Growing a Cut Flower Garden in Colorado
In Colorado, cultivating a cut flower garden becomes a celebration of each season's unique offerings. Whether you’re an experienced florist, a passionate flower lover, or someone eager to try your hand at growing flowers for the first time, the rewards of nurturing blooms in your own backyard are endless. As the seasons shift, so does the garden’s palette, each month bringing new textures, colors, and fragrances to inspire your floral designs.
Late Spring / Early Summer (April - June)
Spring may start slowly, but the anticipation builds as tulips begin to push through the cold ground. One of the first flowers I ever grew, tulips remain a favorite for their versatility and charm. Though often seen as perennials, tulips rarely bloom again in subsequent years in Colorado's challenging climate, so you will want to plant fresh bulbs each year for the best results. The market for tulips is rich with unique varieties, beyond the typical single-petal blooms you find at grocery stores.
Tulips have a fascinating quirk—they keep growing even after they've been cut. In arrangements, this can lead to surprising shifts in shape as they stretch overnight. To prevent this, you can either trim the stems as needed or gently pierce the stem near the base of the bloom with a safety pin to stunt its growth.
Alongside tulips, hellebores make a quiet yet striking appearance. Hardy and resilient, these perennials bloom early, often in April, and sometimes even push through the spring snow. Their muted, earthy tones are perfect for early-season designs, though they tend to wilt if left out of water for too long, so they're best used where they can stay hydrated. It’s important to harvest your hellebores stems at the correct time during their bloom cycle. It’s best to wait for the bloom to be fully mature. Look for the beginning of seed pods forming at the flowers center to know if they are ready.
Peonies, the epitome of late spring luxury, never fail to captivate. With their full, lush blooms and intoxicating fragrance, peonies are the highlight of any garden, but patience is required—they take a few years to establish themselves fully. Once they do, however, the payoff is immense, even if their season is fleeting, typically lasting from May to June. As the blooms are large, it’s important to stake or support the plants early to prevent them from toppling under their own weight. Two of my favorite varieties are Bartzella Itoh (a soft but vibrant yellow) and Clair de Lune (a white, single petal variety).
Geum, a lesser-known perennial, adds a more delicate note to the spring garden. With petite, star-shaped blooms in shades of apricot and orange, geum is a delightful addition to centerpieces, bringing an airy softness that complements bolder flowers like peonies. And pollinators love them!
Summer (June - September)
By early summer, the garden is bursting with life. One of my favorite summer blooms is the garden rose. In Colorado, we usually see our first flush of roses in late June, and the options for color and texture are nearly limitless. I particularly love growing Bolero, with its crisp white petals, and Distant Drums, with its dusky mauve tones, alongside Lady of Shalott, which offers a warm, peachy glow. This year I am adding Sweet Mademoiselle to this mix for a playful coral pop. Unfortunately due to the invasive Japanese Beetles, I have to net my garden rose buds with an organza bag to prevent the bugs from eating them (a small price to pay for how much I love them).
Annual phlox, which I first experimented with in 2023, has become one of my favorite summer flowers. The ‘Creme Brulee’ variety I grew was both prolific and easy to manage, blooming from July all the way through October. As with many cutting flowers, pinching back young plants helps encourage longer stems, which are perfect for arrangements. For those looking to try their hand at phlox, it's well worth sourcing starter plugs early in the season for the best results.
Zinnias are another summer essential. They offer vibrant color and endless blooms throughout the season. In 2024, I grew Dawn Creek Peach, Little Flower Girl, and Golden Hour from Floret, and their cheerful hues lit up the garden right until the first frost. Zinnias are low-maintenance but do require a bit of patience—wait for the stem to become stiff before cutting, or the bloom won’t last long in an arrangement. At the end of every growing season I collect seeds from old, crispy blooms for the next year.
Then, of course, there are dahlias. Dahlias hold a special place in my heart, with their intricate blooms and rich colors. I plant my tubers outside after the last frost in May, and by late July, the first flowers begin to appear. While early cuts often have shorter stems, the more you prune, the longer the stems will become, making them perfect for larger, more elaborate designs. Dahlias will bloom all the way through the first frost, typically in mid-October, making them a constant source of joy as summer transitions into fall.
For a late-summer and autumn showstopper, I always grow marigolds. I love scattering their seeds throughout the garden for a burst of color in September and October. The smaller varieties, like French Marigolds and Little Gems, are especially charming and add a cheerful, playful touch to late-season arrangements. The added bonus to working these into your garden is that they can help deter unwelcome garden insects like aphids and mosquitoes.
Late Summer / Fall (September - October)
As autumn settles in, the garden continues to give, and the textures and colors grow deeper and more complex. Along with the marigolds and dahlias, I turn to an array of foliage that offers structure and contrast to floral arrangements. Rose-scented geranium brings a soft, fragrant greenery; smokebush adds a dramatic, moody element; while applemint and basil provide both texture and a subtle, herbaceous scent. Ninebark, with its deep, rich leaves, is a favorite for creating bold, grounded arrangements.
By this time of year, the blooms may begin to dwindle, but the garden still holds so much beauty. Bronze fennel, snapdragons, cosmos, and other flowers continue to provide their magic until the frost finally puts the garden to rest. It is also so enjoyable to find beauty in your garden as your plants begin to go to seed. Orlaya, yarrow, and even snapdragons create lovely, dried seed pods that you can continue to work into arrangements.
For anyone who loves working with flowers, whether you're an experienced florist or simply a flower enthusiast, growing your own cut flowers is an incredibly rewarding experience. Not only does it connect you more deeply with the seasons, but it also provides a constant source of inspiration and creativity. The thrill of cutting blooms from your own garden and incorporating them into designs is something that never gets old. Colorado’s unique climate may pose its challenges, but with a bit of planning and care, your garden can become a lush, abundant source of beauty throughout the year.
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