Topic: A flower for all seasons

[KeithR]

Now that the allotment is fully dug I have set aside an area of about 8' x 12' for cut flowers. My wife wants Chrysants, and I have voted for sweet peas but I was wondering if any of you had some favourites which sort of fit into the below requirements.: -

1) A long cutting season (not necessarily from one plant but a variety)
2) Flowers that have a decent vase life ( I don't want them to die the day after they are cut)
3) If possible, of benefit to the allotment, a bit like companion planting.

Any ideas gratefully received.

KeithR

[wahaj]

lupins can be good cut flowers...i saw some used in tescos last night. they do flower for a little while and will come back year after year.....and they also add nitrogen to the soil.

there are certain types of poppies, i think the large oriental varieties that flower from june...well into the first frosts and last a little while as cut flowers. some perennial varieties will obviously come back year after year aswell.

and how about sunflowers? they'll be good in the allotment and there's so many different types to choose from....and they make great cut flowers.

you could grow some alliums. again they'll come back every year without any help....and are great cut flowers. even when the petals fall off they have lovely seed heads.

there's plently of different grasses you can grow aswell that have lovely different types of seed heads.....and also black millet! that has a lovely long black tail of a seed head.

[natasha]

Floribunda Roses, I've got Burgundy Ice, absolutely delighted, lots and lots and lots of flowers since early summer and in flower now, but may be not for the allotment, too posh.
http://www.fryers-roses.co.uk/Roses/floribunda.html

[Emagggie]

Marigolds to help keep pests away, dahlias 'cos they look so cheery, or lavender?

[Mrs Ava]

Multi stemmed sunflowers make fab cut flowers and look great on the plot!  Cosmos for me this year was a great goer, and is still in full bloom and looks amazing!  I have a couple of rows of daffs, planted deeply so it doesn't matter if I sow over the top, and these are purely for cutting and bringing home in spring.  Dahlias are great for later colour.  I have foxgloves almost as a weed on the plot and I cut them and bring home as they look amazing in tall vases and you can just oik them out or cut them back once they have finished.  Sarah Ravens cutting garden website....I assume she still has it now she is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO rich...gave me some good ideas when I first started growing flowers on the plot for cutting.

[Gadfium]

I tried multi-stemmed sunflowers for the first time this year. They turned out to be: easy to grow from seed; the insects love them; long lasting colour; & great for vases.

While a lot of the border is now suffering, the sunflowers continue to bloom away, and away, and away...

[flossie]

Lots of great suggestions here.  I always grow some blue cornflowers for cutting :D

[KeithR]

Many thanks all,

I am wondering if I have got a big enough bed. I will try most of the suggestions and see how it goes. I suppose if I have not got enough space I can always take on the plot next door which is comong vacant in the autumn.

KeithR

[flossie]

Do post us some pictures 8)