Cut Flower Varieties that Love the North
What’s more glorious than a vase overflowing with gorgeous, colorful blooms? If you daydream about growing your own cut flowers, you’ll want to set yourself up for success by growing flowers that thrive in the North.
Here are five stellar suggestions guaranteed to stand out in your cut flower garden.
Cosmos
I’ll list cosmos first because they’re just so delightful as cut flowers. They’re tall and prolific, beautiful in vases and they last well, plus they come in a lot of colors so you have plenty of options for bouquets of varying palettes. Best of all, cosmos are super easy to grow, they aren’t fussy and they’ll even volunteer in new places, which can be surprisingly fun. Bonus points: the feathery foliage is beautiful all by itself and lends interest to your garden beds and floral arrangements.
Zinnias
Many of the same good points also apply to zinnias—which is probably why they’re also popular as cut flowers. If you want a flower that lasts a long time in a vase, zinnias are a splendid choice (some even say they last longer than cosmos). Zinnias are incredibly vibrant with bold colors and they make a glorious statement when grown in large groupings in your garden.
Calendulas
Slightly more delicate than zinnias, calendulas don’t last quite as long in a vase. But you won’t even care because they are so pretty with their layers of petals and sweet, ruffled look. Calendulas are great filler flowers, and their shades are more neutral—yellows, oranges and browns. This muted palette complements more vibrant flowers like zinnias and cosmos.
Peonies
How do I love thee, peonies? You’re hardy, you’re easy-going, you produce glorious blooms and you’re so colorful and marvelous. Peonies produce such massive, extraordinary blooms that are incredible cut flowers, and they’re extremely well-suited to our northern climate. Choose an assortment of varieties to showcase a rainbow of colors—whites, pinks, reds, yellows and more.
Sunflowers
I always say you get the most tremendous return when you plant a sunflower seed. One seed plus some sunshine, water and enough space for it to reach its full potential equals a massive floral specimen towering 7-feet tall with a stem that rivals some young trees. Sunflowers make stunning cut flowers and part of the fun comes from their many unique types and varieties. You can find diminutive varieties like Teddy Bear, varieties with impressive hues of color like Strawberry Blonde, or you can go for sheer size with Mammoth Grey Striped.
Are you ready to get started? May your gardens be filled with gorgeous flowers and your vases overflowing with blooms!
Samantha Johnson is the author of several books, including Vegetable Gardening for Beginners: Learn to Grow Anything No Matter Where You Live (New Shoe Press, 2023). She writes frequently about pets, gardening and farm life. Visit her online portfolio at http://samanthajohnson.contently.com.