Creating a Cut Flower Garden: Summer Seed Collection

Are you planning on growing a flower garden this year? I’m happy to say that I’ve finalized my cut flower seed selection and can’t wait to share my favorite picks.

If you’re anything like me, you love planning your garden well in advance. And what better time to start than at the beginning of a new year?

cut flower garden seeds: inside the greenhouse

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greenhouse and cut flower garden with cosmos

I write a blog post each year sharing my flower garden seed selections. Whether you’re a hobby gardener, Master Gardener, or just starting out, I hope this helps inspire you for your own garden.

Gardening has always been one of my favorite ways to be creative, and I love growing a cut flower garden. Each year, I look forward to growing summer annual flowers from seed in my greenhouse, sowing the tried-and-true varieties to enjoy again, and experimenting with some new ones.

From classic annuals like cosmos, zinnias, and sweet peas to varieties I’ve never grown before, like poppies and calendula, there’s a mix of colorful thrillers and gorgeous fillers that will look amazing in any fresh summer garden bouquet.

And before we get started, let me share a few things about my cut flower garden.

Below, I’ve listed the annual cut flower garden seeds purchased from Floret Flower Farm. The summer annuals I chose for my cut flower garden all thrive in full sun and growing zone 8b.

Most flower seeds will be sown by late winter in a 45°F heated greenhouse. I use a heat mat for most of my seeds for quicker germination.

I’m sharing the growing instructions from the seed packets for each flower variety below.

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cinnamon basil

Growing basil to use as a filler in your summer flower arrangements is a beautiful option and a fragrant one. It also attracts beneficial pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds to your cut flower garden.

Basil is an excellent companion plant that helps protect other plants from pests and diseases while providing natural organic insect repellent for the whole garden.

I’ve grown the Mrs. Burns lemon variety as well, but I always go back to the cinnamon basil plant, which features dark purple flowers, green leaves, and chocolate-colored stems.

  • start seeds indoors six weeks before the last frost
  • transplant out after all danger of frost has passed
  • very sensitive to cold, wait until the weather warms before planting out
  • 70% germination rate
  • pinch when 8″ tall

Cinnamon

  • feature dark purple flowers atop green leaves and chocolate-colored stems
  • prone to wilting in the heat, so harvest during the coolest part of the day and place directly into water to rest a few hours before arranging
cut flower garden seeds: calendula
photo credit: Floret Flower Farm

This is my first time growing Calendula in the flower garden. It’s easy to grow and care for, making it ideal for novice gardeners. This annual has a long blooming season and provides beautiful flowers from early spring until late fall.

These large blooms can be dried easily for future use in wreaths or bouquets.

  • start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost
  • transplant out after all danger of frost has passed
  • can direct sow, and succession planting can be done every 2-3 weeks to stagger the harvest
  • 80% germination rate
  • pinch when 8″ tall

Bronze Beauty

  • soft peachy-cream calendula with reverse cranberry stripe and chocolate brown eye
  • cup-shaped flower heads are smaller than most varieties
  • often called English marigolds
cut flower garden seeds: celosia
Photo credit: Floret Flower Farm

Growing celosia requires minimal care and maintenance, making it perfect even for any level of gardener. even one with limited experience. These bright and colorful flowers can last up to two weeks when cut.

The long bloom period of celosia makes it ideal for extending a flower garden’s season of color throughout the summer and fall months.

  • start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost
  • transplant out after all danger of frost has passed
  • can also be directly seeded in the garden once the weather has warmed
  • 75-80% germination rate
  • pinch when 12″ tall

Flamingo Feather

  • airy, delicate pink plumes that fade to blush as they age
  • also called wheat celosia and looks a lot like pink Bunnytails grass
  • strongly branching, heat-loving plant smothered in soft pink, feathery plumes
pink cosmos

Cosmos add vibrant color to any cut flower garden with their large blooms in pink, purple, and white shades. They are easy to grow, require little maintenance once established, and are one of the most productive cut flowers per square foot you can grow.

These annuals have a long vase life, making them ideal for cut flower arrangements.

While there are many positive benefits to growing cosmos, they demand quite a bit of deadheading once fully grown.

  • start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost
  • transplant out after all danger of frost has passed
  • 75% germination rate
  • pinch when 6-8″ tall
apricot lemonade cosmos

Apricot Lemonade

  • watercolored petals start as a soft apricot with a dusty lavender reverse and fade to a buttery yellow
  • variations amongst blooms include some flowers with a mauve ring at the throat
  • A bit of separation between the petals conjures a pinwheel with snipped dovetail edges
cut flower garden seeds: seashell mix cosmos
Photo credit: Floret Flower Farm

Seashells Mix

  • a mix of large blooms that have fluted, tubular petals that resemble seashells
  • flowers come in a sweet pastel mix of pink, rose, white, carmine, and other colors
cut flower garden seeds: globe amaranth

Globe amaranth provides long-lasting blooms, often lasting up to two months or more in ideal conditions. The bright colors of the flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

This flower thrives in heat and looks great in a vase of fresh or dried flowers.

Globe Amaranth is usually one of the last cut flowers that bloom in my garden in early autumn.

  • start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost
  • transplant out after all danger of frost has passed
  • 80% germination rate

Pastel Mix

  • a mix of white, rose, soft pink, and pale lilac
  • button like blossoms
linaria
Photo credit: Floret Flower Farm

These Linaria fairy flowers look like baby snapdragons and are gorgeous in any bouquet, especially when added with wildflowers. They are quite the bee attractor as well.

This will be the first time buying these cut flower garden seeds.

  • start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost
  • transplant out after all danger of frost has passed
  • 80% germination rate

Northern Lights Mix

  • smoky peach, fuchsia, candy pink, dusty rose, lavender, grape purple, and white blooms
  • plants have fernlike foliage and produce 10-12 long, wispy stems
  • yellow throats
love-in-a-mist
Photo credit: Floret Flower Farm

Growing love-in-a-mist needs little maintenance and effort, making it a perfect choice for those who want to enjoy beautiful blooms but don’t have the time or energy to devote to a time-consuming garden.

They’re easy to grow and versatile. In your flower beds, they can be used as both cut flowers and ornamental plants.

The unique look of these delicate flowers makes them stand out from other flowers in the cutting garden, and they are the most stunning fillers for your floral bouquets.

  • plants dislike being transplanted, so sow directly in the garden in the fall or early spring
  • 80% germination rate

Albion Green Pod

  • Creamy double flowers have delicate green veining and produce bright green seed pods
  • ferny leaves and lacy, star-shaped flowers are framed by a halo of fringed foliage
cut flower garden seeds: marigold
Photo credit: Floret Flower Farm

This vibrant mix of miniature-flowered marigolds looks gorgeous in any floral arrangement and blooms into fall.

Each plant produces 15-20 branching stems that reach over 30 inches and are full of penny-sized g blooms with numerous color variations and bicolors. The ferny foliage is just as pretty as the fabulous flowers and is wilt-resistant and scented.

  • start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost
  • transplant out after all danger of frost has passed
  • can be directly seeded once the weather has warmed
  • 80% germination rate

Starfire Mix

  • penny-sized glowing blooms in shades of red, orange, and gold
  • each plant produces 15-20 branching stems that reach over 30 inches
Queen Anne's lace
Photo credit: Floret Flower Farm

This cut flower blooms from late spring to early summer and is one of the most useful and productive filler flowers you can grow from seed.

Queen Anne’s Lace is a resilient and hardy flower that withstands most climates and weather conditions. It has a long vase life and can last up to two weeks in the right conditions.

  • start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost
  • transplant out while the weather is still cool.

Queen of Africa

  • lacy flower heads and crisp green-white color
Shirley poppies
Photo credit: Floret Flower Farm

Shirley poppies have colorful, long-lasting blooms that add brightness and cheer to a garden.

The plants are easy to grow and require little maintenance once established, making them ideal for busy gardeners or those with limited space.

Growing Shirley poppies naturally attracts beneficial insects such as butterflies, bees, and other pollinators that help your garden flourish.

This will be my first year growing this flower variety, and I can’t wait to see how they perform in my cut flower garden. The cut flower garden seed packet states that the best option is to sow the seeds directly in the ground.

  • direct sow into the garden after all danger of frost has passed
  • can be started indoors but must be careful not to disrupt roots
  • 70% germination rate

Supreme

  • a mix of white, scarlet, soft pink and watermelon-orange
  • single and double flowers
  • mint-green serrated foliage
cut flower garden seeds: snapdragons

This is the only cut flower variety I have grown every year since creating my garden space years ago.

Snapdragons offer a range of vibrant colors that can add interest and beauty to any flower arrangement. I especially love this Chantilly mix color combination.

Don’t let the tiny seeds fool you. These snapdragons grown from seed are one of the taller varieties, specifically for cutting. The flowers you find at a nursery or garden center are much shorter.

Snapdragons have a long vase life, so they can look beautiful in bouquets for several days after harvesting.

  • start seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before the last frost
  • transplant out once the weather has warmed
  • 80% germination rate
  • pinch when 4-5″ tall
cut flower garden seeds: snapdragons

Sherbet-Toned Chantilly Mix

  • delicate ruffled blooms resembling upturned petticoats on dancing ladies
  • blend of soft, warm colors, including light pink, coral, salmon, and apricot
  • tall, strong stems
  • citrus fragrance
cut flower garden seeds: statice

Statice is considered one of the best cut flowers to be dry, as its papery flowers bloom over a long period. It’s easy to grow and produces long-lasting blooms.

It’s vibrant colors and delicate texture make it ideal for floral arrangements and bouquets.

Statice flowers are drought tolerant, requiring less water than many other types of cut flowers.

  • start seeds indoors six weeks before the last frost
  • transplant out when all danger of frost has passed
  • 75% germination rate

Pastel Mix

  • a mix of cool pastel tones, including violet, lavender, blush, rose, and mauve
cut flower garden seeds: stock
Photo credit: Floret Flower Farm

Cut flower gardens filled with stock flowers provide a beautiful and fragrant addition to outdoor space. They are low-maintenance, with minimal deadheading of spent blooms.

Planting a variety of cut flowers in your garden helps attract beneficial insects like bees and other pollinators, resulting in healthier plant growth overall.

  • start seeds indoors six weeks before the last frost
  • transplant out after all danger of frost has passed
  • can direct seed into the garden
  • staking or netting required
  • sow every two weeks to extend the harvest
  • 80% germination rate

Buttercream

  • soft buttercream color and spicy scent
  • highly fragrant with full fluffy blooms
  • half the plants will be single-flowered, the other half double, so plant twice as many as needed
cut flower garden seeds: strawflowers

There are so many things to love about this cut flower, like how the color and shape of these papery blooms will last indefinitely when dried. Pollinators love them.

Strawflowers last long after being cut, making them ideal for flower arrangements and bouquets that need to be displayed for an extended period.

They are easy to grow and require little water or care since they thrive in different climates.

I have grown anywhere from 2 to 4 varieties of Strawflower each year and consider them a favorite.

  • start seeds indoors six weeks before the last frost
  • transplant out after all danger of frost has passed
  • seed requires light to germinate, so do not cover
  • bottom water until seedlings emerge
  • 80% germination rate
strawflowers

Apricot Mix

  • a warm mix of pretty peach and apricot flowers
  • known as everlasting flowers with papery blooms and last indefinitely when dried

Frosted Sulpher

  • an opalescent quality and are the color of fresh buttermilk
cut flower garden seeds: frilly sunflower and greenhouse

This tall plant and vibrantly colored cut flowers are stunning in any garden and easy to grow.

I always thought sunflowers were only yellow, but I was clearly wrong. My favorite varieties to grow are cream, pink, and ruby color.

When I first tried growing sunflowers, I directly sowed the cut flower seeds into the ground. The birds ate all but one of them. After having a disastrous season or two, I decided to start the seeds in the greenhouse and then transplant them into the garden when they were big enough for the birds not to eat.

ruby sunflower
  • start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost
  • transplant out after all danger of frost has passed
  • 75% germination rate
  • pinch when 6-8″ tall
cut flower garden seeds: frilly sunflower

Frilly

  • loaded with glowing spiky petals that surround dark fuzzy centers, which are ringed by a delicate fringe
sunflowers
Photo credit: Floret Flower Farm

Greenburst

  • glowing golden semi-double petals surround a fluffy green center
  • extremely productive branching variety and is pollenless and won’t stain
cut flower garden seeds: sunflowers

Pro-Cut Lite White

  • tall ivory-petaled flowers with honey mustard centers
  • single-stemmed variety is pollenless and bred for commercial cut flower production
cut flower garden seeds: sunflowers

Ruby Eclipse

  • a mix of bicolor flowers in shades of cream, dusty rose, and ruby-red
  • one planting produces for three weeks
fuchsia sweet peas

These are my very favorite cut flower garden seeds to sow. They are easy to work with and germinate quickly if I soak them first.

Sweet peas are old-fashioned fragrant flowers with delicate blooms that add beauty to any space.

Their vining tendencies make sweet peas a great choice for vertical gardening, as they cover trellises and walls with vibrant colors and lush foliage.

I love this annual cut flower so much that I grow four varieties each year and have never found a variety I didn’t like! The seed pods can be dried, used in flower arrangements, and saved for seeds to grow the following year.

  • sow seeds 10-12 weeks before the last frost
  • plant out right around the last frost
  • 85-95% germination rate
  • pinch when 6″ tall
  • in mild areas, seeds can be sown in pots in the fall, wintered over in a sheltered spot, and planted out in spring
cut flower garden seeds: cream sweet peas
Photo credit: Floret Flower Farm

Jilly

  • lovely shade of soft cream
  • winner of numerous awards
  • white fragrant flowers
purple sweet peas
Photo credit: Floret Flower Farm

Karen Louise

  • orange-red petals with a white throat
cut flower garden seeds: red sweet peas
Photo credit: Floret Flower Farm

Happy Birthday

  • large, soft lavender blooms
light pink sweet peas
Photo credit: Floret Flower Farm

Jacqueline Heather

  • soft baby-pink with darker edges and fade to white as they age
cut flower garden seeds: yarrow

Yarrow flowers are long-lasting blooms lasting up to two weeks in a vase. Their foliage adds texture and depth to any bouquet or arrangement.

Growing these great cut flowers requires little maintenance and brightens any garden.

cut flower garden seeds: yarrow
  • start seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before the last frost
  • transplant out after all danger of frost has passed
  • 75% germination rate
  • seed requires light to germinate, so do not cover
  • bottom water until seedlings emerge
yarrow

Summer Berries

  • shades of raspberry, peach, coral, blush, rose, and buttercream
cut flower garden seeds: zinnias

Zinnias are not only one of the easiest annual flowers to grow in the cutting garden, but you won’t have to worry about them in the hot summer because they are heat-loving and drought-resistant. This makes them a great flower option for drier climates.

Another great benefit to growing these beautiful blooms is that pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds love them.

Zinnia seeds germinate in just a few days and bloom through late summer and fall.

cut flower garden seeds: pink zinnia
  • start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost
  • transplant out after all danger of frost has passed
  • can also be directly seeded in the garden once the weather has warmed
  • 80% germination rate
  • pinch when 12″ tall
bright colored zinnias

Lilliput Mix

  • an old-fashioned mix of shades of rose, carmine, orange, coral, white, yellow, and violet
  • petite flower size for ideal flower arrangement
Zinnias

Queen Lime Blush

  • double and semi-double flowers with a stunning blend of green and purple

This year’s cut flower seed selection will provide a beautiful and vibrant display throughout the summer months. Each variety offers unique benefits for creating stunning bouquets or arrangements.

Whether you’re looking for something low-maintenance with bright colors or need your blooms to stay fresher longer in vases or jars, this lineup has them all. With so much versatility and beauty packed into one collection of cut flower seeds, there’s no doubt that these 2023 selections are sure to make any gardener happy.

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‘Growing a Cut Flower Garden’ Series


Growing a cut flower garden offers the benefit of fresh flowers throughout the season, and you can even save your own seeds to sow next year.

If you have any questions or additional suggestions, please share them in the comments below. And be sure to share this blog post link with anyone who may find these gardening tips useful.

Until next time,

Happy seed sowing!

I’m a self-taught hobby gardener. Everything I share on my blog is my opinion and what has worked for me.

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8 Comments

  1. This is great! I’m growing a lot of the same things. Trying poppies again this year, I’m not sure if I accidentally picked them last spring when I thought they were weeds. Oops!

    1. Great minds think alike, Erin! I’m so curious to see how the poppies do for me this year. You have no idea how many flowers I’ve pulled out of the ground throughout the years thinking they were weeds.

  2. Calendula was one of my favorite additions to my garden last year! I scattered the seeds around in a few different beds. I’m going to give Love-in-a-mist another try…that was an epic fail for me last year! It’s so nice just to scroll through your pictures and look forward to Spring.

  3. Loved this list! I’m planning on several of these along with some I’m excited to try for the first time: dara, orlaya, scabiosa and peony poppies 🙂

  4. So pretty Kim! I can’t wait to see all of your gardens this year! I’m growing some of the same varieites here – always need to see how different they grow!

  5. Kim, Just ordered my seeds from Floret Farm! I am excited to try again this year. 2 years ago I grew the sunflowers with great success. I just need to find out what critter loves to plow down all my seedlings….so I can have an actual crop of flowers this year. Very informative post!

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