Happy St. Patrick’s Day.
Some people feel a bit guilty when they cut flowers from the garden but I always feel that the flowers are even better appreciated when they are in a vase in the home. Few of us have enough room in the garden to plant a dedicated cut-flower plot but most of us like to have a few flowers from the garden in the home.
When the plats only produce one flush of blooms, such as peonies or lilies, picking will reduce the garden display but with many other plants, which can produce lots more later in the season, such as cosmos and dahlias, cutting some for the house does no harm to the plant and can actually encourage more flowers.
Annual flowers are easy to grow and you can start sowing now. You can sow them in pots on the windowsill, carefully transplant the seedlings into trays or pots and plant them out in early May, when the last frost has passed.
Cosmos are among the easiest to grow and make bushy plants with ferny foliage. They make lovely informal bunches of flowers you can cut throughout summer. You can sow them in the next month.
Zinnias are also easy but don’t be in too much of a hurry to sow them. You can leave sowing till April and sow two or three seeds per pot because they dislike root disturbance and they hate cold, wet spring weather. Make sure you grow a tall variety to get long stems to cut.
And don’t forget sweet peas for cutting. They can be sown earlier in spring but it is not too late to sow now. Sow two or three plants per pot, and plant out the group together and make sure they have something to climb.
There are many perennials that bloom for many months and these are useful for cutting. The best of all plants are the many different alstroemerias. The best way to buy these is as growing plants, already in bloom. These will be available at Nags Hall from April onwards and they are easy to grow in a sunny spot in the garden.
They keep on blooming right through summer and autumn. Pick them by tugging the stems from the soil. This helps encourage more flowers to be produced. There is a huge range of colours but some are very dwarf and although great for the edge of the border or for patio pots they are too short for cutting.
Astrantias are among the easiest border plants. They are hardy, have delicate flowers on straight stems and attract pollinators. They also make great cut flowers that are perfect for adding to more showy flowers. They thrive in most garden situations and last for many years with little attention. You can buy and plant them now.
Sea hollies (eryngium) are spiky perennials that thrive in sun and well-drained soil. Most have blue or silver flowerhead that last for ages and can even be dried. Bees love them but they are also great for cutting, though be careful if you try to sniff them.
Achilleas are another easy perennial border plant and you can buy plants now or you can grow them from seed. They are good for wildlife and if you cut some for your vases it will encourage more blooms to be produced.
There is still time to plant summer-flowering bulbs and dahlias can be planted direct in the ground now where they are to flower. Dahlias have flowers in a huge variety of flower shapes, sizes and colours and they bloom throughout summer and provide endless bunches of flowers.
Gladioli make perfect cut flowers though each corm only produces one flower spike so plant lots, so you have some to leave in the garden and some to bring into the home
Lilies are deservedly popular and make good cut flowers. You may not want to cut the flowers from your garden but a good compromise is to let them decorate the garden for a few weeks when in bloom and then cut the stems when the last buds are opening, cutting off the old, faded flowers. It removes the strain on the bulb and as long as you leave at least half the stem length at the base, so the leaves can feed the bulbs, they will bloom well again next year.
Weekly reminders
Potatoes Plant potatoes now, either in the ground or in pots or bags
Tomatoes Now is the perfect time to sow your own tomatoes, providing plants ready to put in a cold greenhouse in early May or outside a few weeks later
Roses Pruning should be completed as soon as possible and once done give the roses a dressing of rose fertiliser
Bulbs When the flowers fade, deadhead daffodils to prevent seed pods being formed
Onions There is just time to plant onion sets and to sow onion seeds for a summer crop