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Cutting garden

ObelixxObelixx Posts: 29,633
in Plants

I'm planning to have a cut flower bed or two in my new veggie patch.   Never grown flowers for cutting before so any tips on best varieties for growing and cutting and vase life are welcome.  

Also, apart from perennial cut flowers, do I need to include annuals in the general crop rotation scheme?

Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
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  • Bright starBright star Posts: 1,153

    I'm growing cut flowers for first time obelixx, I've found Sara Ravens website brilliant both for choice of seeds or plant plugs to buy and the information on how to grow them. It's a very inspiring website. The Higgledy Garden website is also packed full of info all told in a very tongue in cheek way. Seedaholic is also another good site for info and varieties.  For xmas I was bought "The Cut Flower Patch" by Louise Curley which is excellent. It's full of practicle advice as to planning and siting your patch, suggesting best plants to grow, including planting plans. Also how to condition your plants after cutting to give them a longer vase life. Hope that helps.

    Therse are the plants I will be sowing.

    Foliage: ammi majus and ammi visnaga, and euphorbia oblongata 

    Flowers : cosmos various colours, larkspur, scabiosa,antirrhinum, agastache, zinnia, helianthus, various rudbeckias, dahlia bishops children, karma dahlia plants which are bred specially for the cut flower, nigella, calendula, and a few others if I can find the space! Great plants to attract bees too. 

    Life's tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 29,633

    Thanks Star.  One of my aims for the cutting garden is to encourage pollinators.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 22,588

    I have a cutting bed in my veg garden but I grow mostly annuals in it. I have 3 Gypsophila perennials though and several of the flowers mentioned above. There is also a trellis for Sweet Peas.

    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 29,633

    Thanks.  Some lovely suggestions.  

    I have never done any flower arranging of any sort so will be starting simply with bunches of flowers.   Better do some research on that too I suppose.  A friend in Belgium had beautifully arranged posies and bunches all over her house and even used cut flower heads to decorate the sculptures in the garden.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 22,588

    imageimageimageMy flower arranging isn't very good, just bunches of flowers in vases, but I think they are pretty anyway.

    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 29,633

    That's exactly the look I'm aiming for Busy.  Fresh and natural.  Love your colour combinations.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 22,588

    Thank you image

    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 22,588

    They filled the kitchen with scent aym. They need a lot of watering here.

    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,030

    I find Alchemilla Mollis invaluable when popping pink roses in a jug - it's the perfect filler for them image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601

    Busy, in the top picture what are those yellow flowers that have the same form as cow parsley? They really are lovely.

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