My Top Perennials for Cut Flowers + Foliage
/Since starting the farm 5 years ago on leased land, I have been slowly adding to my wish list of perennial flowers, trees and shrubs to plant “one day.” Even though it can be tough to be patient while waiting for the right time (and money!) to make long-term investments, its worth being patient to do things right. I talk to many farmers who are in the same position that we were in until recently - growing on land that isn’t their own, commuting for hours a day between home and the farm or working without crucial infrastructure like a packing shed, running water or electricity. Sound familiar to you? Hang in there! Good things will come if you keep making sound decisions and working really hard… I promise.
Over the past year and a half, we have been heavily investing in perennial flowers and foliage. I’ve been dreaming of this phase in our business literally since the day that I took the leap and quit my job to start farming full time. Because we farm on a hill and most of our land was formerly used for growing hay, we’ve had to be very intentional about what we plant and where. While I wish that my budget allowed for me to grow everything on my wish list (and trust me, its a very long list!), I allocate a budget each year specifically for perennials. I have chosen to take the long view and have primarily prioritized plants that take many years to get established, while also purchasing a few each year that only take 1-2 years until they’re ready for harvest and thus generate revenue for the farm.
In the fall of 2018, we planted hundreds of bare root trees and shrubs such as hydrangea, ninebark, witch hazel, lilac, mockorange, spirea, abelia, smokebush, snowberry, elaeagnus and many more. I chose to purchase these as bare root because the initial investment was less and I could buy more plants at at time, but the trade-of is that I’ll be waiting several years longer for these to reach harvest stage than if we had purchased these as mature plants. Unfortunately the nursery where we purchased these, Lawyer Nursery in Montana, has since closed so I do not have a new source for bare root plants yet. Please comment below if you know of a good source!
We have also planted hundreds of peonies, hellebores, toad lily, bearded iris, sedum, mountain mint, japanese hybrid anemone, astilbe and so many more flowering plants. Some of these, such as sedum, are ready for harvest in the first year, which others like peonies will be ready in 3 years.
Perennials are a great long term investment for your farm and a fantastic way to guarantee a steady supply of unique flowers and foliage if you’re a farmer-florist. My advice is to make a list and slowly chip away at it as your budget allows.
Here are some of my favorite perennial flowers :
Rudbeckia Triloba
An incredible filler flower that blooms heavily the first year. Blooms from early summer through first frost - the more you cut, the more it branches and blooms. Needs support netting as the stems grow 5’+ tall.
Japanese Anemone
Hybrid Japanese Anemone bloom in the late summer and early fall, when the rest of the garden is starting to slow down. Their dainty blooms on long stems are perfect for adding movement to arrangements. These plants prefer part shade and grow longer stems with more branches each year. My favorite varieties are Honorine Jobert (white petals) and Pocahantas (pictured).
Geum
I have fallen completely in love with this little plant! They begin blooming in the early spring and keep going until the heat of summer hits. They take a few years to get established and put out longer stems (6” stems in the 1st year is common), but the more you cut them, the more they bloom. Very vigorous! The “cocktail series” are my favorites.
Veronica Skyler
This variety of veronica blooms on long stems the first year its planted. The initial cuts have thicker stems with a single bloom (like pictured) and later cuts have multiple smaller blooms per stem. I have found that they flower all throughout the spring, summer and fall if you keep cutting and deadheading.
Sedum
I grow sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ and ‘Autumn Fire’ and love them both equally. If grown from plugs, they produce vigorous plants with long stems the first year. I recommend cutting them deeply often to encourage smaller blooms (they can be giants!) and more branching. Sedum can be cut at the blush pink stage (as pictured) or as they mature into a deeper burgundy shade in the fall.
Here are some of my favorite perennial FOLIAGE :
Mountain Mint
‘Pycnanthemum muticum’ is a vigorous, gorgeous foliage with tiny white flowers. Its must be cut later in the season, after flowering, otherwise it will wilt quickly. The bees love it and it smells amazing. If grown from plugs, you can cut it the first year and it spreads and becomes much taller with each year.
Ninebark
‘Physocarpus’ has such a gorgeous leaf shape and grows on long, straight branches. The green and burgundy (such as ‘Diablo’) are equally lovely. This shrub will grow to a height of 5-6’ tall and needs several years to become fully established. Allow the plants to mature before cutting as the new growth tends to wilt.
Prague Viburnum
We were lucky enough to inherit tons of mature shrubs on our farm and I’m so grateful. They flower (as pictured) in the early spring, with the buds starting out blush and fading to white flowers. They have an incredibly sweet scent! These shrubs are great for borders growing to 8-10’ tall by 10’ wide and are evergreen in most zones.
Spirea
These swoonworthy shrubs flower in the late spring and I simply cannot get enough of them. For the draping branch varieties, look for ‘Vanhouttei’ and ‘Bridal Wreath.’ They take several years to become established and can grow to 10’ wide and tall.
Witch Hazel
Besides being one of the very first plants to flower in the late winter, I love Witch Hazel for their foliage. The leaf shape provides a unique shape on long, straight branches in a soft green color. Witch hazel takes several years to get established and the ‘Common’ variety grows to 5’ tall and wide.
I hope this list helps you to get your own perennial wish list started! These are by no means my only favorites, but they are all fairly low-maintenance plants and are relatively easy to source. If you are a commercial grower, I recommend ordering plugs through brokers like Farmer Bailey and Fred C Gloeckner, as well as direct from North Creek Nurseries. I also recommend checking with your local nursery as they may be willing to special order some plants or plugs for you if they do not have them in stock.
Do you have any favorites that I need to add to my list? Please share below in the comments! I’m always on the hunt for great new perennials to grow… even if my pocketbook would disagree that I need to spend more money on perennials.
xo Niki
