Asters: will live for 7 to 14 days and are low maintenance in the sense that they are easy to grow and replant. They grow in most colours with the exception of orange, and can be between 1 and 4 inches wide and 20 to 36 inches in height. One of these large, almost daisy-looking, plants will provide enough flowers to fill a vase. They start blooming at the end of July and finish when the frost hits, they are fairly hardy so can be grown in most environments, and should be cut when the flowers are about half open.
Celosia: will live for 7 to 10 days in a vase, they are easy to grow from seeds and depending upon what type of Celosia you buy the flowers are available in a range of majestic colours. The flowers reach 20 to 40 inches in height and require moist soil to grow, they should be cut when about a quarter of the base flowers have bloomed.
Cosmos: will live for 5 to 6 days in your vase. Easy to grow from seeds, they will start to flower eight weeks after planting and will continue to blossom until the frost hits. They require a lot of sunlight to grow and are adapted to dealing with hot and humid weather and poor soil conditions. Depending upon which species of cosmos you buy the flowers can be anything from 2.5 inches wide (butterflies species) up to 4 to 6 inches wide (sensation and versialles species). Cut flowers when they have just started to open and remove and excess foliage.
Gypsophila: will live for 5 to 8 days and will bloom six weeks after the seeds have been planted. These plants flower in late spring and stop blooming in early autumn. Cut these long stemmed plants when a third of the flowers on one stem has started to open.
Lavatera: will live for 5 to 8 days in a vase. A hardy flower that can be planted in most conditions and resembles a hollyhock or hibiscus, flowers are 3 to 4 inches in width and the plants leaves can reach between 24 to 48 inches long. This plant blossoms in the middle of July and will flower until the frost hits, they should be cut when most of the flowers have opened.
Rudbeckia: will live between 7 and 14 days and is otherwise known as 'Iris Eyes'. This plant continually blossoms from the middle of summer until the frost hits. The flowers are yellow and green and reach up to 5 inches in width. A hardy flower that can be grown in most soil conditions and is often annual, cut flowers that have a tight centre.
Scabiosa: will live between 5 and 7 days and is otherwise known as 'Butterfly Blue'. These flowers are 3 inches wide and can grow between 24 and 48 inches in height. They require well-drained, moist and fertile soil to grow and will blossom from summer until the frost sets in. Cut once most flowers have opened and strip off leaves.
Snapdragons: will live between 7 and 14 days in a vase. The can grow between 18 to 36 inches tall, and prefer partial shade, fertile soil and to be planted somewhere hot. They will flower in late spring until the frost begins, and should be cut when the lower flowers have opened.
Statice: will last 14 days in a vase. Extremely colourful flowers, they can grow up to 30 inches tall and will blossom from summer until the frost starts. These flowers should be cut when they are showing colour and during dry weather.
Sunflowers: can live up to 7 days. A hardy plant that can be grown by anyone and can easily reach over 5 foot in height. Various types of sunflowers will provide different amounts of flowers and in a variety of colours. Cut flowers when they have just opened.
