty in their garden, too, so I always leave some behind. But the rest are bundled and enjoyed as bouquets!
If you struggle to cut flowers from your landscape, a cut flower garden may be a necessary addition to your future gardening needs!
June Cut Flowers
Today’s focus is on annuals specifically grown for cutting gardens. While there are some gorgeous perennials, today we are talking about those flowers we put into the garden specifically to be cut and brought inside.
These flowers require a bit of forethought. So that’s why I’m giving you plenty of notice to get planning for next year!
1. Stock
Stock has the worst name. It doesn’t sound like much, but this is one gorgeous stem!
Stock is a one hit wonder. One seed produces one plant which gives you one flower. On the plus side – –
- They are easy to grow from seed indoors under lights, in the late winter.
- You can cut the flower stem at the base of the plant. These bloom in late May and early June, which gives you plenty of time to use this spot in your cutting garden to plant your next batch of seeds. Zinnias and sunflowers are a great second crop!
- They smell amazing!
- Each plant only needs about 4″ of space, so you can plant a bunch in a fairly small spot.
My favorite varieties are Iron Marine (pictured above) and StoX Champagne. Both are from Johnny’s Selected Seeds.
2. Sweet William
Oh, Sweet William, how you woo me with your flower power!
If you haven’t grown Sweet William, you are in for a treat! Sweet William produces ball-like clusters of flowers. They come in pink, white, red, and bi-colored beauties, as well.
In order to have early June cut flowers, Sweet William is best started from seed indoors in the summer, then planted outdoors in the late summer/early fall. These plants will winter over as a small seedlings, and then come May and June the following year, you’ll have gorgeous flower head ready cut flowers.
Sweet William really pumps out of the blooms, too. One plant produces several long, strong stems full of flowers. The plants above are a variety called “Auricula Eyed”. They are from Select Seeds.
Another feature of Sweet William is its ability to self seed. If you leave a few flowers on the plant, they’ll go to seed and reseed for you! I already have little babies coming up…perfect for cut flowers next June!
3. Ranunculus
Ranunculus will be on my “forever” grow list, and once you start growing it, it may be on yours too!
These gorgeous focal flowers look similar to roses but don’t have the diseases that plague roses in my area.
If you’re new to ranunculus, check out this post on how to grow ranunculus in a cut flower garden.
If you have rabbit pressure, you may need to protect your plants with cages. I have found rabbits love to munch of my ranunculus plants. I grow mine in my fenced in vegetable garden.
4. Feverfew
Feverfew has become a staple in my home garden. I love it for its looks, ease in growing, and deer and rabbit resistance (deer and rabbits don’t touch mine!).
Feverfew is easily grown by seed indoors. Or, you can get seeds from a from and spread them all over your yard. The plants reseed easily but don’t take over (unlike Black Eyed Susans).
You can grow different types of feverfew in shades of white and yellow. They add fullness to bouquets as each stem is covered in tiny, dainty blossoms.
Early Cut Flowers in June
If you’re new to growing a cut flower garden, or if you planning isn’t your strong suit (I’m a work in progress), try these 4 beautiful cut flowers. You’ll have spectacular bouquets with just these 4.
And when your early flowers are past their prime, rip them out and plant some easy cut flowers like these so you can keep the blooms coming.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask away!
