10 best cutting garden flowers to grow – plus planting tips for shade and sun

Making a dedicated outdoor space for cutting garden flowers is always a lovely idea, no matter how big or small your backyard. That way, you can decorate your home with freshly cut, seasonal blooms – a simple but surefire way to brighten any interior scheme. And, by growing the flowers you love best, you can curate arrangements perfectly suited to your tastes, from vibrant jam-jar posies to soft and organic displays with wispy grasses and pastel hues.

Perhaps the best part of planning a cut flower garden is choosing which blooms to grow. A good starting point is to think about color. By picking plants in hues that complement one another, however they're combined, creating show-stopping bouquets will feel effortless.

‘I like to mix vibrant pink cosmos and dahlias and dusky pink zinnias with pops of orange from Mexican sunflowers and crocosmia for colorful late summer arrangements,’ says stylist Selina Lake.

'My favorites are sweet peas, dahlias, Mexican sunflowers and cosmos,’ she adds. ‘These are great choices as picking the flowers regularly encourages more flowers to bloom, giving you a constant supply for cutting.’

In this guide, you'll find 10 top choices for fabulous cutting garden flowers to grow – plus extra planting tips for sunny and shady areas. 

BY HOLLY CROSSLEY. CONTRIBUTIONS FROM SARAH WILSON, HOLLY REANEY