I wouldn’t describe myself as green-fingered, but can’t say I have a black thumb either. However, one year I did splash out £20 on a huge pot, compost and a fancy wig-wam with dreams of becoming self-sufficient (well self-sufficient in runner beans anyway). At the end of the summer I had produced precisely one bean. The most expensive runner bean I have ever owned. Thankfully I’ve had more success tending to plants and flowers.
I loved reading all the responses to our Decorate with Flowers post and it seems that so many of you enjoy a cut flower or two. Inspired by our winner Ann-Marie, I’ve pulled together this post for all of those who would like to give the ‘grow your own’ lark a bit of a whirl but don’t yet have the confidence to plant your own seedlings. All the fleurs I’m about to mention are either about to burst into flower, or are currently blooming so you should be able to purchase them potted from your garden centre ready to plant in your own garden. I am by no means an expert and the below are just my own ramblings from my own limited experience.
Peonies
Utterly elegant and flamboyant, Peonies make stunning cut flowers. They grow best in full sun throughout May (though the variety I have seems to thrive in the shade) and prefer not to be planted in deep soil. Their weighty heads make them prone to drooping so sometimes you may need to stake.
Roses
I have three rose bushes and like to snip off a stem once a week to fill single bud vases. There are plenty of varieties to choose from; climbers, shrubs and patio roses with varying pigments and fragrances.
Last year I planted a stunning David Austen Wisley Rose and cannot wait for the delicate cupped flowers to flower again over the summer. Luckily for me, most rose shrubs hardly require any pruning as they flower best on older stems.
Astilbe
Seeing the almost-neon feathered-foliage of the Astilbe always makes me smile. My friend had the most awesome wedding flowers you’ve ever seen and Astilbe featured heavily. I snapped up two fluffy perennials last year and am pleased to report they made it through the winter and the bronze leaves are doing well. They thrive in moist soil in a shadier spot and are known for vigorous growth. While Astilbe probably isn’t your usual cut flower it looks very pretty billowing over a jam jar.
Sweet Peas
I should have held on to my runner bean wig-wam to reuse for sweet peas! This will be my first year tending to my own but I’m looking forward to watching the slender stems entwine and scramble up the willow when I buy mine in a few weeks.
As annuals, they last just one season but you definitely get your money’s worth – the more Sweet Peas you pick, the more flowers you get, and the longer the plant continues to bloom. This sounds like my kind of plant! The floaty, frilly petals smell divine too.
Ranunculus
I was browsing a beautiful florists in London last spring and was stunned that a bunch of five of these beauties were priced at £9! Potted Ranunculus were still available in my local garden centre last week but you can also plant your own bulbs in the autumn. They make great bedding plants and also look terrific in a pot with layer after layer of soft delicate petals.
So these are my five choices for plants to provide you with cut flowers. How does your own garden grow? What are your favourite blooms to tend to in your outside space and what will you be planting this year?
Image sources | Peonies | Wisley Rose Bush | Wisley in Bottle | Astilbe in Garden | Astilbe in jam jar | Sweet Pea in Garden | Sweet Pea in Jug | Ranunculus Field
Hooray- what excellent timing! My husband and I have very recently taken ownership of an allotment plot. While he plans to grow lots of vegetables and fruit, my bit will be solely planted with flowers for cutting to take home. I will most definitely be adding some of your lovely suggestions to my list, I just love peonies.
I currently have some sweet pea seedlings and tiny sunflowers waiting to be planted. Sunflowers are great as they can be planted in a really small space but look great as a single stem inside too. I also have some potted hydrangeas we had at our wedding that I will be planting to cut the flowers from! Thank you for your most excellent suggestions.
Hi Lucy, how fab to have your own allotment. I’m very envious.
Great idea on the sunflowers and hydrangeas. I accidentally dried a few hydrangea heads a few years back and still have them in my lounge!
This is spooky!
I was just about to right pretty much exactly what that Lucy up there wrote ^^
Had to read it a few times to make sure I wasn’t having a monumental brain fart.
Except I haven’t got any seedlings and am looking at things like cosmos, ranunculus, hydrangea and dahlias.
I’m surrounded by so many lovely flowers with work that home feels a bit drab in comparison so I decided to do something about it this year.
My new allotment has a shed. A SHED. I’m pathetically excited.
That is spooky Lucy! Get you having a shed too. Very fancy! I’m very tempted by Dahlias – they remind me of my Gramps who had millions of them.
Liking all this allotment talk x
Hello,
Today is the first day of our garden plans coming together. We have a fence man building us an amazing fence as we speak! All very exciting! We are having some raised beds built in using some recovered railway sleepers we found on a beach after the storms… All we have salvaged from the previous loosely termed ‘garden’ is a hydrangea bush and a Californian lavender bush (or so says my Dad). I would love beds filled with peonies, roses, ranunculus, sweet peas, etc…
Are they really as easy to grow as you say? What about when they die down? Are you supposed to plant other things around it? Will they come back next year? As you can probably tell, I am a complete garden novice…
Hi Clare, I have to admit I am dreadful at deadheading and cutting back but my peonies and roses seem to come back year after year. Sweet peas will just last you one summer but they’re fairly cheap to buy.
Good luck with the garden. The railway sleepers sound fab x
Bulbs! Plant lots of bulbs so you get some jazziness in January to March before the peonies etc start sprouting. And re being a novice, don’t worry about it – just bung some stuff in, google how to look after it and you’ll be fine. If they don’t live then try something else instead (sorry, I am a cavalier gardener!)
This is good timing! I recently put up a beautiful hanging basket that I was given as a Christmas present but would love advice of plants to put in it that don’t need lots of sun. Any ideas very welcome!
Hello Rebecca!
I think fuchsias and begonias behave themselves in the shade. Good luck! x
I am so proud! 🙂
My peony plant is currently tangled up in a hydrangea (sounds painful) and I’m waiting for the right moment to dig them both up and untangle them. I’m not sure when that moment will come, but it may be gin-fuelled. Ranunculus are gorgeous but I have never considered growing them, maybe that can be my new year’s resolution (it’s never too late to add one on, especially if others have fallen off).
Also, re cut flowers, I found this post earlier – http://apairandasparediy.com/2014/04/diy-inspo-perfume-bottle-vases.html – using perfume bottles for individual stems – beautiful.
Will shut up now. Thank you for my book 😉 xx
Well done Ann-Marie! You really inspired me to get my garden in order.
The DIY perfume idea is an absolute genius one. I want to try this right now x