Gardening

Easy cut flowers to grow from seed

You do not need a flower farm to fill vases all summer. These annuals germinate quickly, bloom from early summer to frost, and reward cutting with more flowers. Plant a row at the edge of the vegetable bed and they pull in pollinators while they are at it.

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Plants in this guide

ZinniaZinnia elegansEasy, prolific cut flowers that bloom all summer and bring in butterflies. Cut often for more.CosmosCosmos bipinnatusA breezy, airy annual that blooms from summer to frost on lean soil. Thrives on neglect and feeds bees and butterflies all season.SunflowerHelianthus annuusFast, dramatic, and beloved by pollinators and birds. A favorite first crop for kids.Calendula (pot marigold)Calendula officinalisA cool-tolerant, edible-petaled annual that blooms in cool weather when others stall. Self-sows and pulls in pollinators and beneficial insects.SnapdragonAntirrhinum majusA cool-tolerant annual with spires of dragon-mouthed blooms from spring into early summer. Plant early, cut often, and pollinators will work the flowers.DahliaDahlia pinnataA showstopping tender perennial grown from tubers, blooming big from midsummer to frost. Lift and store tubers where winters freeze.

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