Top 7+ flowers that give you more blooms every time you snip them

Whether it is a bouquet of tiny short stems offered by a child, a pitcher full of spring's first blooms, or a carefully sculpted arrangement, fresh flowers add something special to every room. One way to be sure you will always have fresh flowers inside is to plant flowers in your garden that produce more blooms the more often you clip them.

If you think that all flowers are best left growing outside, Sarah Raven, author of The Cutting Garden and A Year of Cut Flowers, offers this advice: "If you select the right plants and pick them in the right way at the right time, you promote bud formation. By picking one flower, you create the potential for at least two more. The more you pick, the more they flower."

How to Start a 'Cut And Come Again' Garden

You don't need a large area to start a cutting garden that will provide flowers for at least three seasons. The garden should receive full sun and have nutrient-rich, well-draining soil. Choose annual plants that when flowers are cut will continue to bloom profusely throughout the growing season. Adding some bulbs like tulips or daffodils that require little care and bloom in early spring will maximize your flowering seasons. And, don't forget perennials like roses and peonies that may not "come again" but are too beautiful and fragrant to forget.

By doing a bit of planning, and sowing or planting second crops, your cutting garden and home can be filled with flowers until the first hard frost. Here are the top 7 flowers that bloom more when cut to enjoy indoors.

An annual that produces fragrant red, mauve, peach, lilac, white, or pink blooms in elongated clusters throughout the spring until mid-summer.

• Botanical Name: Lathyrus odoratus
• Hardiness Zone: 2a - 11b
• Growing and Cutting Tip: Plants may be grown in bushy mounds or as a climber on a support structure. Deadhead spent flowers to prolong bloom. Flowering will decrease if seed pods are allowed to develop (seed pods are not edible).

Zinnia

Zinnias are showy, low-maintenance, and easy-to-grow annuals. With dozens of varieties in nearly every color, size, and beehive, button, and cactus shapes, you are sure to find many zinnias you love for your garden. To keep the plants healthy (they are prone to powdery mildew), give them plenty of room for good air circulation and don't water from overhead.

• Botanical Name: Zinnia spp.
• Hardiness Zone: 3a - 10b
• Growing and Cutting Tip: A cross between Zinnia angustifolia and Zinnia elegans, the Profusion Series combines the best attributes of each. The series offers superior disease resistance, drought- and humidity -tolerance. New flowers grow above the old flowers, reducing the need to deadhead as often.

Amaranth

Amaranth, often called cocks comb or prince's tail, blooms from midsummer to the first frost. The flowers are showy, fuzzy red clusters with a mild, non-floral, grassy scent. Cutting or deadheading spent flowers will encourage more blooms. A short-lived perennial, amaranth will readily reseed in the garden.

• Botanical Name: Amaranthus hypochondriacus
• Hardiness Zone: 3a - 10b
• Growing and Cutting Tip: Some amaranth cultivars can reach 8 feet with a clumping habit. Cut back the center stem when the plant is about knee high to promote branching and more flowers. Provide a support structure for taller stems.

Dahlia

Dahlias are having a resurgence in popularity thanks to their stunning colors and variety of flower shapes and sizes. They will put on their biggest show in mid-summer and will offer an abundance of blooms if you deadhead spent blooms weekly. Deadheading encourages more flower development and returns the energy spent on trying to maintain a wilted flower back into the roots to keep the entire plant healthier.

• Botanical Name: Dahlia
• Hardiness Zone: 7a - 10b
• Growing and Cutting Tip: Dahlias reach maturity and bloom about eight to ten weeks after the tubers are planted. Your deadheading routine should begin as soon as the first blooms fade.

Snapdragon

You can find your favorite color (except for blue) in a snapdragon cultivar. With stem lengths ranging from 6 to 48 inches, they are the perfect choice for flower arrangements. Blooming from early spring until the heat of summer, frequent cutting keeps the flowers coming. You'll often get a second flush of blooms when cooler weather arrives in the fall.

• Botanical Name: Antirrhinum majus
• Hardiness Zone: 7a - 10b
• Growing and Cutting Tip: When the plant is about 4 inches tall, pinch it back to encourage side shoots to form more blossoms. This will give the plant a bushier, but may delay blooming slightly.

Cosmos

Whether you choose the pastel hues of C. bipennatus or the warm oranges of C. sulphureous, cosmos will provide you with flowers all summer long.

• Botanical Name: Cosmos bipinnatus or Cosmos sulphureous
• Hardiness Zone: 2a - 11b
• Growing and Cutting Tip: The cut flowers don't last as long as some others, but as long as you keep harvesting flowers, cosmos will keep producing more blooms.

Alstroemeria

Another flower that can be found in nearly every color, alstroemeria is an excellent perennial for Southern climates. A long-lasting cut flower, colors vary from orange, pink, rose, purple, red, yellow, white, to salmon. Varieties with streaked blooms or those spotted with darker colors add interest to arrangements.

• Botanical Name: Alstroemeria
• Hardiness Zone: 7a - 10b
• Growing and Cutting Tip: There are both tall and dwarf varieties. Choose the tall selections with sturdy stems for cutting.