Top Ten Cut Flowers to Grow at Home

A vase of fresh flowers cut straight from the garden can instantly make a house feel more like a home. There are plenty of cut flowers that you can grow at home, but if you need some inspiration take a look at our top ten favourites.

04/09/2018

1. Dianthus

Dianthus (including Carnations, Pinks and Sweet Williams) are some of the best known of all cut flowers. Carnations such as ‘Everblooming Mixed’ provide traditional flowers, but it’s worth trying something different if you are growing your own flowers for cutting.

2. Eucalyptus

The silvery-blue foliage of eucalyptus gunnii makes a fantastic filler for vases and bouquets. Its attractive rounded leaves provide shape and texture that blends well with both formal and more relaxed displays.

3. Gladiolus

The flamboyant, tall stems of gladioli are superb for adding height and drama to flower arrangements. There are plenty to choose from and modern hybrids such as Gladiolus ‘Tango’ and ‘Green Star’ bring a really fresh palette of contemporary colours to your vase.

4. Lily

You’ll only need a few lily stems to make a dramatic and exotic-looking cut flower display. There are lots of different lily species that you can grow as a cut flower, but oriential lilies are the most popular.

5. Roses

What list of cut flowers would be complete without the quintessential rose? Growing roses for cut flowers takes a little more work than growing them as garden shrubs, but the results are well worth the effort.

6. Sunflower

Sunflowers make the cheeriest cut flowers and never fail to raise a smile. They’re easy to grow and won’t require any special attention.

7. Tulip

Tulips are amongst the earliest flowers for cutting in the garden. They come in such a range of colours that you’ll be spoiled for choice. Tulips are thirsty cut flowers so you’ll need to keep their water topped up.

8. Sweet Pea

The ultimate ‘cut and come again’ cut flower. There are plenty of colours to choose from, but a good mix of shades makes the prettiest posies. It’s important to cut sweet peas regularly to encourage more blooms. Cut just as the lowest bloom is opening and put them in water immediately for a longer vase life.

9. Gypsophila

Gypsophila makes a particularly useful filler for softening bouquets and adding a frothy haze of tiny flowers to your cut flower arrangements.

10. Peonies

Peonies are prized for their beautiful, large blooms. Just a few stems are enough to create a stunning arrangement with a big impact. Herbaceous varieties such as ‘Eden’s Perfume’ are a great choice.