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!

cut flower garden seeds: inside the greenhouse

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greenhouse and cut flower garden with cosmos

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.

summer cut flower garden with zinnias

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.

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summer cut flower garden with sunflowers, yarrow, zinnias, and strawflower

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.

  • Aster | Bonita Top Blue
  • Basil | Sweet Thai: used as a filler for flower arrangements
  • Celosia | Shimmer: range of pink, peach, gold, and lime
  • Bachelor’s Button (cornflower) | Velvet Dawn
  • Cosmos | Apricotta: Pink, Orange; Psyche Mix: Pink, white, red
  • Globe Amaranth (Gomphrena)
  • Love-in-a-Mist | Miss Jekyll Rose and Albion Green Pod
  • Nasturtiums | Gleam Salmon: orange, pink, yellow
  • Black-Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia) | Cappuccino
  • Russell Lupine | Noble Maiden: white
  • Snapdragons | Chantilly
  • Statice | Pastel Mix: pink, purple, white; Twilight: purple; Cotton Candy Blend
  • Strawflowers | Purple Red; White
  • Sunflowers | Pro Cut White Lite: white; Pro Cut Gold Lite: yellow; Moulin Rouge: red; Pro Cut Red: red
  • Sweet Peas | Elegance Formula Mix: seven shades of red, four shades of pink, two shades of purple, as well as blue and white; Twilight: purple ; Cotton Candy Blend
  • Queen Anne’s Lace | Purple Kisses: a substitute for Dara, which is a crop failure this year; dark purple, pink, and approximately 15% white
  • Yarrow | Colorado Mix: pink, red, yellow, white
  • Zinnias | Queen Lime Mix: pink, yellow, green, orange, purple; Queen Lime Blush: pink, green; Lilliput Mix: pink, yellow, orange, white; State Fair Mix: pink, purple, red, yellow, orange, white; Ballerina: a blend of soft pink and pale peach, with a mix of both dahlia- and cactus-type blooms
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blue flowered bachelor's button or cornflower growing in the garden
Bachelor’s Button

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.

  • Start seeds outdoors 1-2 weeks before the last frost or in late summer/fall for blooms the following season.
  • Mild climates: sow in the fall for winter blooms.
  • Chill seeds in the refrigerator for 5 days before sowing for optimum germination.
cinnamon basil
Cinnamon 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.

  • Start seeds indoors 6 weeks before the last frost.
  • Transplant out after all danger of frost has passed.
  • Wait until the weather warms before planting out as basil is very sensitive to cold.
  • Pinch when 8″ tall.
  • Mrs. Burns Lemon: citrusy scent with bright green foliage and white flowers
  • Cinnamon: features dark purple flowers, green leaves, and chocolate-colored stems
  • Sweet Thai:  green, 2″ long leaves have a spicy, anise/clove flavor; purple stems and blooms
yellow black-eyed Susans in a barrel growing in the garden
Prairie Sun Black-Eyed Susan

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.

  • Start seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before the last frost.
  • Transplant out after all danger of frost has passed.
  • Prarie Sun: mix of dark and light yellow with apple green center
  • Sahara: blend of dusty rose, milk chocolate, copper, lemon, and rich merlot
yellow and red celosia growing in the greenhouse
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.

  • Start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost.
  • Transplant out after all danger of frost has passed.
  • Once the weather has warmed they can also be directly seeded in the garden.
  • Pinch when 12″ tall.
  • Pampas Plume Tall Blend: large feathery, golden yellow to scarlet plumes
  • Flamingo Feather: pink plumes that fade to blush as they age
  • Pink Chenille: soft pink, pale peach, adn champagne; Floret original
  • Shimmer: range of pink, peach, gold, and lime
white spider flower in the garden
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.

  • Start seeds outside 2-4 weeks before the last frost.
  • Thin when 2″ tall.
  • Fountain Blend: shades of white, pink, rose, and violet
Chocolate Laceflower Dara
Chocolate Laceflower Dara

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.

  • Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost.
  • Transplant out after all danger of frost has passed.
  • Dara: burgundy-chocolate mix
pink cosmos
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.

white and apricot cosmos growing in the cut flower garden
Cosmos
  • Start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost.
  • Transplant out after all danger of frost has passed.
  • Pinch when 6-8″ tall.
pale cosmos growing in the cut flower garden
Cosmos
  • Apricot Lemonade: watercolored petals start as a soft apricot with a dusty lavender reverse and fade to a buttery yellow
  • Seashells Mix: a mix of large blooms that have fluted, tubular petals that resemble seashells in white, rose , pink, and crimson
  • Double Click Mix: double flowered mix of snow white, cranberry, rosy mauve, and a soft blush
  • Cupcake White: the petals are fused together forming a crisp white teacup
Globe Amaranth Sunset Mix growing along the white pcket fence garden
Globe Amaranth Sunset Mix

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.

  • Start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost.
  • Transplant out after all danger of frost has passed.
  • Pastel Mix: a mix of white, rose, soft pink, and pale lilac, button like blossoms
  • Sunset Mix: a mix of orange, carmine, and cherry
purple larkspur growing in the garden bed with pink cosmos
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.

  • Direct sow in late fall or early spring or start indoors in trays 6-8 weeks before the last frost.
  • Plant out while weather is still cool.
  • Speed up germination by chilling seed in a refrigerator or freezer for a week before sowing.
  • Summer Skies Mix: mix of drk indigo, periwinkle, frosty blue and white bicolor, and white
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.
  • Albion Green Pod: Creamy double flowers have delicate green veining and produce bright green seed pods
  • Miss Jekyll Rose: starlike flowers in shades of mauve, dusty rose, pale pink, and ivory
lupine growing along the white picket fence in front of the greenhouse
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.

  • Start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost.
  • Transplant out after all danger of frost has passed.
  • Succession plant every 2-3 weeks for continual harvest.
  • Pinch when 12″ tall.
  • Sunrise: soft lavender under petals, white top petals with yellow throats
orange marigolds growing in the barrel in the cut flower garden
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.

  • Start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost.
  • Transplant out after all danger of frost has passed.
  • Once the weather has warmed they can be directly seeded.
  • Starfire Mix: penny-sized glowing blooms in shades of red, orange, and gold
  • Tangerine Gem: penny-sized tangerine blooms with darker orange centers
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


cut flower garden seeds: snapdragons
Sherbet Toned Chantilly Mix 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

  • Start seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before the last frost.
  • Transplant out once the weather has warmed.
  • Pinch when 4-5″ tall.
  • Staking or netting is required.
cut flower garden seeds: snapdragons

Snapdragons Varieties I’ve Grown

  • Sherbet-Toned Chantilly Mix: blend of soft, warm colors, including light pink, coral, salmon, and apricot
  • Madam Butterfly Red: double petal Azalea-type cut flower with a Victorian look
  • Madame Butterfly Peaches ‘n Cream Mix: apricot, white, and peach blooms
  • Orange Wonder: orange blooms tipped with rosy pink
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.
  • Pastel Mix: a mix of cool pastel tones, including violet, lavender, blush, rose, and mauve
  • Sunset Mix: warm sherbet tones including orange, peach, rose, apricot, and pale creamy gold
  • Russian: rosy colored Asian wildflower
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.
  • You can direct seed into the garden.
  • Staking or netting is required.
  • Sow every two weeks to extend the harvest.
  • Buttercream: soft buttercream color and spicy scent
apricot mix strawflowers growing in the cut flower garden
Apricot Mix 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.

white strawflower growing in the garden
Vintage White Strawflowers
  • 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.
strawberry strawflowers harvested from the garden
Strawflowers

Strawflower Varieties I’ve Grown

  • Apricot Mix: a warm mix of pretty peach and apricot flowers
  • Frosted Sulpher: an opalescent quality and are the color of fresh buttermilk
  • Pomegranate: the color of pomegranate
  • Vintage White: ivory white flowers
  • Candy Pink: the base of the petals ae white and darken to rose-pink at the tip
  • Scarlet: rich ruby red flowers with gold centers
cut flower garden seeds: sunflowers
Pro-Cut Lite White Sunflower

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
Procut Red Sunflower

How to Grow

  • Start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost.
  • Transplant out after all danger of frost has passed.
  • Pinch when 6-8″ tall.
cut flower garden seeds: frilly sunflower
Frilly Sunflower
  • Frilly: loaded with glowing spiky petals that surround dark fuzzy centers, which are ringed by a delicate fringe
  • Greenburst: glowing golden semi-double petals surround a fluffy green center
  • Pro-Cut Lite White: tall ivory-petaled flowers with honey mustard centers
  • Procut Red: deep rich rusty red with chocolate centers
  • Ruby Eclipse: a mix of bicolor flowers in shades of cream, dusty rose, and ruby-red
  • Panach: fluffy, shaggy petals and dark-brown centers
  • Birds and Bees: 6-8 foot with golden-yellow petals and chocolate discs
purple and fuchsia sweet peas in the cut flower garden
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.
  • Pinch when 6″ tall.
  • Plant next to a support, like a trellis, to support the vines as they climb 6-8″.
  • In mild areas, seeds can be sown in pots in the fall, wintered over in a sheltered spot, and planted out in spring.
pink and white sweet peas growing in theg arden in front of the greenhouse
  • Jilly: shade of soft cream
  • Karen Louise: large, soft lavender blooms
  • Happy Birthday:  orange-red flowers with a white throat 
  • Jacqueline Heather: soft baby-pink with darker edges and fade to white as they age
  • Windsor: warm chocolaty-maroon blooms
  • Promise: fragrant white blooms softly edged with blush-pink
  • Carlotta: carmine-pink blooms
  • Dynasty: vivid, hot pink blooms; top buds are paler in color and have a cream underside
  • Castlewellan: peachy-pink blooms with creamy undertones
  • Noel Sutton: rich mid-blue flowers
  • Charlie’s Angel: light icy blue blossoms
  • Anniversary: white blooms softly edged with blush-pink
  • Bristol: pale blue flowers
  • Earl Grey: maroon-purple-flaked petals; top petals are warm purple and bottom petals are a cooler purple
cut flower garden seeds: yarrow
Summer Berries Mix 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
Summer Berries Mix Yarrow
  • Start seeds indoors 8-10 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.
yarrow
Summer Berries Mix Yarrow
  • Summer Berries: shades of raspberry, peach, coral, blush, rose, and buttercream
pastel pink and cream zinnias growingi n the cut flower garden and bees poillnating

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.

pink and lime zinnias growing in the cut flower garden
Zinnias
  • Start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost.
  • Transplant out after all danger of frost has passed.
  • They can also be directly seeded in the garden once the weather has warmed.
  • Pinch when 12″ tall.
bright colored zinnias
  • Lilliput Mix: an old-fashioned mix of shades of rose, carmine, orange, coral, white, yellow, and violet
  • Queen Lime Blush: double and semi-double flowers with a stunning blend of green and purple
  • Queen Red Lime: ranges from a smoky dark rose to a subtle eggplant shade combined with green undertone
  • Persian Carpet Mix: miniature blooms in shades of orange, gold, mahogany, and many unique bicolors
  • Mazurkia: double flowers with lipstick-pink centers and soft blush tips
  • Queen Lime Orange: iridescent raspberry, apricot, and smokey-peach with a dark cranberry center
  • Benary’s Giant Lime: Granny Smith apple-green and one of the largest flowered zinnia varieties
  • Zinderella Lilac: blush and soft lavender with stunning dark centers
  • Victorian Wedding: mix of petite, mostly double blooms in buff, pale peach, rose-pink, blush, and soft orange
  • Precious Metals: giant-flowered mix includes shades of linen, icy lavender, pale pink, soft peach, and palomino
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‘Growing a Cut Flower Garden’ Series


summer cut flower garden and raised beds filled with zinnias

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.

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