Annuals

• While annuals only flower once a year, they bloom longer than most perennials. Plant annuals throughout the cutting garden, or create a specific space for them, if you're concerned about having bare spots. For flowers that are a bit shorter, zinnias, cleome and cosmos are among the best choices. For medium-height flowers select snapdragons, salvia and penstemon. For taller flowers plant delphinium and larkspur to give height to your floral arrangements and bouquets. Plant stock for a highly fragrant cut flower. Plant sunflowers to make cut flower arrangements to fill your kitchen with color and cheer.
  
  

Perennials

• Perennials help define and structure your cutting garden. Perennials with strong stems and showy flowers make the best choices. Columbine lends height and interest to bouquets and arrangements in tall vases. Bleeding hearts are best for dainty and feminine floral arrangements, weddings and to set a romantic dinner table. For summer color, plant poppies with their papery petals to create bouquets for gifts. Chrysanthemums provide flowers from summer through fall. Lupine is also a winner for color variations that even include bi-colored hybrids. Coneflowers are very hardy, adaptable, and produce pink, purple and white flowers.
  
  

Bulbs and Tubers

• Flowering bulbs stand alone in cut flower arrangements without help or support from other flowers or greenery. A simple vase of three to five white canna lilies, or a dozen irises will make an elegant statement. A vase of cheery tulips is an iconic way to say "hello spring." Hyacinths alone in a vase, or combined with a few stems of tuber roses or freesia fill the air with fragrance. Dahlias are a staple in cutting gardens and favored for their capability to bloom profusely and often.
  
  

Shrubs and Bushes

• Few cut flowers are as popular as roses. Among the hundreds of varieties and hybrids to choose from, some of the best roses, in terms of fragrance, perfume and blossom qualities are the Gertrude Jekyll, American Beauty and just about any cultivar or hybrid in the David Austin series. Peonies are a classic favorite that give arrangements a touch of southern charm with their extravagant wide blossoms and waxy green foliage.