Cut flowers from seeds

I started this last year John, and wish to add to it for this season.

Last time I had Sweet peas, Sunflowers, Cornflower, Love in a mist, Calendula, Ammi and Poppies. This year I want to add sweet William, Rudbeckia and Echinacea and a few others. I have a list somewhere, I'll add them here when I can find it.

I have also bought a few cheap dahlia tubers from Wilkos to add in.

Steve...

 

Cosmos and Larkspur almost look after themselves

 

I grow everything emboldened above plus Statice (butterflies like them), Strawflowers, Nigella and Lupins. I grow my sunflowers (various types) through Mypex sheet (as below, that would provide a maintenance free area). Lidl can be a cheap source of flower seeds, it's where I've got my Statice & Sweet William from.

If you grow far more than you need for cutting, they'll be there for the butterflies and bees, plus brighten the place up even on a gloomy day.




In addition to flowers from seeds, I have patches of daffs for cutting, planted when bought dirt cheap reduced, plus put reduced tete a tete daffs (dozens) and tulips in pots (x12) in a polytunnel over winter for spring flowering pots and cut flowers.









P.S. A cheap way of growing loads of cutting size sunflowers for cutting is plant 6 seeds ('bird' sunflower seeds from Wilkos) per pot and plant out leaving all of them to grow as it will stunt the plants and produce vase size flowers.

And I'm always on the lookout for more vases!

 

Is it ok to plant annual flowers for cutting in any spaces in any of 3 beds of crop rotation? Will they take too many nutrients out of soil and mess up the whole cycle? (Think I'm going to struggle with it...)

 

I grew Zinnia last year. They were easy from seed and just seemed to get on with it.

 

I'm planning to grow some flowers for cutting this year on my new allotment I've got absolutely tons of seed so far I have packs of:

• Nasturtium (many different varieties)
• Rudbeckia 'Cherokee Sunset' (free with a mag)
• Night Scented Stocks
• Cornflowers
• Love-in-a-mist 'Persian Jewels Mix (Van Meuwen freebie)
• Zinnia 'Whirlygig Mix' (Van Meuwen freebie)
• Larkspur 'Stock flowered mix'
• Sweet Peas
• Poppy 'Candy Floss' (Van Meuwen freebie)
• Cosmos
• Cupid's Dart
• So so many sun flowers! 'Irish Eyes' & 'Teddy Bear' both from Van Meuwen 'Velvet Queen' 'Vanilla Ice', 'Valentine' all free with mags.

it's going to be a very colourful plot

 

I'll do more sweet peas this year but stagger the sowings more. More sunflowers too. Cosmos are great. I cut a lot of hydrangeas last year too. Statice didn't get going at all for me. Scabious and zinnia also took a lot time to get into flower but were worth it in the end.
Dahlias are brilliant, I especially like pom Pom ones.

 

How about Carnations. The " Knight " series and " chabaud " are both good.

Also, does it have to be seeds only ? Dutch Iris bulbs can be planted anywhere, take up little room and can be pulled up and thrown away when you've cut the flower. And they're really cheap. Our Poundland are selling 40 for £1 and they're good sized bulbs, I've done this for the last few years.

 

I can send you Achillea ptarmice The pearl,its perennial but looks good with cut flowers x
@JWK

 

Did anyone want any Sun Flowers? I wasn't kidding when I said I had loads of spare, I ordered way to many from the Van Meuwen seed offer...