A Cutting Patch

To cut flowers for the house or to leave them in the garden? That is the question and one I struggle to answer!
If I cut them, they'll die within  a few days - and that feels like cruelty.
One way to ease my conscience would be to treat flowers like vegetable crops - to grow them purely for cutting.
What easy to grow, long-lasting in a vase, flowers would you recommend, that can be grown from seed and, if possible, sown now. Would you grow them in rows?
Sorry Scarlet, but not dahlias or geraniums or anything that has to receive special treatment over winter.

Hhmmm, alstromeria last well I'm vases.

Thanks Jimny - never grown those. Will add them to my list.

I’m with you 100% with the struggling to cut or not . 9 times out of 10 it’s not. But I do like flowers in the house. Sweet William lasts ages in a vase. I’ve just put some in the compost after 2 weeks in a vase. And they were second hand when I got them . They had been in a holiday cottage vase for a week before that. Obviously chrysanthemum last well. No idea how easy they are to grow. I’m growing my very first ones from seed this year, crazy daisy   . Carnations also last well but again no idea about growing them. Lilies last longer than you might think and some smell lovely. Growing from seed might be tricky. The plants are easy enough ones you got them.

Having just had a wander around the garden, eyeing up candidates for cutting, most of them seem to be the ones that are taking over the garden - feverfew, ox-eye daisies, pink campion, vinca and, before long, montbretia. Maybe I can ease my conscience about "killing" flowers if I call it "weeding". Not sure how good they are in vases but there's one way to find out!

Cosmos - easy to grow from seed and will push out more flower well into late September.
Cornflowers, I'm growing black and pink.
Phlox
Clary sage - you can get purple pink and white. Lasts until Autumn. Vivid purple is beautiful.
Sweetpeas? You could get a decent crop if you sow now

Actually TMTs salvia caradonna looked fab in a jam jar posy I made for an elderly neighbour last week - mixed with sweet peas and a couple of other sprigs. I was amazed how quick it flowered. Maybe not for this year cutting?? But a brilliant perennial.

Marigolds!!! Perfect

I knew you'd have some ideas, Scarlet.
My problem is not putting enough effort into flower growing - not sowing, pricking out, planting, dead heading and most definitely not picking. As my school reports would have said "Must try harder".

Cupid's dart, Catananche caerulea, lasts ages. They are small lilac-blue flowers, but have nice long straight stems and flower continuously from June to September time. They make a lovely splash of contrast amongst other flowers. And they are perennial, they'll thicken into a clump big enough to divide, but tend not to be promiscuous in spreading around. The seed heads are pretty too.