Would you like to be able to provide cut flowers for family weddings (or even you own wedding)? Here are my top picks for annuals to learn to grow. It’s a gorgeous collection of popular cutting flowers in a variety of shapes and sizes, and will also provide you with many color options.
Bachelor’s Buttons
Bachelor’s Buttons, also known as cornflowers, are one of the few cut flowers available in true blue. Bachelor’s buttons can also be white, pink, or purple. There’s also a variety called “Black Magic” that is a very dark maroon.
Cosmos
Cosmos are a common daisy-shaped garden flower. I don’t think they are common cut flowers in the cut flower industry, but they do make good cut flowers and are often used for that purpose. Cosmos seeds are readily available and they’re easy to grow, too!
Cosmos come in a range of colors, most commonly in white + a range of pinks, including dark pinky-reds. The pinks and white category includes fluffy double flowers (such as “Double Click”). Another cosmos category is the gold and orange cosmos (such as the “Bright Lights” blend). Finally, there are non-gold yellow cosmos (see “Xanthos” below), described as “soft lime-yellow.”
Larkspur
Larkspur is another true blue flower, including both light and dark blues. Other colors include lilac, violet, rose, red, lavender, salmon, pink, and white . . . and probably more!
Snapdragons
Snapdragons are popular cut flowers and come in a wide variety of colors, including multi-colors. Colors include shades of red, white, yellow, pink, orange, peach, and purple.
Snapdragons can be perennial, depending on the type and your growing zone. Most are sold as annuals but I have had some of those overwinter at least once (zone 6b). If it doesn’t get super cold where you live give it a try. You may be rewarded with free flowers!
Sunflowers
Sunflowers are cheerful late summer and early fall flowers. They come in a variety of sizes. Most sunflowers are some form of golden yellow, but they’re are lots of exceptions, such as creamy yellows and whites, and rich reds and burgundies.
Sweet Peas
Sweet peas are cool season flowers known for their fragrance (although they may not all be fragrant). Colors include: white, pinks, roses, reds, apricot, oranges, burgundy, violets, purples, and pastel blue. Some are bi-colors.
Zinnias
Zinnias are easy to grow, prolific, and colorful. Colors include whites, yellows, pinks, oranges, reds, purples, and green.
Scabiosa
Scabiosa (also known as pincushion flower) is technically perennial but some varieties are not cold hardy and are thus grown as annuals. Scabiosa comes in a wide variety of colors, mostly in the white, pink, lavender, red range.
China Asters
I love those fluffy doubles! Both doubles and singles come in a range of purples and pinks as well as white.
Statice
Statice is a popular filler flower for bouquets and arrangements. Colors include white, yellows, purples, blues, pinks, apricot, and more.
What’s on your learn-to-grow list? I’m working on larkspur, scabiosa, China asters, and statice. I hope to make some lovely arrangements this summer (no weddings on the agenda, though! 😉 )
