Flowerworks: Six summer blooms for floral arrangements

Want to bring the outdoors in? Now's your chance! Summer is the perfect time of year to grow bountiful blooms perfect for picking. Not quite sure what to plant? Try one of these six summer bloomers:

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Zinnia
Zinnia

You can just about taste the rainbow when your zinnia seed begin to sprout and populate the garden with an assortment of colors. You can buy them in seed packets or starter six-packs with a specific color scheme in mind or spread an assortment of colors in the soil and watch them blanket the garden like patchwork. Zinnias are fairly drought tolerant which makes them an easy-care flower and their long stems make for gorgeous (yet simple) floral arrangements. 

Gerbera Daisy
Gerbera Daisy

Much like zinnias, Gerbera daisies come in an array of colors (Did you know that NC State bred it's own Wolfpack Red variety?), flower sizes (2-5 inches) and petal textures.  Choose from traditional cheerful daisies in yellows, whites, reds and pinks or a get fancy with something frilly like the Gerbera daisy pictured. There's no way to go wrong with one of the most-picked cut flowers in the world (just after the rose, carnation, chrysanthemum and tulip).

Lily
Lily

Lilies are a prized possession to any gardener because their blooms stand out more than most others that bloom in our yards. Plant lilies (like this Stargazer variety) to cut as centerpieces for your cut flower arrangements. 

Snapdragon
Snapdragon

Don't be scared off by the name! Snapdragons are easy to grow from seed and they provide a plethora of color to your garden. Pick them for a long-lasting cut flower arrangement to add height to your table.

Rose
Rose

Roses are sacred and symbolic in our culture and they smell divine. Choose from a shrub that stands tall or one you can train to trail up an arbor. There are more than a hundred species of roses and we love them all! Once you have your favorites in the ground, pick a few flowers to enjoy the scent of your garden indoors. 

Cockscomb
Cockscomb

The cockscomb–named after it's funky resemblance to a rooster's comb or crest–is perfect for a summertime floral arrangement. Cockscomb flowers add an eclectic diversity to traditional cut flower arrangements and with stems up to 28 inches long, they're perfect for any vase. 

Still need a little help with your selection? Swing by GSCO! One of our gardening gurus can help you find the perfect flowers that are prime for the picking.