5 Perennial Flowers to Plant for Cut Flowers
Growing perennials is one of the most rewarding and cost effective ways to grow flowers. Especially if you want to have endless cut flowers for arrangements in the summertime. What is a perennial? It’s a plant that will come back year after year and continue to grow to its mature plant size. One of the best times to plant is Spring and Fall. Planting early September allows the plants to establish over the fall-winter and you’ll have larger plants come bloom time. Planting in September also allows mother nature to do most of the watering after planting. Another bonus, plants are usually on sale!
I’m going to focus on my favourite 5 perennials that I like to add to simple flower arrangements over the summer. These are also very beneficial for the pollinators which are essential for our veggie gardens. You can plant these in borders, containers or in your veggie garden if you want to.
01. Echinacea
Commonly called cone flower, they grow tall and in poor soil conditions making it a low maintenance perennial to grow. They love full sun and you can get them in many colours. Their showy heads pop in late summer-fall bouquets.
02. Rudbeckia
Also known as black eyed Susan! Rudbeckia is one of the most popular, drought tolerant plants you can grow. Native to North America, many species are cultivated in gardens for their showy yellow or gold flower heads that bloom in mid-summer-to-fall. It’s one of the longer lasting flowers you can grow. Another benefit is they grow fast, meaning you can split the plant in the fall or spring to create more flowers all around your gardens
03. Ornamental Onion
Many call this a bee hotel, and for good reason – I have found over 30 bees on two plants before! The purple globe flowers are alliums and are stunning! A wonderful way to add purple into any arrangement.
04. Veronica
Which is also called speedwell, is an easy to grow and carefree perennial flower with vertical or ground cover forms and blooms of purple, blue, pink, or white. I love to plant white veronica that grows tall (mine are up to 4 feet tall). This cut flower brings greenery to any bouquet and the flowers are spiky and fun.
05. Yarrow
Yarrow is a versatile perennial known for its feathery foliage and clusters of small, flat-topped flowers. This hardy plant blooms from late spring-to-early fall and is incredibly easy to grow. Yarrow is mostly sun-loving, but can tolerate some shade, some trampling, and is deer-resistant. It’s a beautiful flower to dry as well.
I’m absolutely loving creating fall bouquets with these flowers, and they look fantastic in this Lukus Vase from Cyrc Design – made entirely from recycled plastic! How cool is that?! Which of these is your favourite perennial to grow in the fall? Let me know in the comments below!
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