Choose a vibrant variety that packs a powerful punch.Sow: under cover from Jan to MarchHeight x spread: 70cm x 60cm, Flowering for months, cleome comes in shades of pink, mauve and white. Tulips are one of the most popular cut flowers on the market. Butterflies and bees find them irresistible.Sow: direct from March to MayHeight x spread: 90cm x 50cm, Snapdragons, Antirrhinum, are every child’s favourite. Sunflowers - The epitome of happiness in a flower, sunflowers are very easy to grow, and produce instantly recognisable yellow flowers on long, sturdy stems. Would you like gorgeous fresh cut flowers all summer? If I can grow flowers, anyone can. I tend to plant in clumps or lines to make the flowers easy to cut. ‘Ocean Pearls’ (pictured) has white flowers with black flecks, while ‘Milas’ has deep purplish pink blossoms lined and spotted in … Sally Nex will be your host for this tailor-made tour, designed to give you a full taste of Somerset garden life, historic and contemporary, with great eating and inspiring talks from leading gardeners. wide and form on particularly long stems. They are beautiful, and have the loveliest smell of any flower I have ever beheld, but they are short lived. Many cut flowers will, in fact, grow roots with the right treatment. You’ll be overflowing with gorgeous bouquets all summer! With all that out of the way, here are my favourite easy-to-grow cut flowers that are perfect for beginners. Searing the cut ends in a little boiling water stops the petals dropping.Sow: under cover from February to MayHeight x spread: 120cm x 30cm. The exception to this is the Miracle-Gro Excel product, which has extra calcium and magnesium. Annuals and biennials are easy to grow flowers. Cut flowers early in the morning. I’m sure I lose some, but most seem to do all right. Attractive bouquets and arrangements combine strong structural elements with fillers and foliage to bulk out and meld the dominant ingredients. Equally impressive is its range of colours, from the brightest of shades to delicate pastels. Growing my own flowers was an idea that started in a supermarket, three summers ago. Cosmos ‘Rubenza’ is a shorter variety, so doesn’t need staking, and its deep red blooms last until the first frosts.Sow: under cover from February to MayHeight x spread: 75cm x 40cm, Some herbs make great cut flowers. Exclusive offer from gardenersworld.com shopping deals. Flowers make me happy – but if I wanted one mixed bouquet a week on the kitchen table, I’d be shelling out £40 a month. Weeding is a pain but you have to do it. USDA Zones 7-10. And then you can sit and beam at your cleverness while beholding a vase stuffed with just-cut blooms that have never seen the inside of an aeroplane or been touched by a drop of chemical preservative, and are vastly more beautiful than anything you’d be able to pick up at the supermarket. I didn’t want an idyllic cottage garden border; I wanted flowers to cut for the house – and buckets of them. Germination can be erratic, so don’t wait for all your seeds to germinate before pricking them out. Varietals like carnations, gerbera daisies, snapdragons, and lisianthus are picky about their growing conditions and frequently suffer from fungal diseases like fusarium wilt. A lacy and frothy “filler” that is also beautiful in its own right. Either raid your borders, or grow them as a permanent, lower maintenance fixture in a cut flower … I grow cut flowers for my son’s CSA and will also start to sell at a local flower market this year. Many flowering plants can be propagated from cuttings of existing plants. This biennial will readily self seed. I’ve given away countless bouquets to friends, and the oohs and aahs of admiration have The next summer I winged it, creating my own design, and apart from the ever-reliable dahlias, the results were not quite so good. While I understand the productivity of 4-foot wide beds, I worry about back problems reaching in to cut and otherwise manage beds this wide. My philosophy: buy some seed, plant it in a seed tray and sprinkle a bit of compost on top, water it regularly without drenching, then ideally feed the ground before planting out, and let the flowers get on with it. Unless it has rained, I water everything, morning and night. These include roses, hydrangea, lilac, honeysuckle, and azaleas. Thankfully ‘gladdies’, like most bulbs, are easy to grow. As flowers have emerged in the rest of the patch, the garden has been alive with bees, and the variety of form and colour has provided a stunning display to enjoy from our kitchen window. These flowers are among the easiest you can grow. There were some failures. Aim to grow a range of flowers and foliage with complementary or contrasting colours and textures. They are also easy to grow from seed and have a wonderful clove-like fragrance. Dianthus in general make excellent cut flowers, and many carnation varieties have a beautiful spicy fragrance in addition to an extraordinarily long vase life. If you grow your own, you can have cut flowers well into fall. From the team at Gardeners' World Magazine. There is a maximum of 5 places per class for intimate and full attention. Our guide on how to grow your own cut flowers and fill your home with fresh blooms. If successful, the cuttings will take root and grow to resemble the plants from which the cuttings were taken (similar to cloning). The more you cut, the more they produce. Foxgloves are popular in cottage garden planting schemes, loved for their spires of bell-shaped, bee-friendly tubular flowers with spotted centres. It looks ugly at first, but the plants hide it in the end. One of the best dark dahlias. Try 3 issues of BBC Countryfile Magazine for just £5! I ended up directly sowing in a “let’s-fill-the-gaps-where-stuff-has-died” panic from late May to mid-June – but it worked. Level up your cut flower game with the showy tall spires of gladiolus. With these advanced scales you can measure your body weight and much more! All the dahlias I tried appeared to need no tending apart from liberal applications of (bird-friendly) slug pellets. The best annuals to grow for cut flowers all summer long Save ... show no sign of rust, common in cut flower varieties when they’re grown organically, as we do. The Flower Farmer: An Organic Grower's Guide to Raising and Selling Cut Flowers, 2nd Edition, Lynn Byczynski. Sow seed directly into the soil, or in seed trays between March and May, and you'll quickly have a supply of flowers. Amaranth Gazing at the flower buckets by the entrance, I felt torn. Daisy shapes such as cosmos make perfect cut flowers and are invaluable for pollinators. Grow your own cut flowers When … The Flower Farmer’s Year is a light, entertaining look at how to plant, maintain, and keep evolving a productive cut-flower garden. Minus any gardening knowledge, but with the help of a niftily pre-designed planting plan and a tin of seeds, I managed to raise my own tiny, delicate plants for the first time ever. Think you have a brown thumb? No garden should be without them.Sow: under cover from January to MarchHeight x spread: 180cm x 45cm, Slender Verbena bonariensis stems topped with tiny violet flowers are elegant in a vase. Easy annuals such as sunflowers and zinnias are simple to start from seed, perennials require little care and return year after year, and bulbs are practically foolproof when planted properly. How to make a business out of a cut flower garden ; 8 garden flowers that hold secret beauty benefits; 4 ways to reuse old cut flowers, according to an ethical flower company; The best seasonal British cut flowers; 8 Chelsea Flower Show 2019 gardening trends; 12 simply beautiful spring flower arranging ideas But take care when cutting and arranging – the stems can have vicious spines.Sow: under cover from February to AprilHeight x spread: 120-150cm x 45cm, Daisy shapes such as cosmos make perfect cut flowers and are invaluable for pollinators. The lacy flowerheads are very graceful and they have excellent vase life. TOH Tip: Poppies should be cut just before flowers open. One question on this post, though. Depending on where you live, Zinnias can succumb to Powdery … At the end of the list, I’ll also include others which I think you should avoid, either because they have really long days to maturity, or are difficult to grow. A spectacular sunflower that combines shades of burnt orange, pink and yellow. Of course, it takes time, but Georgie has a “just do 20 minutes” rule that makes starting this type of project less daunting. Let’s get started! A = annual Bu = bulb, corm or tuber Bi = biennial C = climber P = perennial S = shrub E = evergreen D = deciduous Flowers that are popular in the florist trade are usually good candidates for hydroponic culture. A sweet pink with a subtle scent, which produces lots of flowers if you keep cutting. My conclusion? Growing cut flowers from seed is much more satisfying – not to mention cheaper – than buying them. Thanks! Start with just one easy plant, or select a few and get growing! These varieties had fabulous colours (hot pink and dark red respectively), flowered prolifically, and attracted zero interest from any pests. Planting seeds is certainly cheaper than buying small plants, but you will need to use all available windowsills and be prepared to put in a few minutes of gentle watering every couple of days. Each flower on this list can be planted directly in the ground after the last frost, or you can follow the seed packet instructions and start them indoors a couple of weeks before your last frost date. In a single raised bed of 4m x 1.5m, I managed to plant borage, with its delicate star-shaped blue flowers; frothy white ammi; bright and cheerful zinnias; silky cosmos; luminously purple larkspur; glowing-orange California poppies; chives with their pom-pom flowerheads; lemon balm for its scented leaves; and foxgloves from plants transplanted (not altogether successfully) from a neighbour’s garden. Try a vibrant yellow, like ‘Marmalade’, or a rich ruby red.Sow: under cover February to AprilHeight x spread: 45cm x 25cm, Sweet peas come in a mind-boggling range of colours, produce blooms for as long as you keep cutting and are famously fragrant. Our garden is prepped and just waiting on seeds to be planted. ‘Tis the season for getting those cutting gardens started! Good staying power is also important – flowers for cutting should have a good vase life and long, strong stems. Flowers farmers have been a great resource in learning about growing a cut flower garden. The resulting tangle of poppies, cornflowers, corncockle, wild chamomile and corn marigolds is now probably my favourite section of the cutting patch. Let’s talk about this list of easy to grow cut flowers. The plant grows huge (you only need a couple or it’ll take over) and its tiny flowers are bee heaven, and create an atmospheric haze of blue in a vase. The gladiolus, or sword lilies are a popular cut flower and easy to grow. Must learn about 44 Best Cut Flowers you can grow in pots or garden bed! The Best Annual Cut Flower Seeds for Beginners. Alternatively, stretch plastic netting between stakes, about 50cm above the ground. As one the easiest spring bulbs you can grow, they're a mainstay in the spring cutting garden. They also make long-lasting cut flowers. Bishop’s flower, Ammi majus, is a ‘posh’ form of cow parsley. The plants grow through the holes. Common along roadsides and grain fields of the Mediterranean, this wildflower also makes a great cut flower. Sunflowers are perfect for brightening up the home or to give to a friend in a bouquet. Once the plant is about 12’’ tall you will want yo pinch the center stem so that the plant will branch out and grow more stems. Looking more closely at the flowers, I wasn’t that impressed, either – the lilies had been flown in from Africa, the stocks were squashed in their plastic wrapping and the roses looked almost industrial in their uniformity. Cut the bottom of the flower stem at a 45 degree angle just above a node (the bump where a leaf will eventually grow), using clean hand pruning shears or sharp, clean scissors. Flower Farmers. So I walked past the cut-flowers and, realising there was still time to start growing my own that summer, went home, dug the turf from a 3m x 4m chunk of our garden – and got planting. Remove any dead or fading blooms to prevent bacteria damaging the healthy flowers. It just keeps flowering, and the scent is both delicate and seductive. Listen to the latest episodes from our country podcast, Garden guide: How to grow your own cut flowers, British seasonal wildflowers guide: how to identify, when to see and where to find them, How to make your garden wildlife-friendly, Discover the medicinal powers of wildflowers and plants, Guide to medicinal plants found in the UK, British duck guide: identification, species, facts and where to see, Easy ways to stay connected to nature and the outdoors from your home, Strawberry guide: varieties, how to grow, and best places to pick your own. So first, I have to admit, when I heard about this cut flower-to-plant idea, I was pretty skeptical. been a lovely bonus. And because I love the blowsy, natural look of wildflowers, I sprinkled one whole quadrant of my big bed with a meadow-seed mix I bought online and hoped for the best. I’m lazy: I don’t prick out and pot on my seedlings into bigger containers. JOIN IN So, determined to learn how make a better fist of things, I headed off in October to Common Farm Flowers in Somerset to learn from Georgie, who is a font of flower-growing knowledge – and wickedly funny, too. 1. You don’t need a huge patch to grow a decent selection of flowers. Delicate blooms are 2–3 in. Check out 10 of the best plants to grow from seed for colourful cut flowers. This variety is an eye-catching true-blue cornflower that’s hard to beat. Cosmos ‘Rubenza’ is a shorter variety, so doesn’t need staking, and its deep red blooms last until the first frosts. I don’t even know what kind of soil I’ve got, apart from it being stony and weedy. You're now subscribed to our newsletter. Tiny daisies that bring a lovely, relaxed feel of a country meadow to any arrangement. Keep cut flowers away from fruit bowls as fruit produces ethylene which causes cut flowers to die prematurely. Flowers can grow up to 4 feet and feature blue-green foliage. And by growing cut flowers in your own garden, rather than paying for blooms that have been shipped halfway across the world, you’re doing your bit to reduce air miles. These cut-flowers are heat tolerant so they grow well in most regions. This means growing seedlings indoors in autumn for planting the following spring, then raising more in May and a third wave in early summer. Change the water every few days, refreshing any flower feed and preservatives at the same time. Like actual rose bushes from your bouquets! Excel is recommended for cut flowers that require a boost of those specific minerals. Flowers in the dianthus family are also known as pinks, sweet William, and carnations. Subscribe to BBC Gardeners' World Magazine and receive your first 3 issues for only £5. Alternatively, stretch plastic netting between stakes, about 50cm above the ground. They grow quickly and like Cosmos, the more you cut them, the more they produce, so don’t be afraid to cut deep into the plant. Some flowers are easier to propagate from cut flowers than others. We’ve done the tricky bit in making sure the seeds germinate and are beginning to grow, good and strong, so all you have to do is put your cut flower plants in the ground. Others included ‘American Dawn’ (a huge apricot-orange flowerhead with a purply-mauve centre), ‘City of Leiden’ (bright, spiky pink) and ‘Labyrinth’ (a pinky-orange explosion of silky petals – a true showstopper). Although they are most commonly thought of as flowering in white, pink, and red, horticulturalists continue to develop new varieties in different hues. Bamboo canes are cheap; rustic wicker supports are pricey. My sweetpeas were weedily unproductive, about 20% of my other seedlings died early on, and the slugs munched on my just-emerging dahlias. WINTER MINI COURSE: SEED STARTING 101. Once your plants are flowering, if you cut ruthlessly then deadheading takes far less time than you might think. Make a New Year’s resolution to reduce your garden’s carbon footprint and become a better gardener at the same time in our latest Masterclass Online with host, David Hurrion. Bees adore it, and it’ll self-seed. I used another raised bed for sunflowers, more cosmos, headily scented mauve sweetpeas and three new dahlias. Georgie emphasises getting your soil properly fed with nutrients before putting your plants in: well-rotted horse manure was one suggestion. You do have to be careful with watering though as they can be susceptible to powdery mildew. All you need is a handful of seed, a spare patch of soil, and five minutes a day. Flowers to Grow in Hydroponics . Here are 10 cut flowers to grow from seed. Dill produces large, starburst umbels, which help to support the stems of other flowers and knit them together visually.Sow: direct from March to JuneHeight x spread: 90cm x 40cm, Also known as tithonia, Mexican sunflower adds heat to a bouquet, particularly the orange variety ‘Torch’.Sow: under cover from March to AprilHeight x spread: 120cm x 45cm, Lasting for up to two weeks in a vase, coneflowers, Rudbeckia, make impressive late summer cut blooms. Mostly they do. Prick them out and transplant them individually instead. Cut flowers are usually annuals grown from seed, but perennials make good cut flowers, too. Ageratum. By entering your details, you are agreeing to Countryfile.com terms and conditions & privacy policy. It looks ugly at first, but the plants hide it in the end. Find out how to grow cut flowers for every season, Masterclass Online: How to Become a Greener Gardener. This course follows the Flower Growing Year, taught over 5 sessions, learning and practically growing the plants yourselves both in our plots and taking home materials to grow on at home in your space. I’ve cut ferociously, and the flowers have kept coming, so I have been able to experiment with combinations of colours. Sow: under cover from February to May Height x spread: 75cm x 40cm Many flowers for cutting are also attractive to pollinating insects. Below, you’ll find my list of the best cut flowers to grow in your own cutting garden. These flowers come in a range of colours to suit your garden and home. What to grow Half hardy annuals. 7 Tips to Grow a Beautiful Cut Flower Garden 1. Cut flowers are not listed as one of the uses for these products, since the requirements for cut flowers are different from those for growing plants. You can unsubscribe at any time. Washing the pruners or scissors in hot, soapy water or wiping them down with rubbing alcohol helps keep the cut stem healthy. Create Cut Flower Bouquets. They just have to manage. It doesn’t matter what colours you plant next to each other – it will look beautiful when the flowers are blooming. I do my most enthusiastic weeding at the start so that my seedlings don’t get overwhelmed. Sign in to manage your newsletter preferences. For example, I grow peonies in early spring. I did draw up a planting plan, but it got adapted through the season as some seeds didn’t germinate and others didn’t thrive. Great for repeat cutting and unusual because it’s the bracts (a specialised leaf) that are brightly coloured, rather than the petals. They are available in single and double blooming varieties that flower in a rainbow of different colors. A bright orange variety that I’ll always have in my garden, giving a glowing pop of colour in a bouquet. I sprinkle bird-friendly slug pellets liberally: I’m not growing a midnight feast for gastropods. Now this isn’t universally true for all flowers, so check the variety you are planning on planting. Johnny's Flower Grower's Library houses articles on a range of topics, including specific planting and harvesting guidance on individual flower crops. 1. If you’ve ever propagated perennials from cuttings, you’ll understand the basics of regrowing cut flowers.