I haven't started thinking about next spring yet, lol, but I will probably plant pretty much the same things I did this year. Sunflowers, zinnias, snapdragons, celosia, amaranthus, chinese asters, ageratum, statice, rudbeckias, gomphrena, and cosmos. I'll also plant some dahlias.

As for perennials, I'm going to try alstromeria again. No luck for the last two years with seed, but maybe third time's the charm! But if I do get it to germinate and grow, it will most likely stay in containers, since I've heard/read that it's aggressive.

Here's a link to a recent thread about favorite cutflowers. Good luck, have fun and I must say you have a lucky wife!

:)
Dee

Here is a link that might be useful: favorite cut flowers

Dee, Thank you! I'm familiar with some of these and thanks for the favorite cut flower thread. By the way, I'm the lucky one.

Luke

These are my tried-and-true annuals for cutflowers (they are all tall growing with large flowers):

Zinnias: Any of the Benarys' Giants; State Fair; Giant Cactus and/or Burpeeanna, just about any tall growing large flowering Zinnia actually will be fine.

Snapdragon: Rocket, Madame Butterfly, Tall Deluxe, Tetra, Brazilian Carnival, Snappy, Chantilly (again any tall Snap will do)

Rudbeckia: Cherokee Sunset, Kevlon Star (aka Sputnik) Chim-chim-inee (many other, but these are my favorites)

Asters: Standy, Unicum, Seastar (aka Tiger Paw), Pomplona, Compliment, Opus.

Celosia: Pampus Plume, Punky Red.

Scabiosa: Oxford Blue, Ebony & Ivory, Imperial.

Ageratum: Blue Horizon.

Throw in a few tall Dahlias and Sunflowers and you are all set.

There are many other types of annuals but I've found that you don't have to grow a wide variety as long as the ones you choose are productive and the above-mentioned types are all productive throughout the season (except Asters)

Today I set out 250 Black-eyed Susans the Goldstrum strain- Rudbeckia fulgida.
I started them from seed this spring and grew them in 3.5 inch pots.
I put them in a bed three plants wide with two plants spaced diagonally.
Hopefully they'll make a marketable cutflower.
I have 90 plants left that I need to find a place for. I might put them in one gallon pots.

Well, after much winter sowing and sowing on site, here is my list for what has been planted to date this spring. Cosmos, suns and zinnias will be planted later.

Delphiniums
Larkspur
Bachelor's Buttons (which I swore I would not plant again)
Scabiosa Fama (new this year)
Orlaya
Asters
Campanulas (for bloom next year)
Euphorbia
Bells of Ireland
Artemisia (new this year)
Bupleurum (new this year)
Calendula Pink Surprise (first time for this variety)
Cerinthe (new this year)
Nigella
Snapdragons (new this year)
Trachelium caeruleum (new this year)

Anyone trying anything new this year?

Teresa

We always try something new whether veg/flower, but we rely on the same ones that do well for us. Once you find something that works . . . stick with it.

You'll love the snaps. We grow only the tall, large flowering varieties for our bouquets. We strongly recommend Rocket, Tall Delux, Madame Butterfly, Tetra, Snappy, Chantilly, Brazillian Carnival as some of the best.

Has anyone tried Cramer's Amazaon Celosia? We grow Pampus Plume & Punky Red for our bouquets and have heard a lot about Cramers. It takes longer to bloom but appears to be a winner!

Wow, can you believe I've been a GW'er since 2004, but only now just found this forum while trying to find an answer about sweet peas on Google? Crazy. I was wasting time over in the Annuals forum when I could have been here!

I just scarified and am soaking these sweet peas for sowing tomorrow:

Ocean Foam
Regal Robe
Wiltshire Ripple
Azureus
Lord Anson's

The last two are not the typical scented Odoratus sweet peas, but something a bit different. I've grown the everlasting sweet peas and I like them, but I really favour blue flowers, so I'm giving the Lord Anson's a try. I'm hoping I can mulch or something to keep them perennial over our crazy, usually frozen winters. This last winter has been mild by comparison, but the ground still freezes. Azureus is supposed to be fairly short, like 2 ft tall and a brilliant blue, so I'm hoping to put that one around the cherry tree where my husband's blue flower garden is. It gets dappled sunlight there.

I like most annuals as long as they're not orange. I have an aversion to orange flowers. Other annuals I usually always grow are:

Nasturtiums: I've managed to find some really beautiful non-orange ones like Caribbean Cocktail and Night and Day.
Sunflowers: I go for the burgundy and pale cream ones or the pale green ones. Favourites are Black Cherry, Cinnamon Sun, Eclipse, Moonshadow, Italian White, and Italian Green Heart.
Scabiosa: I really loved the Ebony and Ivory ones last year.
Zinnia: I like the Peppermint Stick and Apricot Twist ones. I'm trying Envy for the first time this year.
Bachelor Buttons: Favourites so far are Black Ball and Snowman.
Cerinthe: This one self-seeds so it's like a no-nonsense perennial. I just let it do its thing and come up every year.
Nigella: Miss Jekyll White and Persian Jewels were my favourites last year.
Cosmos: The pure white ones like White Seashells and Psyche White have been great to tuck in for some background. I also like Picotee, Candystripe, and Daydream.
Lupine: These have been difficult for me to germinate. Any tips would be helpful. I got a few Texas Bluebonnets to come up last year and I love them. I've tried the Pink Fairy twice, but it hasn't worked for me (different suppliers). I always scarify and soak lupine seeds beforehand.

I'm trying some new snaps this year - Costa. I'm also trying a new celosia, Sylphid, which is green, and some new-to-me annual chrysanthemums. Well, the chrysanthemums I did try last year, but it was such a terrible year I don't even count it. Same for the Cramer's celosia I tried, Tommyk- can't really say how it worked for me because the spring was so rainy I had terrible germination and then more loss of seedlings from too much wet and not enough sun. I have a few leftover Cramer's Rose seeds I am trying, but I did not buy any new seed.

Lastly, (I think!) I am trying some new marigolds, Red Metamorph and Frances' Choice. I love marigolds and can never have too many!

Sorellina, you made me laugh - I used to DETEST orange.... but guess what? I find I'm adding more and more to both my cutting garden and my perennial garden. Never say never, I guess, lol!

:)
Dee

diggerdee: I've grown the Costa snaps before. There're very nice but kinda pricey. There are others just as good for less money. I've grown celosia Sylphid in the past and liked it very much, so I keep growing it. It's very productive and has a nice light green color with 'feather' type flowers. Great for bouquets!

Yes, the Costa snaps were pricey! And they were stingy with the seeds to boot. But I thought I'd give them a try - I also grow Animation, Rocket, and Madame Butterly.

I'm glad to hear you like the Sylphid. I was never a fan of green flowers, but then starting using some in bouquets (mostly with purples and oranges) and really like them. I hope Sylphid does well for me. Thanks for the comments.

:)
Dee

I grew Sylphid last year and used it a lot as a filler. For me, the color was more of a pale yellow then green; however, I have found pale yellow to be a good filler in my bouquets.

Teresa

Tommyk, I grew Cramers Amazon a couple of years ago and loved it. It is huge, very productive and beautiful with the dark red foliage and the deep bright pink plumes. Has lots of side shoots. I just found some old seed after reading your post and think I will some again. Looks great with other plumes, pampas plume being my fave. Kat

Re: germinating lupines
I scarified and soaked about 12 seeds of Russel Hybrid early this spring and only a couple germinated . Later in the spring I planted some seeds which had only been soaked (overnight) and I have had much better germination rate.
I used a commercial potting soil in toilet paper tubes out on a screened porch.

A neighbor nearby has many many seedlings emerging from the base of a single plant from last year. I think these might respond well to winter sowing without any pre-treatment.
best luck!

In addition to the perennials I already have established here is a fall seed order I'm putting together:

Achillea ptarmica The Pearl
Achillea millefolium Summer Berries
Agastache rupestris Apache Sunset
Althea rosea Chaters double
Ammi majus Graceland
Celosia Century
Celosia cristata Bombay
Celosia spicata Flamingo feather
Delphinium Giant Pacific
Delphinium Giant Pacific
Dianthus barbatus Sweet
Dianthus Amazon Neon
Gerbera California Giants
Helianthus annuus Full sun improved
H annuus Jade
H annuus Moonshadow
H annuus Ruby Eclipse
Helianthus debilis It. Green Heart
Hibiscus sabdariffa Jamaican cocktail
Rudbeckia hirta Cherokee sunset
Rudbeckia hirta Irish eyes
Verbena hastata Pink Spires
Zinnia Candy mix
Zinnia Giant Cactus Flower Mix
Zinnia State Fair Mix
Zinnia Whirlygig Mix
Antirrhinum Rocket Mix