Creating a Cut Flower Garden: Summer Seed Collection
Are you dreaming of growing a cut flower garden from seed this year? I’ve just wrapped up choosing my summer cut flower seed collection for summer blooming, and I’m so excited to share my top picks with you.
If you’re like me, planning your garden is half the fun—especially when you get to dream about all those gorgeous blooms! There’s no better way to kick off the new year than by diving into garden planning and seed selections.
Every year, I love sharing my favorite flower seed choices in a blog post, and this year’s lineup is packed with inspiration. Whether you’re a seasoned Master Gardener, a passionate hobbyist, or just starting your gardening journey, I hope these selections spark some excitement for your own garden adventures. Let’s dig in!

As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. My blog contains other affiliate links for your convenience as well. Click here to read my privacy policy.
About My Cut Flower Garden
For me, gardening is more than just a hobby—it’s a way to express my creativity and bring beauty to life. Growing a cut flower garden is one of my favorite parts of the season.
Each year, I look forward to starting summer annuals from seed in my greenhouse, revisiting tried-and-true favorites as well as trying new flower varieties.
My garden is a colorful mix of classics like cosmos, zinnias, and sweet peas. My favorite cut flower selections are those “cut and come again” varieties. When you cut from these types of plants, it stimulates new growth and encourages them to produce fresh blooms in their place.
With vibrant “thrillers” and soft, elegant “fillers,” there’s always a beautiful combination ready to shine in any summer bouquet.
And before we get started, let me share a few things about my cut flower garden.
The summer annuals I chose for my cut flower garden all thrive in full sun and in my growing zone, 8b. Be sure to check your own hardiness zone before starting selecting your seeds for your cut flower garden.
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.
2025 Cut Flower Seed Selection
Most of my annual cut flower garden seeds have always been purchased from Floret Flower Farm until this year.
Because they are not selling seeds this year, I have decided to buy from Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Eden Brothers, Renee’s Garden, and Botanical Interests. These companies all have different varieties I have never grown so many will be my first time growing them.
Below are the seed selections for 2025. Further in the post is a list of all the cut flowers I have grown in my garden in the past several years with more information about them.
Seed Starting Supplies
Check out my favorite supplies and tools for starting seeds indoors. Whether you’re looking for grow lights or a seed starting mix, you’ll find what I use in my own greenhouse.
Cut Flowers I’ve Grown in My Garden Over the Years
Bachelor’s Button (Cornflower)
Also known as cornflower, bachelor’s button is drought tolerant and needs little maintenance. These flowers are great for cutting or drying, and the edible petals are beautiful when sprinkled on a salad.
The flowers self-sow for another crop the following season, and the birds love the seedheads. Bachelor’s button attracts pollinators and beneficial insects to the garden and is deer-resistant.
How to Grow
Basil
Growing basil as a filler for summer flower arrangements is a beautiful and fragrant option. This plant 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 also grown the Mrs. Burns lemon variety, but I always go back to the cinnamon basil plant, which features dark purple flowers, green leaves, and chocolate-colored stems. And it smells amazing!
TIP: Basil is 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.
How to Grow
Basil Varieties I’ve Grown
Black-Eyed Susan ( Rudbeckia)
These sunny blooms bring a cheerful touch to any garden. With their vibrant golden-yellow petals and bold, dark centers, black-eyed Susans are a favorite for both gardeners and pollinators alike.
Not only are they low-maintenance and easy to grow, but they also thrive in a variety of conditions, from full sun to light shade.
Whether you’re creating a wildflower-inspired border, filling your cutting garden, or adding pops of color to a perennial bed, Black-eyed Susans are a reliable choice. Plus, their long-lasting blooms make them perfect for fresh arrangements, adding warmth and charm to any bouquet.
How to Grow
Black-Eyed Susan Varieties I’ve Grown
Celosia
Growing celosia needs 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.
How to Grow
Celosia Varieties I’ve Grown
Cleome Spider Flower
The large flower clusters, interesting seed pods and striking palm-like leaves on tall plants add drama to any garden.
Cleome is a fragrant cut flower in shades of white, pink, rose, and violet and are great for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds.
These plants require little care and can tolerate heat. They can reseed and come back year after year, and are deer and rabbit resistant.
How to Grow
Cleome Varieties I’ve Grown
Chocolate Laceflower
This large flowered burgundy-chocolate colored queen Anne’s lace pairs well with almost anything and blooms for most of the summer from just one planting.
The lacy umbels come in a range of sizes and shades, adding a dramatic, airy quality to flower arrangements.
How to Grow
Chocolate Laceflower Varieties I’ve Grown
Cosmos
These cut flowers add vibrant color to any cut flower garden with their large blooms in pink, purple, and white shades. Cosmos 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 growing cosmos has many positive benefits, they demand quite a bit of deadheading once fully grown.
How to Grow
Cosmos Varieties I’ve Grown
Globe Amaranth (Gomphrena)
Gomphrena, or 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.
How to Grow
Globe Amaranth Varieties I’ve Grown
Larkspur
One of the easiest cut flowers to grow, larkspur is cold tolerant and early to bloom, adding tall, colorful spikes to the spring garden.
These versatile flowers dried for later use.
How to Grow
Larkspur Varieties I’ve Grown
Love-in-a-Mist
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.
How to Grow
Love-in-the-Mist Varieties I’ve Grown
Lupine
This flowering annual looks like a Texas Bluebonnet with their tall spires of soft lavender under petals, and white top petals with yellow throats.
The sweet cherry blossom-like scent fills the air and pollinators love them. Pinch early and pick hard for continuos flowering.
How to Grow
Lupine Varieties I’ve Grown
Marigolds
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.
How to Grow
Marigold Varieties I’ve Grown
Queen Anne’s Lace
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.
How to Grow
Queen Anne’s Lace Varieties I’ve Grown
Gardening Made Simple – Your Guide to Growing a Cut Flower Garden
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.
How to Grow
Snapdragons Varieties I’ve Grown
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.
How to Grow
Statice Varieties I’ve Grown
Stock
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.
How to Grow
Stock Varieties I’ve Grown
Strawflower
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.
How to Grow
Strawflower Varieties I’ve Grown
Sunflowers
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.
How to Grow
Sunflower Varieties I’ve Grown
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.
How to Grow
Sweet Pea Varieties I’ve Grown
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.
How to Grow
Yarrow Varieties I’ve Grown
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.
How to Grow
Zinnia Varieties I’ve Grown
‘Growing a Cut Flower Garden’ Series
Learn about the ins and outs of growing a cut flower garden this year. Click the button below to be taken to the entire series of blog posts and choose what is interesting to you.
Final Thoughts on Summer Cut Flower Seed Selection
These cut flower seeds are like little packets of joy, ready to bloom into a stunning summer display! Each variety brings its own unique charm, whether it’s vibrant colors, long-lasting vase life, or easy maintenance.
Looking for blooms that practically arrange themselves? Or maybe something that adds a pop of cheerful color to your garden and your home? This lineup has you covered. With so much beauty and versatility in one collection, these cut flower seeds are sure to bring happiness to your garden—and your heart!
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 helpful.
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.
Follow Me for More Inspiration
Shop my Amazon Storefront, LTK sources, and my favorite home decor, garden, and lifestyle products. When you purchase from one of my links, I earn a small commission, which helps me continue sharing all the content you expect on my blog.
Be sure to follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and LIKEtoKNOW.it. Do you like gardening? Join my Facebook Gardening Tips & Tricks group.
Garden Supplies and Tools
Check out my favorite garden supplies and tools for the growing season. Whether you’re looking for potting soil or deer repellent, you’ll find what I use in my own garden.