There’s no denying that the cut flower world can feel dizzying if you’re just dipping your toes in – and long after truthfully! It’s easy to start scrolling on social media, pinning away, and feeling the urge to grow it all. Or maybe you feel intimidated and are hesitant to even get started.

Regardless of where you land, these are the cut flowers I would grow if I had to start over and only choose three varieties! Why these three? There is no seed-starting or pre-sprouting required, although you can if you want a jump start on the growing season. They are ‘cut-and-come-again’, meaning the more blooms you harvest, the more blooms the plant will continue to produce! And of course, all three are stunning in their shape, coloring, and make for great additions to any cut flower bouquet.

Let’s talk about: ZINNIAS, COSMOS, + DAHLIAS

1. ZINNIAS. I’ll be honest – the appearance of zinnias didn’t always have me excited during the growing season. But do you know what did? How easy they are to grow! Their germination rate has been incredible for me. Throw these seeds in the soil, and you can bet they’ll be popping up in no time at all. Stagger your planting dates by 1-2 weeks, and you’ll have a garden full of zinnias all season long. This year? Zinnias are some of the flowers I am most excited for thanks to the work of flower growers like Floret breeding varieties in gorgeous pastel shades of peach, honey, and blush. I’ll be in zinnia heaven this season!
2. COSMOS. Ohhh cosmos. While cosmos don’t have the most impressive vase life (only lasting up to ~5 or 6 days), they make up for it with their soft, whimsical appearance. They flutter in the breeze and are extremely productive in the garden – making them as practical of an addition to your grow space as they are beautiful! Once your last frost date has passed, simply sow seeds directly into your garden and you can expect cosmos alllll season long. I’ll never not grow cosmos!
3. DAHLIAS. I would classify zinnias and cosmos as ‘easy’ to grow, but I can’t say the same for dahlias. They are more finicky and labor-intensive, but what I can say is that they are worth it! Dahlias are planted as tubers (they can also be grown from seed and cuttings, but let’s talk tubers for the purposes of keeping things simple here) rather than seed and have a few extra growing requirements. So why did they make the list? Because the number of different forms and colors that you can find dahlias in is absolutely incredible. There is no flower like it! As mentioned previously, the more you cut a plants blooms, the more the plant will produce for you. Let’s take that one step further! Each season you plant one tuber, right? Each fall you are gifted with a clump of tubers than can be divided into many tubers! That means that one tuber gifted you multiple dahlia plants in the seasons to come. They are truly the flowers that keep on giving!

Zinnias. Cosmos. Dahlias. Three types of flowers that I recommend for any beginner cut flower gardener. You can plant in these in your garden this summer and guarantee an endless production of stunning blooms. Little prep work required and big return-on-investment! Happy growing!