Cut Flower Garden Project.

Discussion in 'Allotments Discussion' started by Steve R, Oct 30, 2017.

  1. Steve R

    Steve R Soil Furtler

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    Cut Flower Garden Project.

    • Aim: To provide an abundance of flowers for the vase at home.
    • Where: On my Allotment plot mostly, some at home.
    • How: From seed, cuttings and plant swaps as much as possible, the emphasis on spending little and growing on instead of buying stock plants.
    • When: I have already started..

    At my Allotment I have elected to use one of 4, 40 ft x 13 ft beds for Annuals, Biennials and bulbs and I have 2, 40 ft x 6 ft beds for Perreniels, when the latter are set out the bulbs will probably go in there with them for future years. The Annual bed will move every year and become part of a 4 bed rotation I use for my veg.

    My Annual/Bieniial bed so far planted with three rows of my own seed sown and grown wallflowers, Tulips planted in between them and bordered on both sides with Daffs. I also have a few Daffs and Tulips planted in the Polytunnel, hoping for some extra early blooms.

    [​IMG]

    Photo above taken yesterday, I'll update this topic as and when things happen from now on. From humble beginnings..

    Steve...:)
     
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    • Scrungee

      Scrungee Well known for it

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      I'm a firm believer in growing flowers for cutting at the plot and leaving those at home insitu.

      I grow

      Daffs
      Sweet Peas
      Rudbeckia
      Sweet William
      Sunflowers (plant in clumps to restrict size)
      Statice (for dried and fresh cut flowers)
      Strawflowers (ditto)
      Asters
      Michaelmas Daisies
      Gladys
      And used to grow Dahlias
      Also cut Lilac blooms

      If you grow too many they're not wasted as there's a magnificent patch of colour for many months, covered with bees and butterflies.

      I find polytunnels useful for growing pots of Tete a Tete mini daffs and Hyacinths over winter before bringing indoors to bloom.
       
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        Last edited: Oct 30, 2017
      • Irmemac

        Irmemac Total Gardener

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        What a lovely project, @Steve R. Looking forward to updates from you. The very best of luck! :Wino:
         
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        • BeeHappy

          BeeHappy Total Gardener

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          Two :goodpost:(s) replies to your :awesome: idea and GC thread @Steve R ....will enjoy seeing the plot progress and all the wonderful pollinator's :gardening: who will benefit and benefit your veggies :wheelie: Now in me watched thread list :tomato:
           
        • Steve R

          Steve R Soil Furtler

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          Just checked this morning and a few bulbs are slowly starting to emerge (no photo's sorry), the wallflowers are looking a bit windswept but its ok as I have many spares in the tunnel I can replace with if they die off.

          Steve...:)
           
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          • JWK

            JWK Gardener Staff Member

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            Dahlias were the runaway success story for me down the allotment last year. I bought 9 tubers last winter and started them early Feb, taking about 5 cuttings from each plant. I ended up with over 20 sturdy plants and stuck them in the plot mid May. I was picking them from August till late October. So it's definitely something I will repeat again this season.

            As well as the usual suspects on my plot (Rudbeckia, Cosmos, Daffs, Hyacinths, Gladioli and Tulips) I grow Carnations which are very easy from seed and they more or less look after themselves.

            I tried Bells of Ireland last year (as recommended by Sarah raven) but these never did much, just sat and sulked all summer, I picked one solitary flower stem for all my trouble, so won't be trying those again. Think they need a bit more TLC than I was prepared for.
             
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            • Steve R

              Steve R Soil Furtler

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              '17 I had rudbeckia, aster, V.bonariensis, cosmos, statice, sweet peas, zinnias, gladys and loads of dahlias. Most of my dahlias where grown from seed and tubers saved for this year. Due to the success with the dahlias I bought more seed in the wyevale seed sale, these will give me flowers of a certain type but I also saved and dried seed from a friends specialist plants - doing this is a lottery as plants from these seed could be rubbish, the same plant or a new variety!

              Bells of ireland is on my list for this year John, hopefully they work for me.

              As a trial a few years ago I tried an annual flower bed from seed sown direct, most successful there where cornflowers and poppies, but I could not seem to make poppies last more than a day or two in a vase, penstemons lasted only a little longer..can anyone help with these?

              Steve...:)
               
            • Freddy

              Freddy Miserable git, well known for it

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              An interesting read, this thread. Cut flowers have generally been off my radar, apart from those taken from Dahlias in the garden. ‘Aunt Sally’ likes to have a vase of flowers, now and again, so these will be bought from the supermarket. As I intend to take up an allotment this October ( :fingers crossed:), it’s something I’m becoming quite interested in, so will be following this :thumbsup:
               
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              • Freddy

                Freddy Miserable git, well known for it

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                Oh, and should you need any tips on flower arranging...



                :heehee:
                 
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                • Gail_68

                  Gail_68 Guest

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                  @Freddy That video should be abolished [​IMG].... total disgrace to people such as myself and others who try our very and I mean very best at flower arranging because plants don't like our environments [​IMG]
                   
                • Steve R

                  Steve R Soil Furtler

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                  These photo's taken towards the end of April, the Daffs are now gone and the Tulips lasted another couple of weeks, then a couple of weeks of Wallflowers. Sweet Peas are planted now ready for the summer. We have hadf a vase or vase's of flowers for quite a long time now.

                  [​IMG]

                  [​IMG]

                  [​IMG]

                  [​IMG]

                  I had a bed of tulips and daffs in the tunnel for an extra early crop (not pictured) and some wallflowers too. Wallflowers grew a good six inches taller in the tunnel than outside, I'll exploit this later in the year when planting for next springs cut flowers, by growing a decent bed of them under cover.

                  Steve...:)
                   
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                  • Steve R

                    Steve R Soil Furtler

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                    I got some gladiolis in earlier in the year and they are up and growing well. 12 days ago I started planting up the left of the bed with a mix of Scabious, cleome, Nicotiana, Bell of Ireland and Asters, planted in big patches.

                    [​IMG]

                    [​IMG]

                    [​IMG]

                    Steve...:)
                     
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                    • Steve R

                      Steve R Soil Furtler

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                      Yesterday I dug up the Tulip and Daffodill bulbs and weeded then rotovated. Today I planted out some of my Dahlia plants and picked some sweet peas.

                      [​IMG]

                      [​IMG]

                      Steve...:)
                       
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                      • Gail_68

                        Gail_68 Guest

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                        Steve a great selection mate on your allotment [​IMG]
                         
                      • Steve R

                        Steve R Soil Furtler

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                        Late June, watering during the heatwave and the sweet peas are in flower along with Nicotiana.

                        [​IMG]

                        Steve...:)
                         
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