Top 5 Perennials for Your Cutting Garden
Updated: Dec 18, 2022
We know what you're thinking: "Only five?!"
I had to limit it somewhere, and man, was it tough to narrow down.
As a regenerative farm, perennials are a major staple in our crop plan. Perennials require minimal soil disturbance and labor each season. Though some need to be divided every 3-5 years, they are a great, low-maintenance option for getting reliable blooms every year. Bonus: Some perennials bloom between cool and warm-season annuals making it perfect to fill that May/June gap.
If you are looking to start a perennial cutting garden of your own, then here are the top five perennials Chris and I would recommend:
Baptisia
You guessed it. I will always include baptisia on this list because it is the gift that keeps on giving!
I adore this plant for so many reasons. First - it’s native! This plant is easy to grow and very drought resistant once established. They take a few years to mature, but once they do, they are a true garden workhorse. Mature plants send up dozens of stems every spring, and the foliage is gorgeous throughout the summer. We use the dusty, spring-green foliage in our bouquets. Bonus: It comes in many different colors and is deer and rabbit resistant!
2. Yarrow
Ahh, yarrow. Another of my favorite native perennials. These plants throw up a few dozen stems in early summer for a late June display of gorgeous flower clusters. They last forever in a vase and even dry well. Plants tend to be healthy, robust and prolific. They can be a bit of a thug in the garden if you don’t weed out volunteers, but honestly, you can never have too many of this plant if you love cut flowers. And of course, it’s deer and rabbit resistant!
3. Rudbeckia
Rudbeckia, aka Black Eyed Susan, is another fantastic native perennial with amazing vase life. There are so many different varieties of rudbeckia. Our favorites include Rudbeckia Triloba (cheerful sprays of small yellow flowers, though this is a short-lived variety), ‘Irish Spring’ (green centers instead of the traditional brown), and ‘Indian Summer’ (large, quintessential rudbeckia blooms). Another deer and rabbit resistant choice.
4. Eryngium
I know what you're thinking: "Why would I want to put a thistle in my garden?" Because eryngium is an absolute stunner. Trust me - I was skeptical too. Eryngium lasts forever in a vase and dries beautifully. They add the perfect element of silvery blue (or white!) to an arrangement or in your garden. And again: they are deer and rabbit resistant!
(left) A bucket of yarrow and blue eryngium.
This mix would last weeks together in a vase.
5. Peony
