Another beneficial aspect of using perennials in your cutting garden is that the plants will look good throughout the season. When you’ve finished cutting your peonies, the foliage will provide a pleasant backdrop to the next flowers that bloom. And of course, you don’t have to plant a perennial cutting garden from scratch every year since they will last for many seasons. There will be necessary weeding and maintenance, but that’s also true of annual flower gardens. You can still mix some annual flowers into your perennial cutting garden. This garden design example includes only perennials, but you could easily tuck in some zinnias, Gomphrena, cosmos, and nigella in between. This perennial cutting garden fills a corner bed that’s approximately 390 square feet. You can use this as a planting plan, or you can pick and choose from the list of flowers to fill your allotted space. Peonies make wonderful cut flowers. They’re resilient, and they have a mild, sweet fragrance. For the longest bloom, cut them when they’re not quite fully open. Paeonia lactiflora - ‘Alma Hansen’
USDA zones 4–84 feet tall3 feet wide Pale pink blooms Early to Mid-Summer
Alternatives:
Paeonia lactiflora - ‘Miss Eckhart’ - Vivid pink bloomsPaeonia lactiflora - ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ - A classic, double-pink peony
As cut flowers, they tend to drop their pollen. To avoid staining, remove the sepals before bringing them indoors. Lilium - ‘Star Gazer’
USDA zones 4–9 4–5 feet tall1–2 feet wide Fragrant crimson blooms with white edges Late summer
Alternatives:
Lilium - ‘Bergamo’ - Speckled light pink flowers with a gold streaksLilium - ‘Chambertin’ - Raspberry color is almost purple
Phlox will grow tall and sturdy with multiple repeat blooms. White phlox ‘David’ was one of the first mildew-resistant varieties sold. Phlox paniculata - ‘Franz Schubert’
USDA zones 4–82–3 feet tall 2 feet wideLilac-pink bloomsMid to late summer
Alternatives:
Phlox paniulata - ‘Eva Cullum’ - Pink flowers with a darker center eyePhlox paniculata - ‘Laura’ - Lilac flowers with white centers
Paeonia lactiflora - ‘Longfellow’
USDA zones 3–83 feet tall 2 feet wideDouble crimson bloomsEarly to midsummer
Alternatives:
Paeonia lactiflora - ‘Karl Rosenfield’ - Another stunning double, red peonyPaeonia lactiflora - ‘Red’ - Vivid, striking red
Sea holly is not only an excellent cut flower—they also dry beautifully and quickly. You’ll lose a little of the blue color with drying, but they still make a nice presentation. Eryngium planum - ‘Flat Sea Holly’
USDA Zones 4–93–4 feet tall 2 feet wide Silvery blue bloomsMid to late summer
Alternatives:
Eryngium Alpinum - ‘Alpine Sea Holly’ - A brilliant blueEryngium amethystinum - ‘Amethyst Sea Holly’ - Good for colder climates
New introductions have brought renewed attention to Helenium, and you’ll probably find several varieties at your local nursery. Helenium is one of the few plants that doesn’t mind wet or marshy soil. Helenium autumnale - ‘Butterpat’
USDA zones 3–84–5 feet tall 2–3 feet wideYellow blooms with a dark centerLate summer to fall
Alternatives:
Helenium autumnale - ‘Kanaria’ - Another gorgeous, golden HeleniumHelenium autumnale - ‘Moerheim Beauty’ - Tall, rust-colored blossoms with gold centers
Many gardeners don’t think poppies can be used as cut flowers since just breathing on them can cause the petals to fall off in the garden. But if you cut them just as their outer green calyx covering begins to crack and the buds are beginning to open, they do quite well in water. Early morning or evening is the best time to cut them, and they’ll last even longer if you remove the calyx. Papaver orientale - ‘Livermere’
USDA zones 2–9 2–3 feet tall2 feet wideOrange, red, pink, and off-white blooms Late spring to early summer
Alternatives:
Papaver orientale - ‘Allegro’ - 18–20 inches tall with scarlet flowersPapaver orientale - ‘Pizzicato’ - 20 inches tall with mixed colors
The ‘Kobold’ variety is also known as ‘Goblin’ and is a bit shorter than more common Liatris. However, the flowers tend to be very similar regardless of the type. Liatris spicata - ‘Kobold’
USDA zones 3–10 2 feet tall2 feet wide Purple blooms
Alternatives:
Liatris scariosa (Tall Gayfeather) - ‘September Glory’ - Flowers spike at the same time as opposed to top to bottom.
Growing yarrow in full sun will help keep it from flopping. Yarrow also needs to be divided periodically, maybe every four to five years, to keep it blooming well. Other than that, sit back and enjoy. Achillea millefolium - ‘Cerise Queen’
USDA zones 3–9 18 inches tall24 inches wideFuchsia blooms
Alternatives:
Achillea ‘Paprika’ - A peppery, orange-red that changes shades as it agesAchillea ‘Summer Pastels’ - An assortment of soft, pastel shades
Bellflower blossoms are held above the mound of leaves on tall, straight stems, making them ideal for cut flowers. They’re early-season bloomers, but you should get repeat blooms in a cutting garden, if you’re diligent about harvesting. Bellflowers also like some relief from intense sun and heat. So if your garden is in full sun, mulch the base of the plants and keep them watered. Campanula persicifolia - ‘Blue Bloomers’
USDA zones 3–91–3 feet tall1–2 feet wideViolet blooms
Alternatives:
Campanula persicifolia - ‘Powder Puff’ - Pure white bloomsCampanula persicifolia - ‘Telham Beauty’ - Blue flowers
It’s easy to see that balloon flowers are a relative of bellflowers, with their similar color and shape. They require practically no care, other than cutting your flowers. Once established, they don’t like to be moved or divided. Platycodon grandiflorus - ‘Double Blue’
USDA zones 3–9 2–3 feet tall 18 inches wideBlue, pink, or white blooms
Alternatives:
Platycodon grandiflorus - ‘Fuji Blue’ - Deepest blue varietyPlatycodon grandiflorus - ‘Sentimental Blue’ - A shorter, more compact plant
Most Asiatic lilies are sturdy and usually don’t require staking. They have large blooms with a strong, sweet scent. Hummingbirds love them, too. Lilium - ‘Corsica’
USDA zones 2–82–3 feet tall 1 foot wideWhite booms, tinged with pinkJune through July
Alternatives:
Lilium -‘Maywood’ - Blooms are a deep, saturated pinkLilium - ‘Tiara’ - Pale pink blossoms with ruffled edges
Yarrow has the bonus effect of attracting plenty of butterflies to your yard. The wide flower head gives them a place to rest and stretch out their wings. Achillea - ‘Moonshine’
USDA zones 3–918 inches tall2 feet wideYellow blooms
Alternatives:
Achillea - ‘Terra Cotta’ - A soft, rusty peachAchillea - ‘Summer Pastels’ - An assortment of pale pastel colors
