Who doesn’t love fresh flowers? They’re even better when you grow your own to cut and enjoy all summer. But have you ever gone to cut a bouquet only to find the deer ate your flowers for breakfast? We’re here to help with a list of some of the most deer-resistant plants. These beauties also provide amazing, long-lasting blooms for cutting.
Perennial plants make an ideal choice for cutting gardens because they come back every spring, growing bigger and offering more flowers each year. You can create a garden devoted to cut flowers (similar to a vegetable garden) or simply tuck plants into existing beds and borders.
Agastache
Tall spikes of flowers cover mint-scented foliage and seem to bloom forever. As an added bonus, the blossoms are a favorite of hummingbirds!
Allium
Alliums make a bold statement in the garden and in your arrangement. These long-lasting flowers are a must for a modern garden design.
Baptisia
This gorgeous native plant comes in varieties that bloom in shades of blue and yellow. Instead of cutting off all the fading flowers, leave about half on the shrubs. After they’re gone, you’ll have interesting seed pods to add to arrangements.
Dianthus
Dianthus are one of the earliest known cut flowers. They have traditionally been used to express love, affection and gratitude. The strong spicy-sweet fragrance is similar to cloves and cinnamon. They come in a range of colors including pinks, lavenders, white and reds.
Helleborus
Add a few Helleborus plants to provide stunning flowers in the very early spring. The evergreen foliage is also nice in arrangements.
Iris
German, or bearded, Iris have large showy flowers, while Japanese Iris flowers are more delicate. Both are outstanding in the cutting garden and come in a wide array of colors.
Lavender
If you love fragrance, Lavender is the plant for you! Use the flower spikes fresh or dry them for everlasting bouquets.
Peony
Is there anything more beautiful than a bunch of freshly cut peonies? Plants come in a range of colors including reds, pinks and white with either single or double blooms. For best results in the garden, use a support cage to keep the heavy flowers from touching the ground.
Russian Sage
The silver-grey foliage of this plant is just as pretty as its flowers. Feathery purplish-blue flowers add an airy appearance to arrangements. This plant blooms steadily for months.
Tall Verbena
Rich lavender-purple flower clusters float atop willowy, yet sturdy, stems. The blossoms attract oodles of butterflies!