Getting a late start on your garden this year? Dealing with a short growing season for the first time? You’re not out of luck! Plenty of flowers grow quickly and will still give you gorgeous blooms before the season ends.
In this post, I’ll share a roundup of some of the best fast-growing flowers to grow in a cold climate!
Want some edible options? Check out this post for fast-growing vegetables for short-season gardeners!
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Quick Blooms for a Short Season
Baby’s Breath: 45-60 Days
The Baby’s breath you grow is much prettier than the baby’s breath in the grocery store. I always grow a couple of successions, so I have it throughout the season. I plant it among other flowers, so I can still enjoy it without giving up too much space to a filler flower.
Perennial varieties of baby’s breath are considered noxious weeds in many places. Where I live in Zone 3, Saskatchewan, you can get a pretty hefty fine if you grow it in your garden, so stick to annual varieties!
Calendula: 50-60 Days
You’ll only have to seed it once, because calendula will reseed itself every year after that. So pick a variety you really like! Many flower growers choose calendula for its medicinal properties to use in soaps, lotions, and other concoctions.
I prefer the varieties in more muted tones, like the one below, but you can find calendula in a whole host of bright colours!
Forget-Me-Nots: 60-85 Days
Forget-me-nots come in three different colours: classic blue, a pink that is pretty easy to find, and a purple that is a bit rarer. I think they get their name for a couple of reasons: First, the seeds are super sticky and will stick to your hands and clothes (so you’ll literally never forget them!).
Second, they are prolific self-seeders, so they’ll be in your garden for years to come. Unfortunately, for me with my sandy soil, they do not self-seed prolifically. I wish they did! I love them that much.
Nigella: 65-75 Days
Also known as Love is a Mist, nigella creates lovely seed pods that are a unique addition to floral arrangements. These flowers come in classic blue, or they also come in shades of white and purple. They’re super easy to seed save, so they’re a great choice if you’d like to save money on next year’s flowers!
Saponaria: 80-100 Days
Saponaria comes in white and pink, and is a nice alternative to baby’s breath. I like to grow multiple successions of it in both colours!
Single-Stem Sunflowers: 55-70 Days
Single-stem sunflowers have a much quicker date to maturity than branching varieties. Though I typically prefer branching varieties, I love the ProCut White Lite variety and grow it every year!
Flowers to Skip if You’re Short on Time
Any flower that needs to be started more than six weeks before your last frost date isn’t going to be fast-blooming. Think dahlias, eucalyptus, gladiolus, lisianthus, and snapdragons. They’re all beautiful options, but they’re not great if you’re short on time.
Even though zinnias and cosmos have relatively short days-to-maturity (around 70–80 days), that number only refers to the first bloom. It doesn’t mean you’ll have armfuls of flowers ready for your kitchen table at the 80-day mark!
Related: Cut Flower Seed Starting Schedule
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READY TO GROW YOUR OWN BEAUTIFUL CUT FLOWER GARDEN WITHOUT THE HASSLE?
I’ve taken all the guesswork out of creating a cut flower garden with my e-book, Cut Flowers Made Simple. Whether you’re a farmer florist, a beginner gardener, or anything in between, you’ll be able to start your own cut flower garden, with or without seed starting, growing annual flowers.
Rachel