Cutting garden design falls into two distinct schools of thought.
There’s the utilitarian school that says “put them all in rows” and then there’s the artistic school that has determined it an “artistic exercise” to create a garden design that is both utilitarian and artistic.
From a practical point of view, I confess I fall into the utilitarian camp.
Cutting Garden Design Nightmare
I found when I tried to have a good-looking garden that was both artistic and for cutting, I wound up being frustrated. As soon as the flower would start to look good, it was time to cut it off. The garden wound up looking like a lot of greenery rather than a vision of loveliness. The roses were nude all summer of blossoms rather than full and enjoyable.
What was supposed to be a garden of flowers turned into a utilitarian garden by its function and not its design.
My Best Advice
This is the best bit of advice I’d give newcomers. If you want a garden for cut flowers – create a utilitarian garden for this purpose. If you want a garden for show – create a garden for showing flowers. However – – –
This is a little different than if you’re only to cut a bouquet or two every now and then. In that case, plant an extra rose or two, set in a few extra gladiola bulbs and tall aster plants. You can snip a few bouquets from a garden of abundance with little difficulty. But to constantly snip flowers as they start to show color only allows you to enjoy the leaves from your cutting garden design.
Garden Design
This cutting garden design system works equally well with annual as well as perennial flowers or any combination of the two.
A Good List of Perennial Flowers For Cutting
- Agapanthus
- Agastache
- Ajania
- Ajuga
- Alcea
- Acanthus
- Achillea
- Aconitum
- Adenophora
- Adiantum
- Alchemilla
- Allium
- Ampelopsis
- Amsonia
- Anaphalis
- Anchusa
- Andropogon
- Anemone
- Angelica
- Anthemis
- Aquilegia
- Arctanthemum
- Armeria
- Artemisia
- Arum
- Aruncus
- Asclepias
- Aster
- Astilbe
- Astilboides
- Astrantia
- Baptisia
- Belamcanda
- Bellis
- Bergenia
- Bletilla
- Boltonia
- Bouteloua
- Briza
- Bromus
- Brunnera
- Buddleia
- Calamagrostis
- Calamintha
- Caltha
- Camassia
- Campanula
- Cardiocrinum
- Carex
- Carlina
- Caryopteris
- Castilleja
- Catananche
- Centaurea
- Centranthus
- Chasmanthium
- Chelone
- Chelonopsis
- Chrysanthemum
- Cimicifuga
- Clematis
- Convallaria
- Coreopsis
- Cortaderia
- Corydalis
- Cosmos
- Crambe
- Crocosmia
- Cryptotaenia
- Cynara
- Dahlia
- Darmera
- Delphinium
- Deschampsia
- Dianthus
- Dicentra
- Dictamnus
- Dierama
- Digitalis
- Dodecatheon
- Doronicum
- Echinacea
- Echinops
- Epimedium
- Epimedium×
- Eremurus
- Erigeron
- Eryngium
- Erysimum
- Eupatorium
- Euphorbia
- Euryops
- Fallopia
- Filipendula
- Francoa
- Fuchsia
- Gaillardia
- Gaultheria
- Gaura
- Gentiana
- Geum
- Gillenia
- Goniolimon
- Gypsophila
- Helenium
- Helianthus
- Helichrysum
- Heliopsis
- Helleborus
- Hemerocallis
- Hesperis
- Heuchera
- Heucherella
- Hosta
- Hydrangea
- Hypericum
- Incarvillea
- Inula
- Iris
- Jasione
- Juncus
- Kalimeris
- Kirengeshoma
- Knautia
- Kniphofia
- Lathyrus
- Lavandula
- Lavatera
- Leonotis
- Leontopodium
- Leucanthemum
- Leycesteria
- Liatris
- Libertia
- Ligularia
- Lilium
- Limonium
- Linaria
- Linum
- Lobelia
- Lunaria
- Lupinus
- Luzula
- Lychnis
- Lymus
- Lysimachia
- Macleaya
- Malva
- Mertensia
- Miscanthus
- Molinia
- Monarda
- Myosotidium
- Myosotis
- Myrrhis
- Nectaroscordum
- Nepeta
- Nipponanthemum
- Oenothera
- Omphalodes
- Origanum
- Paeonia
- Panicum
- Papaver
- Patrinia
- Pennisetum
- Penstemon
- Perovskia
- Persicaria
- Petasites
- Phalaris
- Phlomis
- Phlox
- Phragmites
- Phygelius
- Physalis
- Physostegia
- Pimpinella
- Platycodon
- Polemonium
- Polygonatum
- Potentilla
- Primula
- Pulmonaria
- Pulsatilla
- Pycnanthemum
- Ranunculus
- Ratibida
- Rheum
- Rodgersia
- Romneya
- Saccharum
- Salvia
- Sanguisorba
- Saxifraga
- Scabiosa
- Schizostylis
- Sedum
- Senecio
- Senna
- Sesleria
- Sidalcea
- Silene
- Silphium
- Sisyrinchium
- Smyrnium
- Solidago
- Solidaster
- Sorghastrum
- Spartina
- Sporobolus
- Stachys
- Stipa
- Stokesia
- Symphyandra
- Symphytum
- Tanacetum
- Teucrium
- Tiarella
- Tricyrtis
- Trollius
- Typha
- Verbascum
- Verbena
- Vernonia
- Veronica
- Veronicastrum
- Viola
- Yucca
- Zantedeschia
Annuals in the cutting garden design are pretty much anything that gives you a stem over 6-inches in length (for shorter cut arrangements). This includes almost all the easily available annual flowers