Cut Flower Bed

[Lavenderblue]

i am planning a proper cut flower bed for next year. I have a few ideas but wondered if anyone has any ideas of what I could grow to get a succession of flowers for the house?

I have good soil, running slightly to clay and the bed gets pretty much full sun.

[gallop]

Hi, I think dahlias would be a good idea.

[Dottie]

I have a pack of Dahlia - dwarf double mixed that I will be trying next year, can be sown indoors Feb - April, plant out June and flowers July - Oct.

Also have a pack of Carnation - Gaint Chabaud Double Mixed seeds. Sow from late winter to early spring indoors.

The above I've not grown before so can't say how successful, but I've had not stop cornflowers to take home this year. They look great in the raised beds with my peppers and also I cut a few sprays every week for a lovely natural look at home.

Missed out on sweet peas this year, but last year I was bringing home a bunch everytime I went to the lottie.

[kentvegplot]

I had flowers all season last year - I used Sarah Raven's books as the starting point. Early on - bulbs, of course. But also look for Sweet Rocket (white or purple) - easy to grow too. Annuals - cornflowers in different colours (blue/red/black), marigolds, annual coneflowers, bells of ireland too. Later, rudbeckias, dahlias, sunflowers, love-lies-bleeding - there's so much to choose from!

[nick the grief]

Gladioli ar another good one. If you plant every couple of weeks you'll get a succesion of flowers ( go for the smaller ones like Primulina's - Great western Gladioli or Showglads are a good source of corms or if you want a longer term proposition the Gladioli society sell cormlets for £1 a packet ( I think) and you grow them on for a year to flowering size but you'll get loads more for your money. (If you go to the Chrysanthemum Early national Show ( Next weekend - shameless Plug) they are usually there and will give you advise free of charge

Sweet Peas are a must - Try Roger Parsons for named varieties but choose the scented ones

For early flowers you could try some anemone de caen or St Brigid in pots

[Lavenderblue]

Wow, brilliant advice there and tips there, thank you.
)
I shall add Sarah Raven's book to my christmas list i think! - and go shopping

[Shirley Sherriffs]

I'd love to do the same thing in my allotment. I have lots of perennials and shrubs but no real flowers to cut. I worry about broadcast sowing because how can you tell the difference between the weed seedlings and flower seedlings ?

[nick the grief]

I'd love to do the same thing in my allotment. I have lots of perennials and shrubs but no real flowers to cut. I worry about broadcast sowing because how can you tell the difference between the weed seedlings and flower seedlings ?

You've got weeds on your lottie

Seriously, you're right best to sow in rows or block then you're in with a chance