Whether you’re dreaming of a garden bursting with every colour of the rainbow or simply looking to add a pop of your favourite colour to your garden bed, this post has you covered! I’ve rounded up my top red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, white, brown, and black flowers—all in one easy place. Browse the quick lists below, then click each link for specific varieties, growing insights, and beautiful photos.
Without further ado, here are some of my favourite blooms for my cold-climate flower garden, one colour at a time!
Best Red Flowers
- Amaranth
- Asiatic Lily
- Dahlia
- Dogwood
- Geranium
- Gladiolus
- Maltese Cross
- Orach
- Poppy
- Ranunculus
- Rose
- Scabiosa
- Snapdragon
- Strawflower
- Sunflower
- Zinnia
For specific varieties and more about each flower, check out this blog post!
Best Orange Flowers
- Celosia
- Chinese Lantern
- Dahlia
- Globe Flower
- Gomphrena
- Lisianthus
- Marigold
- Ranunculus
- Rudbeckia
- Snapdragon
- Strawflower
- Zinnia
For specific varieties and more about each flower, check out this blog post!
Best Yellow Flowers
- Calendula
- Dahlia
- Feverfew
- Forsythia
- Goldenrod
- Marigold
- Ranunculus
- Rose
- Rudbeckia
- Strawflower
- Sunflower
- Tulip
For specific varieties and more about each flower, check out this blog post!
Best Green Flowers
- Amaranth
- Basil
- Bells of Ireland
- Bupleurum
- Cosmos Greens
- Cress
- Dill
- Eucalyptus
- Frosted Explosion Grass
- Hostas
- Lady’s Mantle
- Lemon Balm
- Marigold Greens
- Ninebark
- Poppy Seed Head
- Tarragon
- Willow
- Zinnias
For specific varieties and more about each flower, check out this blog post!
Best Blue Flowers
- Bachelor’s Button
- Borage
- Delphinium
- Eryngium
- Flax
- Forget-Me-Not
- Garden Huckleberry
- Nigella
- Statice
- Tweedia
For specific varieties and more about each flower, check out this blog post!
Best Purple Flowers
- Ageratum
- Allium
- Anise Hyssop
- Clumping Bell Flower
- Corn Cockle
- Dahlia
- Delphinium
- Gladiolus
- Gomphrena
- Honeywort
- Larkspur
- Lemon Bergamot
- Liatris
- Lilac
- Ornamental Kale
- Pansy
- Poppy
- Snapdragon
- Statice
- Strawflower
- Sweet Pea
- Tulip
- Zinnia
For specific varieties and more about each flower, check out this blog post!
Best Pink Flowers
- Apple Blossom
- Cosmos
- Dahlia
- Godetia
- Lavatera
- Lilac
- Lily
- Peony
- Ranunculus
- Rose
- Saponaria
- Snapdragon
- Statice
- Stock
- Strawflower
- Tulip
- Yarrow
- Zinnia
For specific varieties and more about each flower, check out this blog post!
Best White Flowers
- Anemone
- Aster
- Baby’s Breath
- Cosmos
- Dahlia
- Feverfew
- Gladiolus
- Lisianthus
- Peony
- Phlox
- Queen Anne’s Lace
- Ranunculus
- Saponaria
- Snapdragon
- Statice
- Strawflower
- Sunflower
- Winged Everlasting
- Yarrow
For specific varieties and more about each flower, check out this blog post!
Best Brown Flowers
- Amaranth
- Burnet
- Celosia
- Cosmos
- Dahlia
- Dara
- Dried False Spirea
- Dried Sweet Annie
- Lisianthus
- Orach
- Rudbeckia
- Sunflower
For specific varieties and more about each flower, check out this blog post!
Best Black Flowers
NOTE: I don’t typically grow black flowers, so unlike the other colours in this rainbow series, this section doesn’t link to a separate blog post. I’ve listed specific varieties below, but since I haven’t grown many of them myself, I don’t have much insight or many photos to share. Some of the flowers listed are true black, while others are near-black tones that work well in moody arrangements.
- Bianco Centro Nero Anemone (for their black centres)
- Black Button Bachelor’s Button
- Black Cat Petunia
- Black Devil Pansy
- Black Magic Petunia
- Black Night Pincushion
- Black Peony Poppy
- Bowles Black Pansy
- Hollyhill Black Dahlia
- Landini Asiatic Lily
- Midnight Pumpkin
- Midnight Sweet Pea
- Nightrider Asiatic Lily
- Purple Majesty Ornamental Grass
- Queen of the Night Tulip
Are there any flowers I missed? Let me know in the comments!
If you liked this blog post, find me on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram to follow more of my farmer florist journey and join in the cut flower conversation! I also make weekly videos on my YouTube channel. You can also sign up for bouquet-making events and buy my flowers at my sister site Shifting Blooms. I hope to see you there!
SERIOUS ABOUT STARTING A CUT FLOWER GARDEN BUT NEED MORE HELP?
The Ultimate Cut Flower Bundle has everything you need! Learn exactly which flowers to grow for blooms all season long, get done-for-you plans and a system to create your own so you can grow exactly what works for you. You’ll get Cut Flowers Made Simple, Bouquets Made Beautiful, The Cut Flower Seed Saving Companion, so you can save some serious money on seeds, and my Flower Farmer Garden Planner.
It’s exactly what the beginner cut flower gardener needs to be in blooms as long as possible and to avoid all those new-grower mistakes. It’s like your skip-to-the-front-of-the-line growing guide for every part of the cut flower growing journey. If you bought each one of these ebooks separately, it would be $84. But with the bundle, you get it all for only $72!
Join the conversation