The most common cut flowers for home growing

Which cut flowers are suitable for growing in your own garden? Good and long-lasting cut flowers that can be grown from seeds include garden asters, zinnias, cosmos, cornflowers, Drummond’s phlox, scabious, black-eyed Susan, Queen Anne’s lace, sweet peas, snapdragons, dahlias, pot marigolds, violas, and poppies. Dahlias can also be grown from tubers. Popular spring cut flowers are tulips and daffodils. Planting of daffodils and tulips is done in the autumn. Here you will find the most common cut flowers for growing, see the tips!

Asters are beautiful cut flowers for the autumn garden and are easy to grow and care for yourself. They bloom in the autumn and can tolerate a little cold. Common varieties are garden asters, Michaelmas daisies, August asters, and border asters. Aster flowers are usually bell-shaped and often have many small petals. The flowers are usually white, blue, purple, pink, red, yellow, or orange. Aster flowers are large and work well as the main flowers in a bouquet. They are long-lasting and keep well in a vase as cut flowers.

Zinnias have long flower stems and are perfect for summer cut flower bouquets. Zinnias usually grow 60-90 cm tall and need plenty of sunlight. They are long-lasting and easy to care for. Zinnias are sensitive to cold and frost, so plant them outdoors only when you are sure the frost is over. In autumn, they do not tolerate cold well either. The flowers are usually yellow, orange, red, white, or purple. Zinnias originate from South and Central America but have recently become a popular cut flower to grow as a cut flower in the Nordics. Today, you can find many interesting colours and colour combinations of zinnias. Zinnia stems are strong, and the flower also works well as the main flower in a bouquet. Choose large zinnias if you want slightly larger flowers in your bouquet.

Cosmos belong to the Cosmos genus. They grow 60-90 cm tall and bloom from early summer to autumn. Cosmos are very easy to grow cut flowers and are therefore suitable for both beginners and experienced growers. Cosmos flowers tolerate drought well and thrive in sunlight, making them long-lasting cut flowers. Popular colours of cosmos are red, pink, and white. Trendy varieties of cosmos in recent years have been Cosmos Apricotta, Cosmos Cup Cake Blush, and Cosmos Afternoon White. Cosmos flowers are delicate but withstand the wind and often have many small, delicate petals. The centre of the flower is yellow. Cosmos are excellent in summer flower beds where they become tall and bushy. They keep well as cut flowers in a vase.

Cornflower is a small blue-flowered, annual Asteraceae plant that is also an old garden plant in the Nordics. Cornflower is sown directly on the growing site in the spring and blooms in July-September. It thrives in sunny places in nutrient-poor soil. In the Nordics, cornflower is an ancient introduction that grows in fields, gardens, roadside verges, and wastelands in the southern parts of the country. Cornflower used to grow abundantly in rye fields, but it has now become rare. Cornflower is usually blue, but there are also varieties with white, pink, and dark red flowers. Cornflower can also be dried and retains its colour well.

Drummond’s Phlox produces many small flowers. Common colours are white, beige, and pink. Drummond’s Phlox is an annual cut flower that can be sown directly or pre-cultivated indoors. Drummond’s Phlox works well as a complement to larger cut flowers in bouquets. Drummond’s Phlox are very easy to care for and tolerate frost in autumn quite well. Popular varieties include Drummond’s Phlox ‘Creme Brulee’ and Drummond’s Phlox ‘Blushing Bride’.

6. Scabious

Scabious is one of the most popular cut flowers and its popularity is due to its colourful and long-lasting blooms. It produces long flowers and adds a striking touch to a bouquet. It blooms from summer to autumn and is easy to care for. It grows best in the sun or partial shade and needs plenty of water. Popular colours are white, dark red, pink, creamy yellow, and light purple.

Sweet Pea is a wonderfully fragrant cut flower with a strong and lovely scent. You don’t need scented candles if you grow sweet peas, as they bring a strong and lovely scent to your home. Sweet Pea is easy to care for and blooms from summer to autumn. Sweet Pea needs plenty of water and light to bloom best. Sweet Pea climbs upwards and therefore needs good support. There are many colour options: from white to light purple and pink.

Snapdragon is a durable and easy-to-care-for cut flower with colourful blooms. It blooms from summer to autumn and needs plenty of water and light. Snapdragon is slightly more cold-resistant than many other cut flower varieties. Snapdragon is therefore a good choice to start with when it’s time to plant out seedlings. Snapdragon seeds are very small, but the flowers are large and impressive in a bouquet.

Dahlia is a very popular perennial, large, and round cut flower that is grown from tubers. In autumn, the dahlia tubers are dug up and stored indoors for the winter. In spring, the tubers are first placed in pots for pre-cultivation and then planted out in the flower bed. Dahlias bloom from summer to autumn and are available in various colours. They need plenty of water, light, and lots of fertiliser to bloom best. Popular dahlia varieties are Café au lait Rosé, Café au lait Royal, Hillcrest Suffusion, and Otto’s Thrill. Dahlias come in all colours, so it’s worth getting to know the colours and varieties that suit you best.

Tulip is one of the most popular cut flowers and is a symbol of spring and new beginnings. Tulips are available in various colours and can also be grown yourself. Locally grown tulips appear in stores as early as late January. If you grow tulips as cut flowers yourself, plant the tulip bulbs in autumn to get a harvest early in the spring. Here you will find the best tips for planting tulips in the autumn. Tulips are a wonderful cut flower and last long in a vase with the right care. Check out these tulip care tips and how to make a beautiful tulip bouquet.

Here you can also read about how to plan a cut flower garden.