Laurence Rich
February 2026
Growing Flowers With a Designer’s Eye
Hello! My name is Laurence Rich.
I’m a Canadian floral designer. I wear two hats most days: floral designer and avid home gardener. And while I work with flowers professionally, the way I grow at home is much softer, slower, and rooted in pleasure.
If you love the idea of cutting flowers from your own garden, bringing them inside, and arranging them casually on your kitchen table—this is for you. You don’t need acres of land, fancy tools, or a plan to “do it all.” You just need a few thoughtful choices and a designer’s way of seeing.
Here’s how I recommend selecting flower seeds when your goal is beauty, joy, and flowers that actually get used.
Grow Flowers That Feel Like YOU!
One of the most overlooked parts of gardening is personal style. Just like with clothing or home décor, the flowers you grow can reflect your taste—and when they do, you’ll reach for them more often.
Some people plan their gardens around a colour palette that shows up naturally through the seasons. Some have gardens that do better in specific seasons and plant accordingly. Some are drawn to or fall in love with one seasonal flower and grow it every year. Neither of these approaches are right or wrong—but they create cohesion and help streamline your ordering process.
Colour Palettes That Always Work
If choosing colours feels overwhelming, start simple. These palettes transition beautifully across seasons.
When using these palettes to create an arrangement or build your garden, let one shade lead and the others support. Gardens, like arrangements, breathe best when there’s a clear focal.
Planning for the season
Spring:
Soft Beginnings - Spring flowers feel gentle and hopeful. They’re often the ones that make you pause in the garden and notice the season shifting. Take notes of what areas of your garden you can plant perennials that will come back season after season and will become your first sign that Winter is coming to an end. Even a small vase of these Spring stems can feel incredibly special:
Alliums
Tulips
Daffodils
Peonies
Summer:
Effortless Abundance - Summer is where cutting gardens shine! These are the flowers that reward you for picking often and arranging freely. Most of the popular Summer blooms are annuals and do best when started from seed. These Summer blooms are ideal to grow for relaxed, “just-picked” arrangements that don’t need to be perfect:
Zinnias
Dahlias
Snapdragons or Larkspur
Cosmos or Pincushion
Yarrow or Feverfew
Autumn:
Texture and Warmth - As the light changes, so do the flowers. Autumn blooms add richness and a sense of grounding. It’s one of the most underrated seasons in the cut flower world, in my opinion. The following stems are beautiful fresh and often dry well, extending the joy of your garden into cooler months:
Amaranthus
Black Eyed Susan
Celosia
Statice
Strawflower
Sunflower
Ornamental Grasses or Herb
Think Like a Floral Designer (Without Overthinking It!)
When I design arrangements, I don’t think in strict rules (there are some basic design techniques and rules, but we’re here to have fun!)—but I do think in roles. This is a helpful way to approach seed selection for home gardening too.
Try choosing 1 or 2 flowers from each category:
Focal Flowers
The ones your eye goes to first
Peonies
Dahlias
Sunflowers
Large Zinnias
Accent Flowers
Smaller, expressive blooms
Tulips
Anemones
Black-eyed Susan
Strawflower
Ranunculus
Small Zinnias
Filler Flowers
Soft, cloud-like support
Feverfew
Yarrow
Chocolate or Queen Anne’s Lace
Frosted Explosion
Linear Flowers
Add height and movement
Snapdragons
Larkspur
Stock
Bells of Ireland
Foxglove
Light or “Floating” Flowers
Airy and delicate
Cosmos
Pincushion
Orlaya
With just a handful of varieties, you can create arrangements that feel balanced and intentional—without copying a recipe.
Choose Flowers That Bring the Most Joy Indoors
For home gardeners, vase life really matters. You want flowers that last long enough to enjoy through the week, not just for a day.
Zinnias, Tulips, Ranunculus, Snapdragons, and Statice are reliable and forgiving.
Cosmos, Feverfew, Stock, Pincushion may not last as long, but they bring movement and charm that’s hard to replace.
Some of the most beautiful garden flowers are a little delicate—and that’s okay. In fact, those are often the ones that feel most special because you can’t find them easily at the grocery store. A few varieties also dry beautifully, letting you enjoy your garden long after the growing season ends. I always recommend experimenting with at least one or two dried-friendly flowers each year.
Growing for Beauty, Not Perfection
You don’t need to grow everything. You don’t need to follow trends. And you certainly don’t need to turn your garden into a business.
Grow what excites you. Grow what you’ll cut and bring inside. Grow flowers that make you pause, rearrange them in a vase, and feel proud that you grew them yourself.
That, to me, is the real magic of flowers.
xoxo Laurence
Explore Seed Bundles Inspired by LaurenceFollow Laurence in InstagramPeople Also Read
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Growing Flowers With a Designer’s Eye
Growing flowers is not just about what thrives in your zone. It is about how colour, texture, and shape work together in the garden. In Growing Flowers With a Designer’s Eye, we share how to approach planting like a stylist, choosing blooms that feel cohesive, intentional, and beautiful from seed to vase. This guide blends practical growing advice with a design-led mindset for gardeners who want their flowers to feel as good as they look.
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