I mentioned at the start of the year that I wanted to make more room for things like gardening and floral inspiration, this is me doing that.
I started growing flowers one: because I love flowers, and two: so I could study them up close before piping them in buttercream. There’s a huge difference between working from a photo and having the real thing in front of you, you notice how petals overlap, where the color shifts, how the flower looks from different angles. And honestly, I just want my own.
I’ve been vegetable gardening for awhile now, so I’m not new to being in the dirt, but flower gardening is a different game. My setup is more “enthusiastic experimenter” than “established cutting garden.” But that’s part of the fun.
Here are the flowers I’m growing this year and what I’m hoping to pipe from it.
Flowers Growing in My Garden This Year
Some of these flowers have been in my garden for a couple of years now, and some are brand new and I’m still waiting to see if they’ll even come back. I’m walking through each one, where things are at, and which ones I’m most excited to pipe (or attempt to pipe) this year.
Hydrangea (Big Leaf)
I planted this in 2024, but I didn’t protect it well enough from the cold that first winter. Big leaf hydrangeas (apparently) bloom on old wood – meaning the branches need to survive winter for you to get flowers. Mine didn’t, so I got new growth in 2025 but no blooms. Lesson learned.
This year I built a cage around it, stuffed it with leaves, and wrapped the whole thing in burlap. Fingers crossed. If it doesn’t work, I might swap it for a variety that blooms on new growth.
I usually pipe hydrangeas and figure out color combos via photos on Pinterest, but I’d love to work from my own. Hydrangeas are my favorite flowers thing to pipe. I’m also so curious what color the blooms will be if it survives!
I have a beginner-friendly buttercream hydrangea step-by-step if you want to try them yourself.
Peony
I planted a new peony in 2025, so I’m not expecting blooms this year. From what I learned, peonies need time to establish and don’t like being disturbed.
I actually had a peony in a pot that took two years to blooms, and then I lost it the following winter because I didn’t protect the roots/tubers well enough. That was such a sad loss! I planted it in the ground anyway just in case…
For this new plant, I’m mostly just hoping I picked a good spot and that it comes back strong. Peonies are one of the flowers I most want to pipe from life, the layers are so complex. I’m trying to be patient, but if I get no blooms again this year between this and my hydrangea, I might start taking it personally.
Lilies
Also planted in 2025. I’m optimistic these will come back, lilies seem to be more forgiving than some of the others. I would love a taller variety eventually.
I piped an Asiatic Lily in Part 1 of my 100+ buttercream flower challenge, and I’ve wanted to try more varieties ever since. Growing up, I used to see wood lilies when I went camping, and I always thought they were so pretty. I’d love to have something like that planted around my place someday.
Sunflowers
I’ve been letting my sunflowers reseed themselves for the last couple years and I’m never disappointed. most of the seeds get taken by the birds and squirrels throughout the winter (It’s actually hilarious to watch a squirrel grab an entire head and carry it up a tree) but there are always a few that make it and sprout in the spring. I find these volunteer seedlings have really strong stems compared to ones I start from a packet. I also save some of the larger heads before the frost to plant in other areas.
I grow a mix of branching and single-stem varieties, all giants, all slightly different. Some are pale yellow, some almost orange and the centers vary just as much. Some have light, golden-green centers and others are deep, dark brown. It’s one of those details you don’t really think about, but it makes a big difference when you’re piping them. They’re all pollen-producing, which means they aren’t great as cut flowers, but they are great for bees! Last year they brought in so many bees that I’ll never stop growing them.
Sunflowers are another one of my favorite flowers to pipe. Aside from hydrangeas, I pipe these the most. I have a beginner-friendly buttercream sunflower step-by-step if you want to try them yourself.
Marigolds
I started seed saving in 2024 and it went so well that I have two or three times the seeds this year. Last year I just sprinkled them outdoors after the last frost, and I had marigolds for days. This year I plan to start a few indoors for some earlier blooms.
Here’s the interesting part, I originally planted ruffled varieties in yellow, orange, and red. But even after one summer of seed-saving, things started shifting. Last year I got a lot of yellow, some bicolor blooms in orange and red, and only one plant with solid red petals. I also ended up with a few open, single-petaled flowers that I definitely didn’t plant. I’m not sure how those came into play, but I love that the garden just does its own thing. I’m really curious to see what shows up this year.
Marigolds are great piping practice, small, repetitive petals, good for building consistency. I piped these in Part 3 of my 100+ Buttercream Flower Challenge.
Other Flowers Coming Back (I Hope)
A few other plants should return this year. I haven’t piped all of these yet, but they’re on my list:
- Astilbe – Planted because I liked the feathery texture. Curious to see how it translates to buttercream.
- Phlox – I have two creeping varieties, one pink and one light purple. They’d make really nice filler flowers on cupcakes and cakes.
My garden is still very much a work in progress, but that’s part of why I like using it for reference. I’m learning how these flowers grow at the same time I’m finding new ways to pipe them.
And honestly, now that I’m paying more attention to the flowers in my garden, I’m starting to notice how beautiful some of my vegetable plants are when they bloom too. Squash blossoms, pea flowers, even tomato flowers, they’re all surprisingly pretty and I’m already thinking about how they’d translate to buttercream. That might be a whole future project.
What flowers do you grow in your garden? And which flowers from this list would you most want to learn how to pipe? I’d love to hear — drop a comment below!
And as always, happy decorating!
