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10 Cut Flowers You Can Grow from Seed This Season

Have you ever heard of a “cutting garden”? I hadn’t until recently. As someone who loves gardens and country-style flowers, I quickly fell in love with the idea and thought you might enjoy learning about it too.

I’m fairly new to cutting gardens myself, but below I’ll introduce the concept and share 10 cut flowers you can easily start from seed.

What Is a Cutting Garden?

At first the term “cutting garden” sounded odd to me. Once I learned the meaning, though, I was delighted. A cutting garden is simply a plot dedicated to flowers that keep well after being cut for bouquets.

If you enjoy arranging flowers at home but find they fade quickly, a cutting garden is the solution. Choosing varieties bred or selected for longevity gives you long-lasting bouquets straight from your yard.

sweet peas are one of the cut flowers you can easily start from seed!

What Are Cut Flowers?

Cut flowers include many plant types: annuals that are replanted each year, self-seeding varieties that return on their own, and perennials that grow from bulbs, corms, or tubers. Each has a place in a cutting garden depending on the season and the look you want.

Below you’ll find a list of old-fashioned cut flowers you can start from seed this spring and summer. If you’re interested in bulb-grown perennials, consider adding bulbs, corms, and tubers to extend your cutting season.

6 Benefits of Having a Cutting Garden

Growing your own cut flowers offers many perks. Here are several reasons to consider a cutting garden:

  1. It gets you outside and connected with nature.
  2. Gardening reduces stress and supports mental well-being.
  3. You avoid the dyes and chemical sprays often used in commercial bouquets.
  4. Growing flowers saves money over buying store-bought bouquets.
  5. Fresh-cut blooms bring charm and a country feel to your home.
  6. Homegrown flowers make thoughtful, personal gifts for visitors and friends.

Where to Grow Cut Flowers

A cutting garden can fit nearly anywhere. You can create one in large pots or planters, along a sunny wall, beside a driveway, or by a fence line. Even small spaces can accommodate a few flower beds or containers.

Most cut-flower varieties prefer warmth and sun, so placing containers or beds near a house or garage wall helps them thrive. With a little creativity, you can find space to grow flowers whether you live in town or country.

5 Tips for Creating a Cutting Garden

Here are helpful tips for establishing a simple, productive cutting garden:

  1. Choose a site with full sun; most cut flowers need at least six hours of sunlight daily.
  2. Place the garden within reach of a hose so watering is convenient.
  3. Some flowers tolerate poor soil, but many benefit from organic amendments such as well-composted manure or worm castings.
  4. To amend soil, spread 2–3 inches of composted material and work it into the top 4–5 inches of soil.
  5. If deer or rabbits are a problem, add a small fence or barrier to protect blossoms.

Cut Flowers You Can Start from Seed

Below are 10 cottage-style cut flowers that are easy to start from seed. I’ve included typical USDA hardiness zones, preferred growing conditions, color options, and whether they self-sow.

Astersa purple aster in full bloom

  1. USDA Hardiness Zone: 3–8
  2. Growing Climate: full sun to partial shade
  3. Color Scheme: commonly purple, also white, pink, blue, red
  4. Self Sowing: yes

Black-Eyed Susanblack eyed susan flowers in the sunshine

  1. USDA Hardiness Zone: 3–9
  2. Growing Climate: full sun (6+ hours)
  3. Color Scheme: yellow petals with dark centers
  4. Self Sowing: generally no; persists by root system
  5. Note: some varieties are perennial, others biennial

Calendulayellow calendula blossoms in full bloom

  1. USDA Hardiness Zone: 2–11
  2. Growing Climate: full sun (6+ hours)
  3. Color Scheme: cream, yellow, peach, apricot
  4. Self Sowing: yes

Cosmosa soft pink cosmos with a yellow center

  1. USDA Hardiness Zone: 2–11
  2. Growing Climate: full sun (6+ hours)
  3. Color Scheme: white, yellow, pink, orange, red
  4. Self Sowing: yes

SnapdragonSnap dragons are an old fasioned cottage flowers that compliments the cutting garden!

  1. USDA Hardiness Zone: all zones
  2. Growing Climate: full sun (6+ hours)
  3. Color Scheme: many colors and bi-colors
  4. Self Sowing: yes
  5. Note: can be perennial in zones 7–11

Staticelavender statice blossoms in full bloom

  1. USDA Hardiness Zone: 3–9
  2. Growing Climate: full sun (6+ hours)
  3. Color Scheme: white, peach, pink, yellow, violet
  4. Self Sowing: weak

Sunflowera bright yellow sunflower in a garden bed

  1. USDA Hardiness Zone: 4–9
  2. Growing Climate: full sun (6+ hours)
  3. Color Scheme: yellow, bronze, red, some white varieties
  4. Self Sowing: yes

Sweet Peassweet peas are one of the cut flowers you can easily start from seed!

  1. USDA Hardiness Zone: all zones
  2. Growing Climate: full sun to partial shade
  3. Color Scheme: white, pink, red, purple, blue, bi-colors
  4. Self Sowing: yes

Sweet Williampink and white sweet william flower blossoms

  1. USDA Hardiness Zone: 3–9
  2. Growing Climate: full sun to partial shade
  3. Color Scheme: white, yellow, pink, light purple, red, bi-colored
  4. Self Sowing: many varieties self-sow, though not all

Zinniaa bright red zinnia with a yellow center

  1. USDA Hardiness Zone: 3–10
  2. Growing Climate: full sun (6+ hours)
  3. Color Scheme: nearly every color except true blue
  4. Self Sowing: yes

The Difference Between Hybrids and Heirlooms

Many cut-flower varieties will self-sow, but if you want the progeny to reliably match the parent plant’s color and form, choose open-pollinated or heirloom seeds. Hybrid varieties may not come true from seed and can revert to different colors or traits in later generations.

If you plan to save seed or rely on self-seeding for future seasons, purchase heirloom or open-pollinated varieties so your plants remain reliable year after year.

Where to Find Heirloom (or Open-Pollinated) Flower Seed

Open-pollinated and heirloom flower seeds are available from many reputable seed companies. Read seed descriptions carefully to confirm whether a variety is heirloom, open-pollinated, or hybrid.

Tips for Choosing Your Flower Colors

Decide on a color palette before buying seed. Do you prefer bright, warm tones like yellow and orange, soft pastels like peach and lavender, or deeper shades like wine and deep purple? A cohesive color plan makes arranging bouquets easier and creates a pleasing aesthetic in the garden.

Browse photos of varieties you like and select seeds to match your chosen scheme. Mixing complementary or harmonious colors will help your cut arrangements shine.

How to Plant Your Flower Seeds

Many of these cottage flowers can be sown directly outdoors, but always follow the sowing depth, spacing, and timing instructions on the seed packet for best results. Seed packets and seed company websites provide specific guidance for your climate and zone.

How to Create a Cutting Garden

Whether you have a large yard or just a few pots, start small if needed—two or three varieties are enough to get started. I compiled this list of 10 easy-to-grow cut flowers to inspire you to plant a few favorites and enjoy fresh, homegrown bouquets all season.

Discover the best cut flowers to start from seed for and old fashioned cutting garden!