To have a good cutting garden, we must plan carefully to ensure that there is a continuous succession of flowering and that the flowers, when picked, are ones that last in water indoors. A mix of annuals, biennials, perennials, and shrubs ensures that there is always something in bloom, summer through frost.
Some gardens include a separate cutting garden area where the plants are grown in rows. For example, a fenced 6x12-foot rectangular area in full sun can produce enough blooms for continual flower displays indoors summer through frost. A wooden fence or a brick wall, whatever fits best into an overall garden landscape, usually is the way to go, and there needs to be easy access from the house. Make the rows of plants from east to west from maximum sun exposure. Put the shortest plants in the southernmost rows and the tallest on the northern edge, so that they don't shade other plants.
Useful perennials include peonies, baby’s breath, phlox, foxglove, astilbe, lilies, Veronica, monkshood, campanula, monarda, liatris, achillea, and chrysanthemum. Annuals should include cleome, cosmos, snapdragon, zinnia, celosia, gomphrena.
