Allotments 4 All
Produce => Non Edible Plants => Topic started by: jennym on December 26, 2005, 09:54:54
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I'm not too much of a "flowers" person, growing mostly veg & fruit on the allotment, and shrubs & perennials in the back garden.
I grow usually Gladiolus and annual Cosmos over on the allotment for cutting but fancied something a bit more exotic this year. I have no glasshouse, but can provide some early protection in cold frames. Any suggestions and advice from those who've done this?
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Think you must have read my mind Jennym, I was talking to OH last night about our plot and planning where to grow what and we decided to put a small area over to flowers to cut, like you I like to grow plants which I can eat, or use medicinally so am I little in the dark about what to grow to cut. 8)
Will watch this thread with interest :)
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I will also be following thread. Really really want to grow flowers for cutting.(mainly for cemetery) have already received seeds which have been kndly sent to me by friend on forum.. Regards Lorna.
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Well, it's my first season of really attmpting this, so I've planted daffs and tulips around the PT....and just hurled loads of wild flower seeds all round it, I'll take a pic if/when they appear. Last saeson I had dahlias dotted about, lavender and loads of marigolds. I think it looked really pretty and I had loads of flowers from them all. Ooo yes, and I shove any roses over there that I don't have room for in the garden....
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I too am a total novice at flowers, but I think I will maintain domestic harmony by taking cut flowers home. So are gladiolus and cosmos seeds, as I will try and keep things simple by avoiding bulbs ...
Derekthefox :D
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I don't have room to grow flowers for cutting but if I did, I'd go for scented ones every time. Freesias, Sweet Williams, Sweet Peas and Oriental Lilies would top my list. :)
G xx
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This year I grew some flowers for the house, they were wonderful and I had flowers virtually all spring through to autumn. I grew sweetpeas, gladioli, daliah, lillies, cosmos, cornflowers and opium poppies. Will definitely be growing flowers again next year. :)
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Well you learn something new every day. I'd have thought you get arrested for growing opium poppies. :-[
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I don't think they're quite the same as the Afghan sort, and they wouldn't produce much opium with our weak northern sunlight anyway. They've always been perfectly legal.
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And of course sunflowers are great for cut flowers, especially all those lovely variations of colour that you can get. :)
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Despite their apparently being easy to grow, I always seem to struggle with sunflowers ...
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Have you tried the branching varieties Derek? They seem easier, if you can get past the slug attack stage, and when you cut one flower off it seems to sprout another to replace it which is great for a succession of flowers for the house. :)
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hOW ABOUT SOME GOLDEN ROD, OR LOVELY GLADIOLI. OR MONTBRETIA.?
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Georgie. Have already got sweet Williams, have got seeds for sunflowers.
Rosebud, golden rod sounds good for my use. Are they easy to grow from seed or is it best to buy plug plants. I am determind this year to have some cut flowers instead of my usual fu*hsias and geraniums..
Have got some smashing seeds that friends on forum have sent me and a great help has been that most "givers" have kindly given me info as to when and where to sow/plant.
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Severeal options come to my mind, depending on what you like. Roses are pretty tough, sweat peas work well as cut flowers too. Toadflax for something really wild, and the plumes of ornamental grasses as something special.
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Lavatera is nice and nicotiana and scabiosa.
Zinnia , peony, calendula, cut when fully open.
Bleeding heart when 4 or 5 florets are open.
All these flowers are easy to grow, I think..
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WilliamO Not very fond of roses in the garden. Love sweet peas, will try again haven't had much joy with them so far,
Lady Cosmoas I removed my lavatera, couldn't keep up with it :) I do have one lovely peony, the common red one. I planted 2 Bleeding heart last year (present form daughter) longing for them to get bigger with more florets..
I just hope I will be able to post some pics in the coming year of my successes. Regards Lorna.
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Lady Cosmos, I'm pretty sure it was you who sent me some cosmos seeds in a seed swap last year. Just wanted to say that it was your seeds that I grew this year and the flowers were fantastic, thanks :)
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By scrolling through this lot, I can come up with a list of possible flowers then, thanks everyone ...
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Jesseveve, how do I recognise branching varieties of sunflowers, remember I am totally lost here ...
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:-[ I just looked at the picture on the seed packet. The ones I grew this year are called Autumn Beauty. They produced about 4 flowers on each plant and when I cut one off a week or so later another flower appeared, ranging in colour from golden to red, here's a picture of one
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Wow fabulous ! I would love to be able to grow plants like that !
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Derek, tomorrow is my big seed sort out, I'm pretty sure I've got some seeds left over and if I didn't order autumn beauty I think I ordered something similar, if you want to try some I'll happily send some your way. :)
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My flowers won't necessarily be for cutting, more for general enjoyment and pleasurable moments pottering about the lottie.
Going to grow lavender (I'm assured this guarantees a slug free plot - GUARANTEES !! ;D ), Delphiniums, Foxgloves, Poppies, Marigolds and a drift of sunflowers. Want to get some Borrage (?) or was it Comfry - its the one with small blue flowers, apparently v good for liquid feed. Going to plant a few pots (troughs if I can get them) with ornamental grasses (blue, red and fabulous seed ones, forget their names :( )
Also got some violas which will look FABULOUS when frozen into icecubes for my G&T :D
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That is extremely kind of you Jesseveve, but I have made a list, and I am going to do something which I have been finding rather difficult, that is go SHOPPING . I will just wait until the sales have died down a bit, and Wilko's have got their seeds in ...
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DtF we grew some small dwarf bush type sunflowers, up to 6 flowers per plant, they cut quite well and filled up some spaces in our borders.
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Thank you Delilah, yes my allotment neighbour grew something similar, he had staggering success. I have noted them on my list ...
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I've got lots of spring/summer bulbs and perennials as well as a few shrubs in various beds around our allotment - just because I love to grow absolutely anything and they look good, but for actually cutting my tops for perfume are carnations/dianthus, sweetpeas and lavender and for impact in a big vase then it's gladiolii, delphiniums and irises - love lilies in the garden but can't stand the scent or that of chrysanths.
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I decided that 2006 would be a flowery one for me. After the voles ruined my runner bean crop this summer I figured that area would be ideal for flowers. I have masses and masses of seeds of different things, but definately fancy some 'everlasting' or dried flowers like static. I already have 2 rows of daffs in the plot, and I tend to grow sweetpeas with my beans but am really hoping to be more organised this year and not just cram veggies everywhere, just for the sake of it.....a few flowers here and there does the heart and soul good! I always grow sunflowers in and around my pumpkins, and poppies and foxgloves seed freely and I leave them to flower.
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Thank you for all your replies and suggestions, lots to think about!