As any wildflower gardener knows, come summer there are plenty of Zinnias, Cosmos, Sunflowers and more to cut for what seems like endless wildflower bouquets. We're here to help turn your DIY bouquets into photo-worthy arrangements!

Watch: Creating a Handheld Bouquet

 

3 Tips for Making Your Own Wildflower Bouquet

A few simple considerations can turn an amateur bouquet into a professional-looking arrangement.

Tip 1: Strip the Lower Foliage

Before you arrange your flowers, strip any foliage from the parts of the stems that will sit in water. Foliage toward the top of the stem adds interest and filler to your bouquet, but leaves left underwater breed bacteria that shorten the life of your cut flowers. Use your hands or snips to gently remove the lower leaves, taking care not to break or damage the stem itself.

Hands stripping leaves from the lower stems of freshly cut wildflowers
Removing the lower leaves keeps bacteria from forming in the water, so your flowers last longer.

Tip 2: Size Your Stems to Your Vase

Don't worry about cutting stems to size while you're out in the garden. It's best to wait until you're back inside with your vase or container in front of you.

Match the vase to the flower. Big, heavy blooms like Sunflowers need a tall, sturdy vase to keep them supported, and so do large bouquets with a mix of wildflowers. Shorter flowers with smaller blooms, like Cosmos or Bachelor Buttons, look great in a short vase or even a bud vase.

To size each stem, stand the flower up on the surface next to your container to see how tall it will look, then cut to that estimate. Remember: flowers can always get shorter, but they can't regrow! Always err on the side of a longer stem when making your cuts.

Pro Tip

The wider the opening of your vase, the more flowers you'll need for a full look. A tall, sturdy vase with a narrow opening can look full with just a few Sunflower stems, while the same size vase with a wider opening may need 6 to 8.

Tip 3: Create Supports To Arrange Your Flowers

If you're making a larger bouquet or want the structure of your arrangement to be just so, use waterproof floral tape to create a support. Tape a few strips across the mouth of the container, about 1 to 2 inches apart depending on the size of the vase, to form a grid or triangle. The grid keeps each stem in place as you arrange.

No floral tape on hand? Foliage-heavy varieties like Bachelor Buttons or ornamental grasses make a natural support for your arrangement.

Another easy option is a "flower frog," a small ceramic or metal holder with built-in supports that help hold the shape of your arrangement. Flower frogs now also come as screw-on lids for mason jars.

Watch: Arranging Cut Flowers

 

The Best Flowers for Wildflower Bouquets

Almost any wildflower is pretty enough to cut, but some varieties fare much better in a vase than others. You've probably seen these in professional bouquets because they're long-lasting, come in a wide range of colors, and most plants send up fresh shoots and flowers once cut.

  1. Sunflowers
  2. Zinnias
  3. Cosmos
  4. Bachelor Buttons (Cornflowers)
  5. Baby's Breath
  6. Daisies
  7. Sweet Peas
Handheld bouquet of freshly cut garden wildflowers

Annual wildflowers are a great place to start, because they bloom just 6 to 8 weeks after the seeds germinate! They offer long-lasting blooms that typically flower for 2 to 3 months in summer.

Although you may be tempted, steer clear of Queen Anne's Lace and Poppies for cut bouquets. Queen Anne's Lace doesn't transition well from garden to vase and can go limp quickly. Poppies are extremely short-lived once cut, though their seed pods add a unique touch to any bouquet.

How To Cut Wildflowers for Bouquets

Once your Zinnias, Cosmos, Sunflowers and more are in bloom comes the fun part: harvesting to create your work of art! A few simple steps help your cut flowers last longer and keep the plant producing flowers in your garden.

  • Cut in the early morning or late evening, when blooms aren't stressed by harsh sun and heat. This helps prevent wilting.
  • Follow the stem down from the flower until you reach a "break," the spot where new growth emerges (see the photo below). Cut just above it, and the plant will keep producing new growth and blooms from the offshoots left on the plant. Cut the stem all the way to the ground and you risk losing a second (or even third) flower from that plant.
  • Use a sharp, clean pair of floral snips or pruners. Spring-loaded floral snips, sturdy pruners and even plain scissors all work. A clean cut helps the flower last longer in an arrangement, so sharpen your tools often and wipe the blades as you move from plant to plant to avoid spreading disease.
  • Bring a bucket of water into the garden with you and place each stem in it right after cutting to help prevent wilting.
Gardener cutting a tall wildflower stem just above a side shoot
Follow the stem down to an offshoot of new growth and cut just above it. The new growth will send up another stem and flower.
Freshly cut Black-eyed Susans standing in a bucket of water
Place each stem in a bucket of water right after cutting to help prevent wilting.

How To Make Your Wildflower Bouquets Last Longer

Once you've created your floral masterpiece, a few simple steps keep the bouquet fresh longer so you can show off your hard work:

  • Keep the water fresh. Bacteria is one of the biggest reasons cut flowers die early. Keep it at bay by changing the water daily, using a flower preservative from the florist, or making your own with 2 tablespoons of vinegar and 3 tablespoons of sugar per liter of water.
  • Choose the right spot. Keep your arrangement away from fruit, which gives off ethylene gas that causes flowers to wilt, and away from extreme heat or cold. Cut flowers last longest in a cool, draft-free area.
Bouquet of colorful cut Zinnias in a vase
Change the water in your vase each day to help keep the flowers fresh.

For more ways to extend vase life, see our guide on how to keep fresh cut flowers longer.

Be Creative With Your Wildflower Bouquet

Whether you want a muted bouquet of pale pinks and whites or a vibrant display of fiery reds, yellows and oranges, the most important thing is to be creative. You spent the time growing your own wildflowers to cut and enjoy indoors, so create something that makes you happy. And if it happens to be spectacular enough for Instagram, there's no reason not to show it off!

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