Surrey Homes | SH21 | July 2016 | Interiors supplement inside

Cut above
the rest
Jo Arnell on the pleasure of growing your own cut flowers
Imagine floating serenely down rows of beautiful blooms,
pausing every now and then to pick some perfect buds on
long sturdy stems – then filling the house with delicately
arranged vases of flowers. Just the thought of growing your
own cut flowers is a gorgeous and ecologically sound thing
to do (thinking uses very little carbon), but the reality is
slightly less dreamy. Growing cut flowers requires space, time
and effort, if you want to get a good – and varied crop.
Where to grow them
A sheltered, sunny position is ideal, as blooms need
protection from the wind and weather. Some flowers flourish
in the shade, but most will do better in full sun – and with
access to water if possible. The number of flowers you need
will be an important factor when you’re deciding where to
grow your flowers. Annuals, some roses and repeat-flowering
plants with many blooms can easily be grown in existing
flower borders – they respond well to picking, so it’s just early
dead-heading. In reality you might not want to deplete your
borders, so it can be worth finding a separate space. A corner
of the veg patch can work well, and dahlias, sunflowers and
sweet peas will appreciate the rich, well-cultivated soil.
It makes sense to grow cut flowers in rows, as you would
any other crop, as this will make weeding, picking, and
general maintenance easier. My cutting garden has narrow
beds – about a metre wide, but they’re quite long, with small
paths in-between. If you choose to have grass paths, ensure
that you can get the mower down them...
How to grow them
Soil preparation, as with the production of any other crop,
is key. Clear perennial weeds and apply some organic matter
(well-rotted manure/spent mushroom compost) to improve
soil structure and fertility. Budget will dictate whether you
start with good-sized plants that will crop in the first year,
or whether you take the cheaper, longer, but ultimately
more satisfying route of growing from seeds and cuttings.
Once established, clumps of perennials can be divided and
replanted, shrubs can be layered, or propagated from cuttings,
and you will learn which annuals and biennials enjoy your
conditions and happily self-sow – saving you time and effort.
A general purpose fertiliser raked in at the start of the season
will keep the plants fed and a mulch applied in spring will
also release nutrients, retain moisture and help prevent weeds.
Watch out for aphids and other pests and try to catch them
early before they infest your plants. A potassium-rich feed in
mid/late spring will encourage flowering and the ripening of
fruit. This will be especially useful for those plants that flower
repeatedly and will keep them going for longer.
What to grow
Much of this will be down to personal taste and you will have
a good idea of the flowers you simply must include – and
probably a hate list too, but don’t forget to think about the
overall structure of your bouquets and arrangements. Flower
arranging is similar in principle to border design. Colour
schemes are important, but shapes are also key. Aim for a mix
of plants that will allow you to design an effective bouquet of
flowers for as long as you need. Think about shapes; spikes,
larger focal points, foliage as structure and background, and
fillers to soften and act as a foil or buffer in between blooms.
Perennials and bulbs
Grow peonies and dahlias for impact, majestic spires of
delphiniums, verbascums and lupins, with Gypsophilla or
Alchemilla as fillers and Melianthus for foliage interest. Bulbs
are great for spring colour, but remember that you only
get one stem per bulb. Peonies won’t appreciate too much
hacking either, but if you cut lupins and delphiniums right
to the ground after flowering/picking, they should put on
another show in the autumn.
Annuals and biennials
Some of these will self-sow if they like you, but be prepared
to grow a new batch from seed each year. Sweet peas,
Cerinthe major, Bupleurum griffithii, sunflowers, Amni
110 www.wealdentimes.co.uk