My gateway into cut flowers was perennials. When I was younger my mom and dad had a beautiful lily garden in front of our little shop, as well as a more manicured space by our dugout laden with delphiniums and other beautiful perennials (I for some reason only remember the delphiniums, but I know there was more!). As I grew old, I eagerly looked forward to the two weeks every year when all those perennials seemed to be in bloom and loved to make my own bouquets with them.
Once I discovered the world of annual cut flowers, I moved away from perennials for a while. But now that I’ve calmed down a little bit, I’m back to my first love and have made an effort to add more and more perennials to our acreage each growing season.
The flowers in this list are my tried-and-true perennials that I love to make bouquets from. Even if you don’t want to cut a single one, I’m sure you’ll enjoy having these beautiful blooms in your yard!
Where to Source Perennials
You can buy perennials from a garden centre, divide them from a friend’s established plants, or start them from seed. If you’re going to start them from seed, beware that most perennial seeds need a period to chill in your fridge or outdoors and usually need to be started under grow lights in February.
Whatever perennial you get, remember the phrase sleep, creep, leap. In the first year, a perennial won’t bloom or do much. In the second year, it will be a bit better and maybe have a bloom or two. And in the third year, it will make strides and have more blooms. In addition to this phrase, it’s good to remember that it will take until the fifth year for your perennial to be fully mature!
Now, onto the flowers!
Hero Flowers
Asiatic Lilies
Asiatic lilies are easy to grow and add a splash of colour to any cutting garden all summer long.
Daffodils
Daffodils come in lovely shades of cream, yellow, peach, and pink and are a welcome sight in spring.
Oriental Lilies
I have never been successful at overwintering Oriental lilies, however, I have it on good authority from one of the volunteers at the Canadian Prairie Lily Society that Oriental lilies need to be dug deeper than Asiatic lilies. If you bury them 7-8 inches (versus the usual 4-6), you should have better success!
Peonies
It’s no secret that peonies are some of my favourite blooms to see in the spring. I love arranging with these beautiful flowers, and hope to see some of my third-year plants blooming this growing season!
Related: Beginner’s Guide to Peonies: Growing Tips and Beautiful DIYs
Roses
I’ve become especially fond of growing roses in Zone 3 since growing the own-root roses from Heirloom Roses. There are so many more beautiful varieties than you’d think for our cold climate!
Related: Growing Roses in a Cold Climate (and the Varieties that Won’t Die!)
Tulips
Related: How to Plant Tulips Like a Flower Farmer
Spikes
Anise Hyssop
Anise hyssop is an easy-to-grow summer-blooming perennial. If you have poor soil, this is a good choice for your cut flower garden!
Related: How to Grow a Low-Maintenance, Wildflower Garden
Delphiniums
Delphiniums come in many striking shades, but I find they take about five years to reach their full potential. Once they’ve established, you’ll have beautiful blooms every year!
Related: How to Grow Delphiniums from Seed in Zone 3
Goldenrod
This beautiful yellow flower is a lovely choice for late summer to early fall bouquets. It is a native plant on the prairies, which makes them a low-maintenance, easy-to-grow option!
Related: 27 Drought-Tolerant Native Plants for the Prairies
Liatris
Liatris is great if you’re looking for an easy-to-grow pollinator-friendly flower! A perfect choice for a low-maintenance flower bed.
Related: 44 Pollinator-Friendly Flowers and Herbs to Help Save the Bees
Lilacs
Lilacs are beautiful spring-blooming flowers that come in shades of white, pink, and purple. Their scent is truly representative of spring!
Related: 20+ Beautiful Spring Blooming Perennial Flowers, Trees, and Shrubs
Veronica
These long-blooming flowers are another lovely choice for a hit of purple in bouquets!
Related: 20+ Long-Blooming Perennials to Grow in Zone 3
Fillers
Apple Blossoms
Chamomile
Chamomile can be direct-seeded and is a great choice for drying and using in teas and tinctures. If you’re lucky, you might already have this growing as a weed in your garden!
Lady’s Mantle
These late-spring bloomers are a fun surprise in bouquets because of their unique, lime-green hue.
Milkweed
Ninebark
Ninebark is a versatile plant that can be used in bloom or out of bloom. It comes in a range of colours from lime green to the beautiful burgundy you see in this photo.
Yarrow
Yarrow generally blooms from late spring to late summer and comes in a variety of gorgeous colours!
Supporting Flowers
Columbine
Columbine grows well under deciduous trees, attracts hummingbirds to your yard, and can thrive in both part shade and full sun!
Related: 32 Flowers, Ground Cover, and Shrubs That Grow Under Trees
Echinacea
Echinacea is a drought-tolerant flower that is both beautiful in bouquets and useful in teas and tinctures.
Rudbeckia
Not all varieties of this fall-blooming flower are hardy to Zone 3, but their cheery faces can brighten up any bouquet!
Scabiosa
Also known as pincushions, these lovely little flowers make excellent seed pods when they’re finished blooming!
Related: 25+ Best Flowers to Grow for Dried Flower Arrangements
Specials
Chinese Lanterns
Chinese lanterns can be invasive, so plant with caution!
Related: 30 Perennials You’ll Regret Planting in Your Zone 3 Garden
Eryngium
Also known as sea holly, these unique, globe-like flowers are the perfect shade of blue for cold climate cutting gardens!
Related: Feeling Blue in the Garden? These Flowers Have Your Back!
Greens
Over the years, I’ve clipped most of my perennial greens from my trees. My favourites are willows, caragana, and sagebrush.
False Spirea
I use false spirea both fresh and dried for their spikey flowers or their greens! They are versatile and add a lovely texture to any bouquet.
Mint
Mint smells and tastes delicious and is a wonderfully versatile crop. That being said, mint can be quite invasive, so, if you’re concerned about it overtaking your harden, I often suggest growing it in pots!
Related: The Best Vegetables, Herbs, & Flowers for Container Gardening
If you liked this blog post, find me on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram for more cold-climate vegetable gardening tips, delicious recipes, and cut flower goodness! I also make weekly videos over on my YouTube channel. I hope to see you there!
WANT TO LEARN THE SECRETS TO ARRANGING A BEAUTIFUL BOUQUET, EVERY TIME?
Bouquets Made Beautiful includes a collection of my best bouquets of all sizes, throughout all seasons, including a flower-by-flower list with pictures for every single one! I also share my favourite colour palettes that I return to over and over again. Whether you’re a backyard gardener or a farmer florist, this highly visual ebook will help you create better-looking bouquets and give you more confidence that you’re growing the right things.
If you’re planning for an event and ready to take your flower farming to the next level, this ebook is also available in the DIY Wedding Bundle alongside Cut Flowers Made Simple and the Flower Farmer Garden Planner.
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