The Best Flowers To Grow For Mental Health
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As a home gardener, I ignored cut flowers for YEARS.
Here’s the thing- I couldn’t honestly see the point in growing something just to cut it off, bring it inside and let it wither away to the garbage can. It felt like the dumbest work of labor I’d ever heard. Aren’t you supposed to enjoy plants outside?
I was one of those people who hated getting flowers because they just die and get thrown away .
I didn’t really get it.. until I grew my own and I got to wake up and see my own flowers arranged in a vase next to my percolator. Heck, they were gorgeous.
Where have they been all my life?!
I found myself looking at them and smiling more each day, moving them around here and there, and just feeling so incredibly happy and proud that I grew something so beautiful.
Flowers are pretty, right?
Growing flowers is even better. You get the full experience of gardening for mental health, and then you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor where you spend a lot of your time- in your house. Are all flowers good for mental health, though? (Arguably- yes.. yes they are.) Yes and no- check out my recommendations on what to grow if you’re looking to reap the benefits of growing flowers for mental health.
The Best Flowers to Grow for Mental Wellbeing
Tulips
Tulip “Sensual Touch”
You will not find a more biased opinion than this:
Tulips are the ultimate flower to grow for mental health. Most bloggers put the “big bang” at the end, but I’m not gonna make you wait. If you live in a cold climate, you KNOW those winter blues. Grab yourself tulips, put them in some dirt, and build up some anticipation in your days as you wait for the absolute most iconic spring flower out there.
Hellebores
Purple Hellebores in a Garden
My mother-in-law has grown these in her cottage garden for years, and I honestly never paid them any attention. This year, I noticed that they came up before the tulips and they bloomed for so long I found myself looking for them every time I went outside. Ensuring you have flowers that will come up post winter weather is an absolute must for your mental wellbeing. Hellebores, also known as Lenten roses, are hardy enough to pop up through some snow and they perennialize like dreams!
Zinnias
Pink Zinnia in Garden
People love to call zinnias the easiest flowers to grow, and while I don’t necessarily think that’s the case for me they’re definitely a flower to consider if you’re looking to grow flowers for mental health. Once they’re growing, they don’t require much maintenance, they can tolerate a little drought if you forget about them, and they will reward you with an entire season of blooms. What I like most about zinnias is the more you cut, the more they’ll grow. You get the ultimate reward of enjoying them indoors as cut flowers, as well as outdoor landscape pops of color. Check out the ultimate list of zinnia cultivars to find your favorite!
Sunflowers
Bright yellow petaled sunflower plant
Reminiscent of sunshine, I’m not sure how you couldn’t grow sunflowers. With so many varieties nowadays, you can grow 12 foot tall giants, perfect Pro Cuts for the optimal indoor bouquet, or snag a pack of Van Gogh Fantasy Mix from Sunflower Steve. Cheerful and bright, sunflowers are the ultimate pick-me-up mood booster with their yellow hue.
Peony
Huge peony blooms on a plant
Have you ever buried your face into a bouquet full of freshly bloomed peonies? (YES- there is a way to cut them so they aren’t covered in ants!) If you haven’t, put that on your bucket list. Full of texture, gigantic, and that nostalgic floral scent, you’ll want to make sure you add a perennial peony plant outside. It’s hard to not feel good when you have a vase full of these beauties in your house. Peonies are a beautiful perennial, and another one of those flowers that you can plant once and enjoy for half a lifetime. (Bonus: you can split them every few years and multiply your stock!)
Dahlias
Orange and purple dahlias growing in a garden
With thousands of dahlia cultivars, there is literally a dahlia for everyone. It’s insane, really. I’m going to tell you a secret- they aren’t as hard to grow as everyone thinks they are. You won’t find a more stunning bloom that is a cut and come again flower! Dahlias are incredible, and a year round labor of love. If you are growing for mental health, you can not beat the whole process of growing dahlias as it is engaging and very hobby focused. This is the ultimate dahlia website here.
Roses
Soft peach colored English rose in full bloom
Who doesn’t love a rose? I’m not a fan of the thorns, but my goodness tending to roses is such an immersive learning experience. I find that learning about roses is more engaging to me than reading a fiction book because it’s stimulating for the brain to get excited about something. A cut and come again perennial, you can enjoy rose blooms all season. If you benefit from having a busy brain, roses may be a great addition to your mental health garden. Roses require just a little bit of finessing as they grow but they’ll pay you immensely with blooms for decades, as the average lifespan of a rose bush can be upwards of 50 years.
Daffodils
Brilliant white and yellow daffodils
You could make the case that daffodils could’ve been the top spot because they technically bloom earlier than tulips, and they’re every bit as bright and cheerful as a sunflower! I’m coming into my daffodil era here, still exploring different cultivars. Because winters can bring on bouts of Seasonal Affective Disorder and increase depression and anxiety, I think any spring blooming flower is amazing to add for mental health benefits. Anytime you are setting yourself up for an event to look forward to that creates anticipation, it creates hope inside your brain and we like that when it comes to therapeutic growing. Who doesn’t love a bright flower peeking up through the snow?
Daisies
Cheerful white and yellow daisy
Gerberas or Montauks, all daisies give off happy cheerful vibes and I’m thrilled to include them here to wrap up the list of the best flowers to grow for mental health. Symbolically, daisies have long been thought to represent friendship or new beginnings and they’re hard to beat. Why would you grow these for mental health, though? You have a variety of annuals as well as perennials, and such a beautiful variety of cultivars to choose from.
So, what’s the best one?
The best one YOU should grow for your mental health is the one you’re thinking about right now that you want to scroll back up to go see, because it means you were drawn to that one. Ultimately, the flower best for YOUR mental health is the one you find yourself thinking about after you close out this article. That flower made an impression on you, and we trust our intuition around here!
Save to Pinterest - Best Flowers to Grow for Mental Health
Start small. Don't try to do too much at once.
Choose flowers that are exciting to you!
Remember, there are no garden failures.
Celebrate your experiences.