The 5 best flowers to grow for market
/If it feels challenging to decide on what to grow in your cutting garden, one of the first things to consider is how those flowers will be used.
If you're growing for your floral design business, the types and colours of the flowers you choose will likely be different than if you're growing for market.
If you're aiming to sell your flowers at your own farm stand or a local summer farmers market, you want long lasting flowers that people will go crazy for. The first group of flowers you should consider are the cut-and-come again flowers. Dahlias, zinnias, cosmos all fall into this category. The more you cut (so long as you are feeding and watering well), the more flowers you will get. Next, consider the flowers that just have just a single bloom cycle. These can sometimes fetch a higher price - anything that has a shorter season is to be prized. Peonies are a perfect example.
While the list of flowers to grow for market is long, here are 5 to consider that will bring you great success:
- Peonies
- Zinnias
- Ranunculus
- Cosmos
- Sunflowers
And if you really want to stand out, focus on unusual colours / varieties like chocolate sunflowers or single petaled peonies.
As a little bonus tip, grow dahlias too. Some types of dahlias aren't as long lasting as the above flowers and can bake quickly in the heat of a summer farmers market so consider the long-lasting types like the pom pom or ball types. Given how much you can get from a single plant, and how much people love them, they make a great investment.
