Cut Flower Garden: Top Choices
Dahlias are a MUST in a zone 6b cut flower garden. Every colour, shape, size. Remember to pinch! I like these singles because they are pollinator-friendly.
Dahlias can be started from seed (for a surprise) or from a tuber if you are looking to add a specific type or colour. Most dahlias will produce one bloom every day!
Tulips come in every shape and size, with bloom times varying from early to late spring. These parrot tulips are gorgeous. If harvesting, be sure to cut the stem at the lowest possible point and leave the foliage to die back naturally.
There is a sunflower for everyone. My personal favourite is the Teddy Bear sunflower. This one is much shorter than its taller friends, but can make an excellent cut flower. Direct sow in full sun after your last frost.
Strawflowers are a fun, colourful flower that adds a lot of joy to the garden. As a cool season flower, it can be planted out early (even a couple weeks before last frost) and give you blooms all summer long.
Bells of Ireland should be a staple in the cut flower garden. This show-stopping green goddess does very well in a vase as part of an arrangement and it's quite easy to grow.
If you are willing to fight off the red lily beetle (an invasive insect in Ontario), Asiatic lilies are a crowd pleaser. While I don't love the scent, the blooms are spectacular. VERY easy to grow from bulbs planted in early spring or fall.