Perennials are the backbone of any cut flower garden, providing not only enduring gorgeous blooms but also a steady supply of cut flowers such as bell-shaped flowers, lady’s mantle, lavender, and many varieties of shrubs. Perennial yellow flowers and purple, blue, and pink roses can brighten any home.
These long-lived annual flowers or plants return year after year, offering a reliable source of perennial flower blooms that are perfect for floral arrangements. From the vibrant hues of peonies, black-eyed susans, hydrangeas, and the elegant spikes of delphiniums, annuals perennials are cherished by gardeners and florists alike for their hardy perennial variety and the sheer joy they bring to any setting.
Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a budding enthusiast, growing perennials with strong root systems for cut flower gardens or flower farming in large clusters is a rewarding endeavor that combines the art of horticulture, attracts pollinators and butterflies with the pleasure of creating stunning bouquets.
Best Perennials for Cut Flowers
1. Bearded Iris
Beard iris is a favorite perennials, symbol of communication between the heavens and earth. Cutting Gardens Bearded iris are outstanding cut flowers. The blossoms last for only a day or two, but each stem has multiple buds and will provide at least a week of flowers.They are loved by many because they are easy to grow, deer-resistant, they multiply each year.
Arrange stems to your liking, varying the height and position. Add other flowers to the arrangement once all the iris are positioned. Iris are thirsty flowers, so check the water frequently and add fresh water to fill the vase. Change the water if it starts looking cloudy, rinse the stems clean.
Bearded Iris prefers at least 6-8 hours of sunlight a day. If you have heavy soil or soil high in clay, add organic matter or compost to improve the drainage.
2. Coreopsis
They are wonderful cut flowers and perennial plants that fill out bouquets. Once established, they are tolerant of heat, humidity, and drought. Grow them in the ground or in containers and attract loads of beneficial insects and nectar-feeding birds!
They prefer full sun and good drainage, but can tolerate some shade.Coreopsis has a long bloom period when deadheaded and, in some ways, blooms more like an annual than a perennial.
Recut the stems at an angle and remove leaves from the bottom half of the stems before placing in a vase. Change the water completely every 3 days. Coreopsis will last 7 to 10 days in a vase. Coreopsis is an excellent cut flower in a mixed bouquet.Coreopsis is a low-maintenance flowering plant suitable for beds, borders and containers.
3. Oregano
One of the most hardworking and useful perennial flowers or filler plants that we grow each summer. Oregano plants attain maturity 80-90 days after sowing seeds. Glowing green stems are topped with fragrant, airy white blossoms that leave behind fluffy green seed heads that are an amazing addition to any arrangement.
As a plant of Mediterranean origin, oregano needs plenty of full sun with good drainage. It does best in a free-draining compost in porous pots such as terracotta pots. Oregano suffers in wet soil,
Greek oregano is a must-grow for market bouquets. You can dry them by hanging them in bunches or using a dehydrator. Alternatively, you could freeze them for home use.
4. Garden Phlox
Creeping phlox or moss phlox (Phlox subulata) is a low-growing species that works excellently as a ground cover and perfect filler. It spreads slowly in cut flower gardens.
Garden phlox makes a great addition to a cutting garden, and Volcano Phlox is no exception. This fragrant phlox continues to flower all summer long if you cut plants back by a quarter after the first flowers fade. Trim the Garden phlox flowers and put them into a vase on the table where they will hold up quite well for four or five days. Flowers can stay fresh for about a week, but if you take care of them properly, your blooms will be perky for about 7-12 days.
Plant phlox in spring or autumn, while the soil is warm and moist. Phlox don’t do well on dry, well drained soils, such as sandy soil, so improve with organic matter, such as garden compost or well-rotted manure, before planting and then mulch afterwards, too.
5. Yarrow
Yarrow is also a wonderful cut flower – its large broad sprays of small flat-petaled flowers are a wonderful material to use in arranging, combining equally well with soft, fluffy, romantic flowers as well as it does with bolder shapes and textures.Growing yarrow is equally simple. Perennial Plants are fuss-free and undemanding.
In partial sun or shade, yarrow tends to grow leggy. Yarrow performs best in well-drained soil. It thrives in hot, dry conditions; it will not tolerate constantly wet soil. Loamy soil is recommended, but yarrow can also be grown in clay soil as long as it does not always stay saturated with water.
6. Blazing Star
The starflower is a perennial herb. Dense gayfeather or marsh blazing star is an erect, slender perennial that can reach a height of 2-6 ft. In bouquets, it symbolizes feelings of bliss, happiness, and joy (especially in romantic relationships).
Blazing stars are true prairie plants that grow in most kinds of soil and, like many other prairie plants, they need full sun. They also can take heat and drought, taller species will need neighbors to lean on to prevent flopping.Water new plantings weekly in dry weather until a strong root system is established. Once plants have matured, they will tolerate dry spells because the corms naturally retain water.
It takes approximately two years, which is the perfect time to produce flowering plants from blazing star seeds or corms.
7. Clustered Bellflower
Clustered Bellflower, is a herbaceous, clumping, perennial flowers that grows well in average, medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun or part shade.Watering should be maintained at once every week to sustain its health and long lasting more blooms in cutting gardens.
Clustered bellflower produces showy, tall, bell-shaped flowers that come in shades of blue, purple, and pink. These perennials usually bloom for several weeks in summer, and the cut flowers can last for a week or more in the vase. It quickly spreads to form a large mat. It is hardy in Zones 3–8 and can be invasive, especially if you have moist soil
8. Perennial Salvia
Salvias aren’t just for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds — they’re perfect for a cut flower garden as well. Many hardy Salvia are tolerant of a wide range of temperatures and can be grown in both warm zones ,early fall or fall frost .
Most salvias prefer full sun and well-drained soils, but some will bloom well in part shade. Once established, most salvia species are quite drought-tolerant and require little care. Excessive water and fertilizer can increase fungal disease problems for salvias. Most salvias prefer slightly acidic soils.
9. Rudbeckia
Lasting for up to two weeks in a vase, coneflowers, Rudbeckia, make impressive late summer cut blooms. Bushy plants produce masses of colorful flowers with season-long flowering periods till early winter, from July to October.
Rudbeckia species have an average growth rate and prefer full sun (greater than 6 hours of direct sunlight) but will tolerate partial shade. Rudbeckia prefers evenly moist, well-drained soils, but they are drought and heat-tolerant once established. They can also adapt well to average soils.
Conclusion
Incorporating self-seed perennials into your flower garden is a rewarding investment for any gardening enthusiast. These resilient plants grow flowers with foliage, provide enduring beauty in full-shade gardens, and require less maintenance than annual blooming perennials, making them an ideal choice for a stunning and sustainable garden in early summer, mid-summer, late spring, or season-long.
With their wide variety of colors, shapes, and sizes, perennials can create a dynamic and visually appealing landscape that evolves throughout the seasons. By carefully growing flowers and planting perennials suited to your climate and soil conditions, you can enjoy a vibrant and flourishing garden year after year, adding lasting value to your outdoor space even in midsummer and winter.
