The Best Flowering Shrubs for Cut Flowers
We love the charming elegance that our garden flowers bring to our backyards. With so many gorgeous shapes, scents, and colours, nobody can blame us for wanting to bring a bit of their style inside. The summer season always seems a little too short, so cutting flowers from your yard to bring indoors is the perfect way to make the most out of the best that your garden has to offer.
There are all kinds of iconic blooms that come from common shrubs that make enjoying your flowers in every way possible easier. Who doesn’t want to have some homegrown beauty lighting up their kitchen or living room? These are some of our favourite flowering shrubs to cut flowers from to enjoy inside:
Roses
Roses are an easy winner for the most universally beloved and sought-after cut flower. These blooms are gorgeous, delicately intricate, and come in a stunning variety to suit any taste. They’re a symbol of love and friendship, and we can’t help but associate them with gestures of romance
and affection. Why not take some of their charm indoors to enjoy, or surprise a friend or loved one with a homegrown bouquet?
As such a popular flower, there are dizzying numbers of rose varieties, offering choices in blooms, hardiness, size, and care needs. Roses have a bit of an earned reputation as finicky and difficult plants to grow, but newer hybrid varieties have started to offer gardeners the same gorgeous blooms with less particular care needs. There are so many options that the decision for what variety of rose to plant really comes down to gardener choice. While each type has its own set of particular needs, they all generally need lots of sunlight and rich, well-draining soil with some mulch. Water deeply every week and prune just before blooming season for a shrub bursting with blossoms for both your yard and home.
Hydrangeas
These shrubs boast spectacular blooms that are amazing for cutting. They simply overflow with globes of blossoms that are brimming with colour and bubbly personality. Many gardeners favour these plants for the fun that they offer them in the garden. Anyone can play at being a mad scientist
with their hydrangeas, tinkering with the soil chemistry to change the colours of their flowers! These shrubs will give a lot in return for only a little work, making their stately and effortless beauty all the better to enjoy.
Plant where they will enjoy morning sun, but only dappled sunlight into the afternoon, and sheltered from strong winds. Hydrangeas love rich soil and will benefit from mulch to keep the moisture levels at their roots consistent on dry days. Make sure to prune right after blooming to promote more gorgeous blossoms for next season. Cut these flowers when they are fully open and at their prettiest to help them last longer, dazzling in your home.
Lilacs
Lilacs are famous for their delicious fragrance, but their pretty flowers certainly don’t disappoint either. These blooms are so iconic that they have become the namesake for the shade of purple that decorates their petals, but they’re also available in an array of other colours and shades to suit your
tastes and decor. These are an excellent choice in a vast arrangement, as they lighten up the room while adding a delicate, summery scent to your home! Make sure to keep their vase full of fresh water to keep these thirsty flowers looking their best after they’re cut.
Plant your lilac in full sun in rich and well-draining soil. They love moisture but won’t tolerate wet feet. Mulch will be key to keep them happy by keeping the moisture locked in the soil without drowning them. Prune your lilacs every year after they bloom to encourage an even more impressive display next season. If you want to display cut flowers inside, cut them when they are only half-opened for most enduring results.
Azaleas
These might be among the more famous varieties of Rhododendrons – and with their drop-dead gorgeous beauty, it’s not hard to imagine why! These flowers offer breathtaking clusters of unique, trumpet-like flowers. Azaleas are most known for their shades of pink and purple flowers, but many
other coloured varieties are equally as charming.
To grow your Azaleas at home, start them off in well-draining, acidic soil. Staying on the acidic side is essential to help them develop properly without suffering from yellowing leaves. Choose a location with dappled sunlight and protection from strong winds and weather. Generally, these flowers are low-maintenance if you start them out right and mulch them. They will only need a little bit of extra water in dry spells or if you notice their leaves curling. Nurture them with a high-acid fertilizer annually and prune them right after their blooming ends for gorgeous flowers year after year.
Mockorange
Just as their name suggests, this shrub doesn’t grow oranges, but it could certainly fool you. They offer delicate, white flowers that look nearly identical to orange blossoms, and they even release a delicious citrus scent that you, your family, and the local butterflies will adore. While they only
bloom for a short period they have wonderfully brooding, dark green foliage that makes a fun contrast in your yard or a great accent as a cutting. You might not get to enjoy tasty citrus fruits from this shrub, but you’ll love its southern appeal and pretty charm.
Plant your Mockorange in full sun or partial shade in well-draining soil that’s had a boost of compost. Keep the soil moist as it first gets established, but afterwards enjoy its low-maintenance upkeep. Water during dry spells when precipitation isn’t quite enough, and prune annually just after blooming for delightfully citrus-like blooms annually without all the effort.
It’s wonderful to be able to enjoy the best colours of the summer right inside your home, to savour the most beautiful fruits of your garden as much as you can. Simply cut your blooms early in the morning, trim on a 45° angle, and you, your family, and your friends can enjoy your flowers inside, as well as in the garden.