A flower bouquet? In this economy? With cut flower costs soaring over the past few years–the pace of inflation for cut flowers surged to 9.4% in June of 2024 alone–a vase of fresh flowers on the table feels like such a luxury. But you don’t need to wait for Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, or a big wedding for an excuse to have a stunning bouquet in your home.
With a little forethought and planning, you can grow your own lovely flowers to create stunning bouquets all year long–even in the cold, dark days of winter.
Homegrown
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For expert guidance on the best flowers to build beautiful, homegrown bouquets, we talked to Emily Patrick, the founder and owner of Carolina Flowers, a flower farm and florist in Western North Carolina. Patrick is an eighth-generation flower farmer who started Carolina Flowers in 2016 with a shovel in an old tobacco field. She now leases a 35-acre farm with a staff of 14 people, and, thank goodness, a tractor.
We asked Patrick for her advice on the best bouquet blooms for each season, tips on growing practices, and what each flower brings to the table (so to speak).
Spring: Delphinium and Poppies
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Though springtime always puts us in the mood for flowers, Patrick says that spring blooms are actually some of the most difficult blooms to grow for cut flowers.
“Most spring blooms must be planted well in advance. In the South, spring flowers are typically planted in the fall. In northern climates, most spring blooms are planted in February or March. The eager gardener should begin preparing well in advance!” Patrick advises.
After the summer gardening frenzy, prep your garden beds for fall; create weed-free, loosened soil and then cover with cardboard or a tarp to wait for the right time to plant. Your patience will be rewarded!
Delphinium
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Planting season: September/October
Vase life: About 5 days
“Delphinium is one of our most popular spring blooms,” Patrick says. “It’s a stunning blue flower with iridescent petals. It’s a line flower, so it creates great movement and height in bouquets. When well-tended, bloom height can reach 3-4 feet — or even more for some varieties!”
Growing tips: “Plant in a well-draining spot. Protect the young plants from cold with a layer of leaves, mulch, or straw. Some plants might lose their leaves during the winter, but that’s OK. They will typically reemerge in spring,” Patrick says.
A word of warning: all parts of this plant are poisonous!
Poppies
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Planting season: October or February in the South, February or March in the North (depending on location)
Vase life: about 5 days
Be sure you select Icelandic Poppies (or Papaver nudicaule) for your garden, as these are fairly easy to grow and make great cut flowers. Other varieties lose their petals in just one day!
Growing tips: “Start with loose soil that is free of weeds in a well-draining spot. Mix the seeds with sand so they’re easier to spread. Broadcast the seed/sand mixture across the surface of the soil and lightly rake in. Poppies typically germinate after a frost or cold weather. Buds will emerge in spring. Harvest at the cracked bud stage, when a sliver of color is visible but before the bud opens. Poppies pop quickly, so you’ll need to harvest more than once per day for optimum vase life!”
Summer: Basketflower and Zinnias
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Summer flower choices abound, with lots of easy-to-grow blooms just begging to be planted, harvested, and transformed into a beautiful bouquet. The trickiest part may be choosing what to plant; Patrick has you covered with two expert suggestions.
Basketflower
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Planting season: After the last frost
Vase life: about 5 days
“Basketflower is a wonderful bloom to grow from seed,” Patrick says. “Buds look like round baskets and are just as pretty as the flowers!” Their blooms look similar to a thistle, but without the spiky leaves and stems.
Growing tips: “Prepare a weed-free bed, and bury the seed about a quarter-inch below the surface of the soil. Cut in the bud stage, or cut the flowers in paintbrush stage when the petals are vertical and not fully open.”
Zinnias
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Planting season: After the last frost
Vase life: 3-5 days
“Zinnias are a classic summer bloom best grown from seed. They’re available in so many colors and sizes,” Patrick says. “At Carolina Flowers, our favorites are the Oklahoma series and the Queen Lime series. We also really like Benary Giants when we want a big bloom.”
Growing tips: “In a well-prepared bed, drop seeds about [a] half inch below the surface of the soil and cover. After seedlings emerge, thin to 9 to 12 inches apart to help with air flow. Zinnias are susceptible to powdery mildew. Cut when stems are firm and flowers pass the ‘wiggle test’ — shake the stem to see if the flower wiggles, or if it remains firm. Flowers are ready when stems are firm.”
A note about zinnias–these beauties are a “dirty flower,” which means their stems can harbor a lot of bacteria. You’ll want to rinse their stems and get all the dirt off before adding them to your vase, and be sure to change your vase water daily.
Other Summer Flowers to Consider
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There are numerous other summer flower options to consider, depending on the space in your garden. These include:
- Lisianthus
- Rudbeckia
- Cosmos
- Sunflowers
- Lilies
- Calla lilies
- Gladiolus
- Bee balm
- Echinacea
- Celosia
Fall: Dahlias and Chrysanthemums
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Chillier weather and shorter days do not need to bring your flowering gardening ambitions to an end. Many lovely flower varieties bloom throughout the fall season, and with the proper care and attention, can bring beautiful color into your home right up until winter comes blowing in.
Dahlias
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Planting season: After the last frost, before mid-July
Vase life: about 5 days, depending on the variety
“Dahlias are the flagship flowers of fall,” Patrick says.
Growing tips: “Plant dahlia tubers about a foot apart in a weed-free bed. Bury a couple [of] inches deep to safeguard the tuber from hoeing weeds. Insert a wooden stake behind each tuber to use later to tie the plant to. When the plant has three or four leaf pairs, pinch off the top leaf pair to encourage basal branching — more branches mean more flowers. When the plant reaches knee height, begin securing it to the stake with twine.”
Dahlias need a lot of water, so be sure to water them well and often. And don’t get over-eager and pick them too soon, wait to harvest until the flowers are ¾ open. Immature buds will not open in the vase.
Chrysanthemums
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Planting season: Summer
Vase life: 10-14 days
“Chrysanthemums are making a comeback,” Patrick says. “More heirloom varieties are available than ever before. Liberate your mind from ball-shaped mum plants in pots on the porch. Heirloom varieties can reach waist height, loaded with blooms. They can also be trained to grow on columns and fences for a wonderful display of late fall color.”
Growing tips: “Pinch often to keep plants manageable throughout the first 8 weeks. Provide support in the form of netting, staking, or trellising. Flowers begin blooming in October. Some varieties will bloom into November. Flowers are extremely long-lasting! Harvest when completely open.”
Winter: Dried Flowers
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In many climates, the coming of winter marks the end of bouquets–fresh flower bouquets, anyway. But with a bit of creativity and forward thinking, you can brighten your home throughout gray winter days with beautiful dried flower arrangements.
Classic dried flower choices include celosia, gomphrena, safflower, and marigolds, according to Patrick. You’ll want to plant them after your last frost, and harvest the flowers just before their peak.
“Dry them immediately — don’t let them sit around the house,” Patrick says. “Their quality degrades quickly after cutting. Hang them from a hook or wire in a dry room with good air circulation. An attic, where it’s hot and dry, is a great place to dry flowers. A garage can also work well. You can also use a wire shelf or rack to dry flowers, provided there is air circulation on all sides of the flower.”
Rooms that tend to stay damp, like bathrooms, are not good locations for drying flowers. You do want to pick a dark room away from direct sunlight to help preserve the flowers’ colors.
Think outside of the vase for dried flower arrangements, as well. Dried flower wreaths, for example, make unique and festive holiday decor.
Grow Local
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If you do go for a bouquet grown somewhere beyond your own garden, you should still consider where those flowers came from and where your flower dollars are going, says Patrick.
“I am surprised how many flowers are still imported to the United States,” Patrick says. “About 80 percent of the flowers that are sold here are grown overseas using lots and lots of toxic chemicals and shady labor practices. Support American-grown!”
A Beloved Bloom
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And Patrick’s own favorite flower for bouquets?
“My all-time favorite flower is the anemone,” she says. “I love anemones because they are some of the earliest blooming flowers of spring. They last forever in the vase. The colors are rich, and the velvety centers are beguiling.”
Patrick warns that these flowers aren’t for beginners, however. They require some skillful attention to grow and thrive.
“They grow from corms and require specific handling and climate conditions, so research before you plant! Once you get them, you will love them!”
Find more flower growing tips:
Striking Flowers That Look Like They’re From Another Planet
These Annual Flowers Will Keep Your Garden Glowing All Summer
