Herbs can be a great addition to your cut flower farming. Odds are your mind goes to zinnias, sunflowers and dahlias. These are classics among the cut flower world. But while focal flowers are great, every cut flower garden needs a bit of greenery! Greenery adds texture and intrigue to cut flower bouquets and arrangements, and is an absolute must for your cut flower garden.
Thankfully, growing greenery can be simple. You might already be growing some wonderful cut flower foliage in your garden without even realizing it. My trick for amazing bouquets? Herbs! That’s right, herbs can make excellent cut flowers and are a wonderful addition to flower bouquets. Not only are they easy to grow, but they add a wonderful fragrance to your cut flower bouquets.
Fragrant Mint
Mint is perhaps the easiest herb to grow on this list, but you’ve got to be careful planting this one. Plant mint in pots, raised beds or in an area in which it cannot spread, as mint can quickly take over if left unattended for too long.
This herb comes in countless varieties such as orange mint, chocolate mint and pineapple mint, each with a unique look and delicious fragrance. A well-established stand of mint can easily produce towering stems that will last and last in a cut flower arrangement.
Herbal Blooms: Dill
Nothing says cut flowers quite like the classic scent of pickles! Okay, I know it sounds odd, but this wonderful herb brings a fresh airiness to any flower bouquet.
Dill, as we all know, is tasty in the kitchen. But when you let it bloom, the umbrella-like blooms are perfect in a cut flower bouquet. Bouquet dill specifically makes an excellent choice.
And don’t worry about that pickle smell. The interest and unique freshness often is a good selling point. It’s something different, and people love a little bit of intrigue!
Fragrant Herbs: Lavender
No herbs-as-cut-flowers list would be complete without lavender. Lavender is a beautiful and fragrant cut flower that can be utilized fresh or dry. This is a major benefit to growing lavender as you can extend your sales window and there is less pressure to move the fresh product.
Pollinators love lavender, and so do people! It’s edible and can be used in baked goods, beverages and in cosmetics.
Blooms & Scent: Basil
Basil is my personal favorite on this list. The annual is easy to grow from seed and perfect in both the kitchen and in cut flower arrangements.
When you’re not harvesting every single leaf to make delicious pesto, you can easily cut these stems and add a fragrant note to any bouquet. You can also let the basil bloom to add yet another texture to your bouquets.
Furthermore, basil’s vase life is incredible, and the herb will even begin to root in the water. You can replant it from the vase to begin the cycle all over again.
Herbal Greenery: Rosemary
Rosemary might not be as readily known for use as cut flower foliage. But the delicious scent and long-lasting vase life make it a wonderful addition.
These shrubby bushes can get very large and put off decent-sized stems that can easily tuck into your arrangements. The unique foliage adds a lovely texture and is a wonderful complement to wreaths and garlands as well as market bouquets.
This story about herbs that make great cut flowers was written for Hobby Farms magazine online and is regularly updated for accuracy. Click here to subscribe.
