Cut flowers

[spud57]

We would like to devote an area of our new allottment to growing flowers for cutting. Can anyone recommend some good varieties please?

[JennieAtkinson]

I always grow a row of dahlias Spud for cutting at the end of the year. Brightens up the veg no end!

[duggie]

Cut flowers will be taking up a couple of my beds this year. I have cosmos, dahlias, rudbekia, gazania, lillies, gladioli and sweetpeas to name just a few!

[fiveravens]

Hard to beat gladioli.

[JennieAtkinson]

Hard to beat gladioli.

Do they need alot of staking?

[Flummery]

I've got loads of hardy and half hardy annual for my cutting bed this year. Ammi majus (you might need to try google images - I don't think it's got a common name!) larkspur, clarkia, various shades of scabious, Monarch of the Veldt, Bells of Ireland (sorry to those who hate green flowers - I find they tone down a bunch of hysterical orange and yellow to a manageable hue) sunflowers, annual lupins and, as they say, much, much more! Oh, and sweet peas of course!

[nick the grief]

Do they need alot of staking?

Not if you grow Primulina's Jennie - they just don't grow as big as the normal ones and not everyone wants a 3ft long flower spike!

As to the question of cut flowers - in no particular order ...

• Chrysanthemum - especially Spray Chrysanths
• Dahlia's - I usually grow Miniature Cactus and Pompons. Small flowers but loads of them
• Sweetpeas - no Allotment should be without them
• Small Sunflowers - look good if you've a big vase
• Clarkia - annual
• Godetia - Annual
• Wallflowers - sow now for next Spring although you can get one called Vivaldi that flowers in about 15 weeks
• Sweet Williams - same as Wallflowers
• Pinks and Carantions - always nice to have
• Sweet Violets - can't beat them for scent if you've a small vase

If you get hold of it Sarah Ravens did a good book about Cut flowers - I know, I know, I moan about her dress sense but it is a very good book.

[kentvegplot]

Agree with all the above, would add annual rudbeckias for late colour, nicotiana for scent, black cornflowers and euphorbias for foliage.

Sarah Ravens books on cut flowers/flower arranging are very good....

[Finedon.Dandy]

Bells of Ireland (sorry to those who hate green flowers - I find they tone down a bunch of hysterical orange and yellow to a manageable hue)

You dont mean me do you?

I can tolerate green flowers in amoungst a riot of colour but green flowers in winter with very little other colour (i.e. my hellebores) then no thanks. My lack of colour hasnt been helped in that my dogwood hasnt grown in two years since we planted them!

I agree with all the suggestions made above by the way - good luck.

[amandaandherveg]

Went to Poundland on Saturday when we were rained off gardening. Got 45 mixed gladioli bulbs for £1.

[spud57]

Thank you! some really good ideas... I have already some sweet peas but will have to see what I can sow now before its too late! I saw niglella planted in a great swathe last year at Ryton organic gardens and was charmed but its wonderful foliage and blue flowers when planted en masse like that. For me flowers really need to have fragrance though, thats as much the point as the looks, so pinks and sweet violets sound really nice

[nick the grief]

I like Nigella as well, she can have me anytime ohh you meant the flowers ... Persian jewels is a good mixture as you get pink flowers as well as the startling blue ones.

Hollyhock are a cut flower if you've got a big old vase. and a couple I forgot

Asters and Everlasting flower ( Helichrysum, Statice, Acrolinia) gut them when the dews gone and hang them up in a cool dry shed and you'll have loads of colour for the winter and not have to worry about changing the water

[Waffler]

What everyone else said!

Plus gypsophila, larkspur, statice, alstromeria, verbascum, calendula, delphinium.
I also try to extend the season and have only just finished cutting tulips for the house and I'm going to put in lily of the valley and anemones for next year.

Freesias are also lovely, but I believe they're notoriously difficult to succeed at (I've only tried once... and failed!)

[nick the grief]

... but I believe they're notoriously difficult to succeed ...

Budgie with no teeth can Suck seed