Topic: Growing Cut Flowers???

[OliveOil]

As my Plot is so HUGE I would like to Grow Flowers on a large part of it so i can have flowers All over my house!

I am not really 'up' on flowers so could anyone suggest something easy to grow or a good book aimed at growing flowers to cut?  We plan on going to amsterdam to get some unusual bulbs too

[shirlton]

my first love is sweet peas but there are several others that i love. rudbeckia.i got some seeds from wilkies at th end of the season for sewing next spring. the variety is called irish spring, it has a lovely green centre. larkspur is another favourite of mine.sewn in the autumn they make stronger plants, the colours are beautiful and they dry well hung upside down for a while when at their best. i also got some amaranthus magic fountain. i havent grown it before but have seen it in arrangements and it looks very exotic. lupins an old favourite.asters, chrysanths for the autumn. woolmans do some very nice collections and once you have them you will never have to buy anothr plant. the margaret varieties are th easiest and one of the nicest. have alook at their site on th net. i hope this has been of some help to you. forgive the lack of puntuation and mispelt word, only have 1 hand at the mo and itsgot a mind of its own completely out of control

[Leonnie]

I grew quite a few flowers this year for the house. Dahlias I found didn't have a long life in the vase but they were perfect on the allotment for attracting bees, as was the cosmos. For long life, the rudbecki (irish eyes is what I grew) and sunflowers were the best. Choose a multi-stem/head sunflower like autumn beauty or ring of fire, the colours are lovely and they last very well in a vase. Both the rudbecki and sunflowers did well without watering, the gladioli were a disaster without being watered. Sweetpeas were fab as well and next year I want to get some lavender bushes planted so that I can have armfulls of lavender for the house, linen cupboard, drying, soapmaking etc. ;D

[saddad]

Gladioli if nobody has mentioned them yet. Aspaprgus fern and perennial Gypsophila, for supporting cast. I have been really impressed with some Gallardia I grew this year but have no idea if they make good cut flowers. Grow some everlasting flowers like Statice and saff flowers...
 ;D

[nippie]

I spent most of yesterday clearing my untidy overgrown garden. Ive been on holiday and so much can happen in a fortnight  :o
The sunflowers had blown over so I decided to pull them out, and then realised there was a nice bunch of flowers still there, so they are now in a vase in the kitchen and they look really lovely.  :)
I had grown some honesty from a packet of free seeds, then wondered why I had bothered. Now it has dried out I know why  :) I have picked it and put it in a large jug in the sitting room. Very artistic it looks too  ;D

[Carol]

You cant beat a big border of Cosmos, they are still flowering now and have been all summer, also Asters.  Theres a multitude of flowers to choose from really but I do favour Cosmos.

[nippie]

Hello Carol, I have never known my cosmos to grow as tall as they have this year (at least 7ft) and the nicotiana were the same (probably 3'6"). I agree they are lovely and last really well indoors too.

[angle shades]

cornflowers                            lavender
daffodils

cosmos

love in the mist

zinnias

sunflowers

sweetpeas

stocks

anemones

tulips

[busy_lizzie]

Hi Olive, We grew asters this year, and they were brilliant to cut and put in vases, and they seem to last for ages.  I am going to put Sarah Raven's book "the cutting garden" on my Christmas list, as I too am interested in more flowers for the house next year. busy_lizzie

[Leonnie]

I forgot to mention daffodils :)

[autumn leaf]

Silly question I know but if you cut daffodils will they flower again from the bulb the following year?  ???

[cambourne7]

Silly question I know but if you cut daffodils will they flower again from the bulb the following year?  ???

Not silly question but yes i think so.

[autumn leaf]

Have never cut mine because I thought that if I did the bulb would not flower again.  Anyone know for sure?  Am so ashamed to ask – and me a welshwoman! :'(

[Carol]

If you pick daffodils, they do flower the following year as long as you allow the leaves to die back so the goodness goes back into the bulb.

 ;) ;)

[Mrs Ava]

I'm with Carol re the daffs.  I have a couple of rows on my allotment purely for picking in the spring and bringing home and every year, they come back more and more!  Now mum has just brought me a huge sack of them so the allotment is going to look amazing!  ;D

I agree with everything everyone has said regarding flowers.  To be honest, grow what you like!  I see bunches of flowers in Asda for £9.99, and I have half of them growing in the garden!!  Annuals are pretty and make lovely little posies, but they may only last 4 or 5 days.  Tulips look stunning, but I believe you have to lift them as you would (or should) dahlias.  Sunflowers are a must, you can get lots of different multi stemmed ones, and the really dark red ones look amazing!  Don't forget things like grasses though as they look beautifully elegant in vases.

And don't forget to check out Sarah Ravens cutting garden site - http://www.thecuttinggarden.com/html/viewcatseeds.asp.  I wouldn't pay those prices, but it gives you some good ideas of what to grow just for cutting!  ;D

[OliveOil]

wow FAB responses... have printed off and shall read after dinner! Thank you!