prenial flowers for cutting
cody smith
Posts: 81
in Plants
I want to try and make a prenial flower bed at my allotment this year, whatare the best varieties for me to start with that have first year flowers
thanks
0
cody smith
Posts: 81
Posts
Most perennials will flower this year. What controls your choice would be the size and colours you want. Obviously, perennials are a long term choice and if you put in smaller plants, they will develop and flower better next year. Another issue in your choice might be whether they are easy to grow from seeds or cuttings. For example, if you bought a sedum plant, they are so easy to grow from cutttings that you could turn that plant into ten new ones by next year. Some plants seed themselves very readily and will increase your stock quickly, for example alchemilla mollis (Ladies Mantle) and Geranium Robertiana (Herb Robert).
Cody
Dahlias will flower this year- can be grown from seed or tubers-cheaply if you just want cut flowers-you may have to lift in the autumn but in some areas- if protected- can be left in over winter.
HiCody
are you thinking about growing them from seed? Some of the achilleas are good at first year flowering. agastaches, some of the rudbeckias, salvias. If you look on the seed packets it will say something like 'Flowers in the first year from an early sowing'. Doesn't always work, last year will have slowed some of them down a bit.
In the sticks near Peterborough
Thomson and Morgan seed catalogue and the seed packets in garden centres have a special logo on if the plant will flower in its first year. they are also on the internet. http://www.thompson-morgan.com/
It may give you a good idea.
Some good flowers that give a good display, they are annuals though, but are bright and cheery, and can be cut are called Cosmos. Perhaps as you are just starting you could have a mix of perennials and annuals so that you really get to know how to grow from seeds and what you have to do for great success
Good Luck
PS how lucky is that to have an allotment - Wow
I think you'll struggle to get perenniel flowers from seeds sown this year and Dahlia's although producing fabulous flowers aren't plants which can be left in the ground over winter, you can sow them now but the tubers will need to be lifted before winter sets in unless you live in an area of the country which is mild and choose to take your chances with the weather..., .
You need a 2yr plan. Look to sowing annuals now and start planning for next year. Biannuals and perennials sown in July/August can be planted out before the first frost and providing the winter isn't sever you'll have some really good, healthy plants at the start of 2014. In an allotment they'll also provide good ground cover over Winter.
As to which one's...what do you like...big and bold...small and petite....I'm sure other poster can help with choice of plants...
thanks for all that info ot the flowers and i do grow veg an sweet pea and i got the 60 sweet pea plants so i have 200 plants now
THANKS
Have you thought about growing a bed of sunflowers, they aren't perennials but you can grow small varieties which only grow to 3ft, 4ft and 5ft. They attract birds and when they flower the heads can be saved and dried out for their seeds to feed birds over winter.
There are some perennial herbs which flower, chives have lilac flowers.