Garden Phlox (Phlox paniculata) – This perennial cut flower plant is hardy in zones 3-9 and is a classic in cottage gardens. Phlox grows best in full sun and rich soil. This hardy perennial phlox grows about 4′ tall and blooms in midsummer with a profusion of large, graceful flower clusters that last at least a week in the vase. Favorite, mildew resistant varieties include ‘David’, ‘Delta Snow’, ‘Natascha’, ‘Shortwood’, ‘Robert Poore’, and ‘Katherine’.
Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana) – The obedient plant is hardy in zones 4-9 and produces stunning upright flowers on long stalks. Obedient plant flower spikes grow over 10″ long and appear in late summer. Obedient plants do well in either sun or part shade and prefer slightly acidic, rich soil. The soil should not dry out to keep this cut flower plant happy but be careful the obedient plant doesn’t spread too quickly. ‘Vivid’ is a good pink variety, ‘Variegata’ has lavender blooms and variegated leaves, ‘Miss Manners’ is a cultivar with no spreading habit and no runners that blooms pure white, and ‘Olymbus Gold’ is a dark pink cultivar with only moderate spreading habit and variegated foliage. Obedient plants get their common name from the stems pliability – they will hold the position you gently move the stems to take – a nice feature for indoor flower arranging.
Bellflower (Campanula spp.) – Bellflowers are hardy zones 3-8 but are grown as cool weather annuals south of zone 8. With beautiful blue, pink or white bell-shaped flower it is no surprise that bellflowers are a favorite cut flower plant of the early summer season. Bellflowers prefer rich, well-drained soil and full sun to part shade. Some of the best bellflowers for cutting include; Campanula glomerata with clusters of bellflowers, Campanula persicifolia the peach-leaved bellflower and Campanula lactifolia with many wonderful named cultivars like ‘Pritchard’s Giant’ and ‘Pouffe’. Singe the ends of the bellflower stems in an open flame after cutting to keep them looking great in a vase for several days.
False Indigo (Baptisia australis) – An early summer treat in any flower bed, Baptisia is a native plant called false indigo because it was used to die fabric blue as a less expensive form of indigo. Baptisia is hardy in zones 3-9 and grows well in full sun or dappled shade. False indigo flowers are on large spikes that will last several days indoors if spent blooms are plucked periodically. Cut flowers when most of the blooms are opening. More cultivar information and plant highlights are available here.
What success have you had using cut flowers from your garden (or your nieghbor’s garden!)? See what happened to my brother and share your own story in the discussion thread.
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