Seed To Sow Now for Home-Grown Bouquets All Summer Long

Flowers Everywhere Steve Satushek/The Image Bank/Getty Images Plant these easy-to-grow flowers for a lush garden outside and brimming vases inside. by Miranda Rake Updated: Feb. 20, 2024 Originally Published: April 14, 2023

Easy beauty

After all danger of frost has passed (depending on where you are, that means now), it is time to finally use those flower seeds you've been collecting all winter. Here are some of the most reliable, easy-to-grow flowers to plant for lovely cut flowers, all summer long.

Nigella or ‘Love in a Mist’

This airy, wispy flower is so very easy to grow — it “likes damp, neglected land,” say Amy Fielding and Melissa Richardson in their book The Modern Flower Press . It makes lovely bouquets, and is nice for drying, too. Jacky Parker Photography/Moment/Getty Images

Catherine Falls Commercial/Moment/Getty Images Cornflowers Also known as Bachelors Buttons, these sweet, delicate little flowers are ancient and storied and — best of all — this easy-to-grow flower makes lazy gardeners like you and me look good.

kampee patisena/Moment/Getty Images Cosmos On a recent call, Renee Shepherd of Renee’s Garden shared that cosmos are at the top of her list of flowers that are easy to grow from seed. Cosmos are “absurdly easy to grow,” agree Richardson and Fielding, pointing out that the more you cut, the more flowers the plant will give.

Jacky Parker Photography/Moment/Getty Images Sunflowers Sunflowers need full sun, and if they’re a variety that gets quite tall, they may eventually need a little support. Other than that, they’re an easy cutting garden showstopper and a must-plant for any flower lover.

Jacky Parker Photography/Moment/Getty Images Poppies Don’t sleep on poppies, which are chiffon-like when in bloom and leave cheery little seedheads after their bloom has faded. They’re an early summer staple, and can be sown in very early spring.

Marcia Straub/Moment/Getty Images Zinnias With their vibrantly-hued, lush blooms, it’s easy to see why zinnias are a perennial (well, annual) favorite. They’re easy to grow, and they’re beloved by pollinators, too. Win win!

I love Photo and Apple./Moment/Getty Images Agrostemma Also called corn cockle, this delicate bloom is a cottage garden classic. Like every other flower on this list, it’s very easy to grow from seed. Sow in early spring, but take care to choose a location out of kids’ reach, as it’s poisonous.

wulingyun/Moment/Getty Images Marigolds Marigolds will cheer you up all summer long. Larger varieties may need support as they grow, in the same way dahlias do. Sow seeds when all danger of frost has passed.

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