Bringing flowers in from your yard will be sure to have guests consistently asking you "who's your florist?". Consider these nine species for eye-catching, dramatic arrangements that will spike conversation and be one of the beautiful focal points of your entertaining space.
Millenium Allium
Millennium Allium - Allium senescens Millennium
For a fun addition to your arrangement, consider using Millennium alliums, the purple 1.5-inch globes add a touch of whimsy. In the landscape, this perennial has strap-like leaves and is fairly small, making it a spectacular addition in the late summer when it blooms. The flowers look great dried or fresh and will continue to persist for quite a while.
Notable characteristics:
* USDA zones 4-8
* Purple blooms in summer
* 6-inch height and spread
* Full Sun
* Deer resistant
White Clips Bellflower
White Clips Bellflower Campanula, White Clips
For some delicate white flowers to use in arrangements, consider planting White Clips Bellflower. The cup-shaped blooms arrive in the late spring and early summer and can persist for over a week in an arrangement indoors. A prolifically flowering plant, White Clips Bellflower provides a seemingly endless supply of delicate white blooms.
Notable characteristics:
* USDA zones 3-8
* White blooms in late spring
* 8-inch height, 24-inch spread
* Partial to full sun
* Deer and rabbit resistant
Other varieties to consider:
* Pearl Deep Blue Bellflower dark blue flowers
* Dickson's Gold Bellflower blue flowers, chartreuse foliage
Big Bang Cosmic Eye Coreopsis
Big Bang Cosmic Eye Coreopsis Coreopsis, Big Bang, PPA
Big Bang Cosmic Eye Coreopsis provides a big bang of color in your arrangement. With yellow and red bi-color coloration that persists through the summer and into the fall, you can't miss these flowers in any arrangement. Relatively long-lived in arrangements, they add a touch of quirkiness to any arrangement they are used in.
Notable Characteristics:
USDA zones 5-9
* Bright yellow and red bi-color flowers
* 15 inches height and spread
* Full sun
* Deer and rabbit resistant
Other varieties to consider:
* Zagreb Coreopsis yellow blooms
* Coreopsis Early Sunrise Double yellow blooms
Tomato Soup coneflower
Tomato Soup Coneflower Echinacea, Tomato Soup, PP19,427
For a bright red that cannot be beaten, Tomato Soup Coneflower is the perennial of choice. This perennial's 3.5-inch flowers stand tall on sturdy stems and will last for quite a while in an arrangement. Beyond the beautiful blooms being well suited for cut flowers, they're favored by many pollinators. In the winter, the spent flowers will persist, adding an interesting aspect to the landscape.
Notable Characteristics:
* USDA zones 4-8
* 3.5-inch bright red flowers
* 32 inches height and spread
* Full sun
* Deer and rabbit resistant
Other varieties to consider:
* Green Envy Coneflower yellow and pink bicolor blooms
* Hot Papaya Coneflower double orange blooms
Blue Glitter Sea Holly
Blue Glitter Sea Holly - Eryngium, Blue Glitter
For an interesting, spiky addition to your cut flower arrangement, Blue Glitter Sea Holly will thrive both in dried arrangements and in your yard. With unique, spiky flowers and blue foliage, this plant is sure to be a stunner, both in your landscape and in your arrangements.
Notable Characteristics:
* USDA zones 4-8
* Bright blue flowers
* 6-8 inch basal height, flower scapes up to 36 inches
* 8-12 inch spread
* Drought tolerant plant
Fire Dance Red Hot Poker
Fire Dance Red Hot Poker - Kniphofia hirsuta 'Fire Dance'
With blooms that start yellow and become orange, Fire Dance Red Hot Poker is a beautiful addition to height in an arrangement. As the flowers age, they shift from a bright sunny yellow to a dark reddish orange, adding some unusual color to any arrangement. Known for its cold hardiness and drought tolerance, adding this perennial to your garden will not only be a pleaser in a vase but also along a walkway.
Notable Characteristics:
* USDA zones 4-9
* Drought Tolerance
* Orange and yellow flowers
* 16 to 20 inches high and wide
* Deer and rabbit resistant, pollinator friendly
Blue Lace Delphinium
Blue Lace Delphinium Delphinium elatum, Bue Lace
Delicate lavender blue flowers perch on a tall stem, perfect for arrangements that need some vertical structure. It will rebloom in the late summer if spent blooms are removed, making it a multi-seasonal sensation. Best planted in nutrient-rich, alkaline soils, Blue Lace Delphinium has one of the strongest stems of the delphiniums, meaning it will stand up to stiff breezes and in vases.
Notable Characteristics:
* USDA zones 3-7
* Lavender blue flowers
* 1 to 2 feet spread
* 5-6 feet high
* Deer and rabbit resistant
Other cultivars to consider:
* Delphinium Summer Blues bright blue flowers, compact
* Delphinium Pink Punch intense pink flowers
Flame Sundaze Strawflower
Flame Sundaze® Strawflower - Xerochrysum bracteatum 'Sundaze Flame'
For flowers that will retain their beautiful yellow hue fresh or dried, Flame Sundaze Strawflower is the plant you need. Though not a perennial in all zones, this plant shouldn't be overlooked. Even though it is compact, it is covered with flowers that never lose their luster, even weeks after blooming. It is also great at tolerating those hot, dry spots in your yard, working through the hot summer days to bring you beautiful flowers that will last indefinitely when cut.
Notable Characteristics:
* USDA zones 3-11 (perennial in zones 9-11)
* Bright yellow flowers
* 12-18 inches tall
* 10-14 inch spread
* Drought tolerant
Pink Muhly Grass
Pink Muhly Grass - Muhlenbergia capillaris
Even though pink muhly grass isn't a flower by conventional definition, it's interesting pink seed heads deserve mention for use in floral arrangements. A multi-season plant, this grass provides structure in the spring and summer, an exciting show in the fall, and persistent seed heads into the winter. Be sure to enjoy these seed heads in a vase to bring a bit of the fall beauty into your home.
Notable characteristics:
* USDA zones 6-11
* Pink seed heads, blueish green blades
* 2-3 feet tall and wide
* Deer resistant
* Drought tolerant
Using some of these flowers in your indoor arrangements will bring a bit of the outdoor beauty inside, along with the pride that you grew them! Enjoy the long-lasting nature of these attractive flowers all year-round, both in the yard and in the house.
