Vases & Vistas: 8 Perennials for Cut Flowers
‘Tis the season for flowers, and here in Abbotsford, we’re watching all of our favourite perennials make their triumphant return for another season of beautiful blooms. After all, the best thing about perennials is knowing they’ll show up again year after year, giving a sense of hope after a long winter and adorning our landscapes with their gorgeous colours and scents. Perennials are for more than just borders, however. In fact, they’re adored as staples of cut flower gardens worldwide. With that in mind, we’ve hand-picked some of our favourite perennials you need to grow this year for jaw-dropping bouquets, vases, and arrangements all summer long!
Best Perennials for Cut Flowers in Abbotsford
Grow these gorgeous perennials anywhere in your garden, but be sure to add them to your cut flower arrangements this year!
Delphiniums: One of the most vibrant hardy perennials you plant in your landscape or add to a cut flower garden is the Delphinium, and you won’t be disappointed with their height or vibrant colours. With radiant, enchanting hues of blues and purples, delphiniums delight with towering spikes of flowers from June to September and dominate perennial borders and cut flower gardens alike.
When using Delphiniums as a cut flower, make sure to remove any leafy foliage that sits below the water line and cut their stems tall enough to allow the flower clusters to clear the height of the vase.
Dahlias: The most celebrated cut flower in the world, the dahlia is a must-have for your Abbotsford cut flower garden! Typically planted as an annual, dahlia tubers can be overwintered here in B.C. and so can be replanted every spring. With an enormous range of colours and bloom types, use dahlias in wedding bouquets, floral arrangements, or anywhere you want to show off a beautifully perfect summer flower. Give these top performers plenty of sun and water deeply once established.
Crocosmia: This flower is sure to add a dramatic flair to your cut-flower garden with its fiery red blooms! Not only are they tall, but their sword-like leaves also create an interesting texture in the garden alongside the tubular flowers that open from the bottom up. Better still, hummingbirds absolutely adore them! Grow these at the back of your border and stake them as required.
Peony: Always a show-stopper with their large, plump blooms and lush foliage, peonies are dreamy perennials that are perfect for garden beds, container gardens and—of course—as cut flowers. There are several types of peonies you can grow, but all herbaceous peonies stay in high demand among floral designers for their high-quality blooms and vase life.
Yarrow: A low-maintenance and versatile perennial, yarrow is another top pick as a garden border, container plant, and cut flower. With tall stems and clusters of small flowers, their variety of textures and colours make them exciting additions to any cut flower arrangement. They’re also great at attracting pollinators—especially butterflies—who enjoy using yarrow’s easy-to-access “landing pad” to collect nectar. Yarrow can usually be found in shades of white, yellow and pink.
Japanese Anemone: One of our favourites for a cut flower garden or in a perennial border or cottage garden selection, these delicate little blooms are perfectly graceful. While not terribly dramatic visually, their simplicity adds something natural and refined to cut flower arrangements and exudes a bit of Zen anywhere you plant them. Native to China, this “windflower” perennial can be found in shades of white and pink.
Coreopsis: This bright yellow perennial has a longer-than-average bloom time, making it a great cut flower option since it’ll last longer in your arrangements. Many coreopsis cultivars bloom vigorously in a garden bed and last about two weeks after harvesting. Coreopsis blooms are delicate but attract a variety of important local pollinators here in Abbotsford.
Salvia: We’re saving the best for last with this one! Salvia is our top pick for adding vertical interest to cut flower arrangements and is a must-have perennial for any garden. With tall, arching stems and gorgeous blooms of purple, pink and red, salvias like clary sage and blue bedder sage are sure to make any vase pop with excitement.
If you’re looking to grow perennials for cut flower gardens in Abbotsford this year, we hope you’ll try some of our top picks to up the beauty, hardiness, and height of your arrangements. Need some more inspiration? Come kickstart your cut flower garden today by stopping by the greenhouse and checking out what we have in stock!