Which flowers are the best to grow for cut flowers?
By WickedHorse
@WickedHorse (38)
Canada
January 22, 2010 5:44am CST
Hi there My Lot community!
Here in the Northeast, its now time to leaf through the catalogs and choose seeds for the coming year. The plan is to expand my cut flower garden. Ideally, I'd like to have flowers for the house (and my friends) all year long. Over the years I've added in some perennials, but there are long gaps when I don't have a single flower in my house. I have spare time now (lost my job) and I'd really like to expand the garden this year.
Current cut flowers:
Spring - daffodils and tulips
Late Spring - Peonies
Summer - Dianthus, lisanthus, gladiolas and tons of delphiniums
Fall - Sunflowers, but not much else
We live in the Northeast in Ottawa, Canada (zone 4) and have excellent loam soil. What other flowers could I add to ensure that I have tons and tons of flowers all year round?
Thank you all for your answers.
1 person likes this
2 responses
@Kashmeresmycat (6369)
• United States
22 Jan 10
Oh, doesn't that sound exciting? Pretty soon spring will be here, yea!, I can't wait!
Here is a link to a nursery where you can put in your zone, and it will come up with tons of seed packets for you to choose from.....http://www.naturehills.com/.....you can check them out there to give you a good idea what to plant in your area. I have no affiliation with that site, it's just really good for information in different zone's.
Have fun and think spring!! 
@wildcatsthree (289)
• United States
22 Jan 10
I live in Northwest Ohio so I'm feeling the affects of too many months inside too and am getting the itch to comb through seed catalogs and start planning my garden improvements. I've found zinnias are a good sturdy plant that give you several months of cuttings. They are an annual, but you can collect the seeds in the Fall and store them in a cool dry place to plant the next year. I also grow daylilies in my yard - they return every year, are trouble free, and although I don't cut them to bring inside, I don't see why they wouldn't be good for that as they have very sturdy stems - they also come in a variety of colors. Stella DeOra are my absolute favorites.
@Kashmeresmycat (6369)
• United States
22 Jan 10
Oh, too funny! I live in Northeast Ohio, Cleveland suburb, and I thought for some stupid reason you lived in Canada..duh to me.
Zinnia's are great but get water-logged quickly and easily and die out, but do make pretty cuttings. Since you live in Ohio, you can try daisies, asters, carnations, geraniums, straw flowers, snapdragons, gerbera daisy...there's actually quite a few you can try, although some aren't from seeds. Roses are also very pretty, and a branch from a forsythia look beautiful in water. And the forsythia you can root too.
@WickedHorse (38)
• Canada
26 Jan 10
Thank you Kashmeresmycat for the link to the natureshills site.
The site is great for information per zone, and will keep me out of trouble for the next couple of days.
Great site, as it has it all - flowers, trees, shrubs - all with the zones clearly marked.
BTW: I love your image, as it reminds me of Bandit, a cat I literally "grew up" with over a 20-year span.
Thanks again, and take care.
1 person likes this
@Ravenladyj (22904)
• United States
22 Jan 10
Wow there are so many choices really...I would say your best bet would be to go to Michigan Bulbs website for ideas..you can do your search by Zone which is great and alot of times they'll let you know what would make good cuts/arrangements etc..or you can try somewhere like Better Homes & Gardens website or magazines....
