A Small Cutting Garden Plan for Beautiful, Homegrown Bouquets

Create a gorgeous cut-flower garden and stunning bouquets using my simple cutting garden plan. You’ll grow dahlias, zinnias, dill, celosia, basil, and sage and find variety recommendations for five different color schemes to customize your garden to your aesthetic.

Using this plan will help your cutting garden be a beautiful and productive space to create stunning bouquets for your home or to share with others!

Looking for my themed vegetable garden plans? Head over here to find them all.

I started growing cut flowers intentionally two years ago, and I don’t regret devoting more space to flowers in my garden. I love creating fresh arrangements and gifting bouquets throughout the growing season. Before I had a purposeful cut-flower garden, I couldn’t bring myself to cut the flowers I was growing in the landscape or for pollinators in my vegetable garden.

I wanted everything to be floriferous and beautiful all the time! But since creating a flower garden that is meant to be cut and harvested regularly, I’ve begun to appreciate having those landscape and garden flowers indoors on my kitchen counter where I can see them up close and actually enjoy them more fully than if they were left growing outdoors.

If you are thinking of starting a cut-flower garden, do it! Make this your most flower-filled year yet! I’ve written a post on how to start your dream cut-flower garden here, if you need help getting started.

Once you have the garden prepped, you’ll be able to use this planting plan to fill the bed with wonderful plants!

Cutting Garden Tips

• Deadhead regularly. If you aren’t cutting flowers often for bouquets, go through the garden and deadhead spent flowers before they go to seed. This will help keep flowering plants alive productive.
• Pinch (cut off) main growing tips when plants are young. This will signal the plant to branch out from the cut resulting in more stems. More stems means more flowers to harvest!
• Cut deeply. Cut long stems, even if you won’t use the whole stem. This will help your plant continue growing long stems throughout the season.
• Use plant supports. Fluffy flowers are heavy, and tall flowering plants benefit from stakes or cages to support them and keep them from falling over. Install plant supports right after planting to keep from damaging flowers when they are growing.
• Plant in full sun. These herbs and flowers love being in full sun and will thrive with 8+ hours of bright light. Basil is the exception, as it prefers to be shaded in the heat of the day and can handle less sun than the others.
• Place largest plants in the back. This garden plan is oriented with the top facing north and the bottom of the bed facing south. So, place the dahlias on the north end of the bed, and the shorter sage and dill on the south end to maximize sunlight for the whole garden.

The Stars of the Starter Cutting Garden

I’ve chosen 6 different types of plants for a beginner cutting garden that ranges from show-stopping focal blooms, productive filler flowers, textural elements, thrilling spike flowers, and scented foliage.

These plants are:

• Dahlias
• Zinnias
• Celosia
• Basil
• Dill
• Sage

I grow these 6 plants in my gardens almost every year, and I know they look beautiful together in bouquets.

This plan is for a 4’x4′ raised bed or in-ground garden. You can also grow these plants in containers. Just select the deepest containers you can for each plant.

Let’s talk about these 6 plants and how to grow them.

Dahlias

Dahlias are show-stoppers with their big, bold blooms and variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. You could grow a whole cutting garden full of the different types of dahlias and have endless combinations of bouquets.

Make sure to choose a dahlia variety that grows 36″ or taller for the best floral stems.

Dahlias love full sun and rich, well-draining soil and require a strong stake or cage to keep the heavy blooms upright. For cutting, harvest them when the blooms are fully open but not yet starting to fade (check the back of the flower for browning)—this will give your bouquets the longest life!

Plant one dahlia per square foot of this plan.

Zinnias

Zinnias are easy to grow and come in a rainbow of colors! They’re perfect for cutting gardens because they bloom profusely throughout the summer and last a long time in the vase. They’re also heat-tolerant and can handle a little neglect, making them a great choice for beginners.

I love growing zinnias so much that I wrote a whole post about growing them!

Be sure to choose a zinnia variety that produces long stems.

To harvest zinnia blooms, give each stem a wiggle before cutting. If the stem feels stiff and firm, go ahead and cut it. If the stem is flexible and bendy, leave the flower alone for another day or two and then test again.

You can plant 5 zinnias per square foot of this plan.

Celosia

Celosia’s vibrant, feather-like blooms are perfect for adding spiky dimension and a pop of color to your bouquets. These flowers thrive in full sun and well-drained soil, and they’re heat-resistant, which makes them perfect for a cutting garden during the warmer months.

I prefer the wheat and plume types of celosia, and I think both work very well for this particular cutting garden plan.

Make sure you select a celosia plant that grows 36″ or taller. Bedding varieties are too short for flower arranging.

Each square foot can handle two celosia plants.

Dill

Dill isn’t just for cooking—its feathery foliage and yellow flowers add a delicate, airy touch to arrangements. Plus, the scent of dill pairs beautifully with other flowers and the other herbs in this planting plan.

I like to wait for the flowers to begin going to seed and harvesting dill when it has green seed. The texture that dill adds to bouquets is amazing, and it will last for a long time if you allow the flower to go to seed before harvesting.

Bouquet dill (that’s the variety name) has long stems and large flower heads. Plant four of these per square foot.

Grow dill in well-drained soil and full sun. It grows quickly, so it’s a nice filler for your bouquets. Replant dill throughout the season as needed.

Basil

Basil is a fantastic herb with a delicious scent for both culinary use and cut flowers. The spires of tiny white or purple flowers that bloom on basil plants will add a lovely, fragrant touch to your bouquets. I highly recommend growing a scented variety like lemon, lime or cinnamon!

Harvest basil early in the morning when it is fully hydrated and make sure it gets in water right away to keep it from wilting. Cut stems regularly to keep it producing, and make sure it gets plenty of sun and moisture.

Plant four basil plants per square foot.

Sage

Sage is a perennial herb that is drought-tolerant and carefree. In the spring, it will have spikes of purple or blue flowers, but that’s not really why we want it for our cut-flower garden.

Instead, we want its beautiful silvery foliage, that is reminiscent of eucalyptus, but far more tolerant of cold temperatures and easier to grow for Northern gardeners!

I prefer growing common sage for my bouquets, but you could choose tricolor sage if you want some extra color.

Sage likes full sun and well-drained soil. It can be a little slower to produce stems, but once it starts, it’ll provide a steady supply of cutting material. I would recommend buying a started sage plant over growing it from seed to give you a head start on the season.

You’ll only need one sage plant per square foot of the garden.

Free Download of the Starter Cutting Garden Plan

Color Combinations for Your Cutting Garden

One thing I found helpful for creating flower arrangements is pairing the right colors.

There are enough varieties of dahlias, zinnias, and celosia that you could make an endless number of color combos. In fact, if you just love color and are just starting your cut-flower journey, I would recommend getting pre-made mixes of zinnia and celosia seeds to be able to grow a rainbow of colors.

For zinnias, Benary’s Giants and the Oklahoma series are colorful and exciting. For celosia, Pampas Plume or the Sunday mix are popular mixes.

But I like a good theme, so I’ve also come up with 5 different color schemes for you to try. Here are my suggestions for different color schemes including the flower varieties you can use to achieve each aesthetic.

Peachy Pinks

Dahlias: Linda’s Baby, Clearview Peachy, Peaches N’Cream, KA’s Boho Peach, Coralie, Ferncliff Copper

Zinnias: Oklahoma Salmon, Benary’s Salmon Rose, Benary’s Giant Coral, Señora, Queeny Lime Orange

Celosia: Flamingo, Sunday Bright Pink, Celway Purple

Autumn Blaze

Dahlias: Maarn/Sylvia, Cornel Bronze, Cornel, Coseytown Bounty, Crichton Honey, Brown Sugar, Ali Oop, Bloomquist Globe

Zinnias: Queeny Lime Orange, Benary’s Giant Wine, Benary’s Giant Yellow, Queeny Lemon Peach, Oklahoma Golden Yellow, Persian Carpet

Celosia: Celway Terracotta, Sunday Orange, Sunday Gold, Celway Red, Sunday Cherry, Pampas Plume Tall Blend

Pastels

Dahlias: Snoho Sonia, Genova, Lavender Perfection, Chilson’s Pride, Wyn’s New Pastel, Gitts Perfection, Wizard of Oz, Charlotte Mae

Zinnias: Ballerina, Dawn Creek Pastels, Oklahoma Pink, Zinderella Pastels, Oklahoma Ivory, Queen Lime Blush

Celosia: Flamingo Feather, Shimmer

Classic Whites (and Greens)

Dahlias: Blizzard, Allie White, Andrea Lawson, Boom Boom White, Bride to Be, Ferncliff Alpine

Zinnias: Oklahoma White, Polar Bear, Envy, Benary’s Giant White, Benary’s Giant Lime, Queen Lime

Celosia: Sylphid, Xantippe, Celway White

Dark and Moody

Dahlias: Chimacum Troy, Ivanetti, Diva, Rip City, Jowey Mirella, Karma Choc, Black Narcissus, Hollyhill Black Beauty

Zinnias: Benary’s Giant Purple, Benary’s Giant Deep Red, Benary’s Giant Wine, Queeny Red Lime

Celosia: Sunday Wine Red, Flamingo Purple

Where to Buy Seeds and Tubers

Your local nursery should be well-stocked with seeds, seedlings, and dahlia tubers. Big box stores with garden centers will carry seeds and dahlias as well.

You can also shop online. Dahlia tubers usually are available for pre-order in the winter and ship in the spring if you order online. Outside of that window of time, you’ll have to try shopping in person or asking your gardening friends for tubers.

If you’re looking for a specific variety of dahlia, you’ll have to buy tubers. If you don’t really care what kind you get, you can try growing dahlias from seed. I don’t recommend this for a small cutting garden because dahlia genetics are unpredictable and you could end up with a dahlia that doesn’t flower productively or have long enough stems for the vase.

Here are a few places I recommend for buying seeds and tubers. Some of these are affiliate links, so I could earn a small commission if you purchase here at no cost to you. And some links are not affiliates. They are just places I’ve bought from before and had a good experience with!

• Wayside Gardens
• Longfield Gardens
• Johnny’s Selected Seeds
• Hudson Valley Seed
• Botanical Interests
• High Mowing Organic Seeds
• Hoss Tools
• Park Seed
• Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
• Pinetree Garden Seeds

Get Ready to Grow Your Cutting Garden

Thanks for reading this post. I hope you feel inspired to grow cut flowers this season and that this starter cutting garden plan gives you confidence to plant and grow.

Would it be helpful to have a more detailed resource like this that includes plant care information, a seed starting schedule, and more? Sign up for this waiting list to let me know that I should create a detailed planting plan for beginner gardeners.