Five Cut Flower Varieties to Start in February
While the majority of seeds don’t get started indoors until March here in Greater Philadelphia (Zone 7a), many cool weather flowers, perennials, and biennials can get started earlier in the season.
Sweet Peas ~ This vining, delicate, fragrant flower is one of my favorite to grow each winter. While sweet peas are notoriously finicky to grow from seed, I’ve found them to be predictable and consistent with what they like, and have never had too much of an issue growing them in our minimally heated greenhouse. The trick with sweet peas is to keep them cool and ensure they have bountiful light. If you don’t have a greenhouse, a garage or shed with grow lights is probably the best location for seed starting. My favorite varieties are best to purchase from flower farmers, as they tend to have some of the most unique shades ~ Charlie’s Angel, Castlewellan, Juliet (a top choice for weddings), and Cilla are my top picks. Johnny’s Seeds also offers “Old Times,” a dusty and special color blend.
Yarrow ~ This textural beauty is an unsung hero of the wedding flower world; the tiny clusters of flowers on this medicinal plant elevate any bouquet, and I love weaving a few stems into our bridal work They’re relatively easy to grow and are reliable perennials, so you’ll enjoy them in the garden every year. We primarily grow lighter, creamier colors to accommodate our bridal palettes each season.
Pictured: Foxglove, Camelot Lavender
3. Foxglove ~ A cottage garden staple, foxglove, aka digitalis, is hands down one of my favorite flowers. The little bell-shaped blooms are some of the most sought-after each June (the first cuts are quite tall!) and come in shades of peach, lavender, and cream. Classified as either a short-lived perennial or biennial, we typically plant first-year flowering (“FYF”) varieties like the Camelot or Dalmatian series.
4. Delphinium ~ One of the most coveted flowers by bridal clients, and especially bridal clients seeking a soft blue accent, delphinium are another short-lived perennial that get started early in the season. They’re a cousin of larkspur, a hardy annual, though I would describe delphinium as being a bit more elevated and luxurious in appearance. They come in a range of white, dusty soft purples, and blues- including shades of rich royal blue and softer shades, including my favorite “Guardian Lavender” (a bit of a misnomer - it’s more of a blue than a purple).
5. Snapdragons (Groups 1 and 2) ~ Early-season snapdragons, like the Chantilly series, get started early in the season, as they’re bred to flourish in the cooler spring months. We start ours in our minimally heated greenhouse in early February, and will harden the off and transplant them outdoors typically in late March or early April. We’ll enjoy the best of these Group 1 and 2 blooms in May and early June, and then they’ll return again in September and October; by contrast, Group 3 and 4 snapdragons (aka “main season varieties”) will flourish for us in the warm summer months.
