Flowers to grow for summer bouquets

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1The six easiest

Zinnias and cosmos are the forgiving workhorses — the more you cut, the more they branch and rebloom. Sunflowers and celosia bring height and bold shape; snapdragons add a vertical spike; dahlias give the biggest, showiest single bloom of the group. All of it wants six or more hours of sun and a soil pH between 6.0 and 7.5.

2Why professionals stagger plantings

A flower that blooms once and stops — most of this list does — means one big harvest and then nothing, unless you sow it again a few weeks later. Professional cut-flower growers stagger sowings specifically to keep a continuous harvest through the season instead of one flush.

3Cutting it right

Cut in the coolest part of the day, stems longer than you think you'll need, and cut underwater if you can manage it — an air bubble drawn into the stem is the single biggest reason a cut flower wilts fast. Strip any foliage that would sit below the waterline; it rots and clouds the water within a day or two.

4How long it actually lasts

Not every flower earns its vase the same length of time: carnations and mums hold up to two weeks, while delicate blooms like gerbera daisies or roses fade in under a week. Homemade flower food — 3 parts water to 1 part lemon-lime soda, a splash of bleach optional — works because the sugar feeds the flower and the citric acid slows bacteria; change the water every two to three days either way.

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