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Short-ish cut flowers from garden to vase

mike bathomike batho Posts: 10
in Plants
Hi.

We got given some cut flowers last year, and after not having flowers in a vase in the home for a few years, decided it was quite nice having them around.

So I'm thinking about getting my girlfriend a nice vase for Christmas, only a smallish one, and then maybe come spring, trying to grow some flowers in the garden that we can cut & bring inside.

Or garden is mostly containers, they'd need to be cat-friendly (non-toxic), and not too long, no more than about 12" all-in, easy to grow and produce a regular supply of flowers.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

Posts

  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    edited December 2023
    @mikebatho I read this earlier and have been trying to think of anything to fit your plan. I think you will need more than one pot as nothing flowers continuously through spring and summer. Sadly if you cut  the blooms the pots won't look so good, the flowers would have lasted longer if left on the plant. Perhaps plants grown on a wigwam in a large pot would give you more cut and come again flowers, however not sweet peas.
    Many gardeners grow flowers for cutting on allotments where it doesn't matter how the plant looks.
    If you would like to try some seed Nigella and Cosmos are a thought.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • ViewAheadViewAhead Posts: 866
    Sweet peas have a long flowering season and the more you cut, the more they produce.  A couple of little seedlings in a deep pot (they like a long root run) gave me over 400 stems the summer before last.  
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    edited December 2023
    I didn't think sweet peas were a good idea with a cat but then I know little about cats.
    Cosmos is fine. Nigella not sure?
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • mike bathomike batho Posts: 10
    GardenerSuze said:
    I didn't think sweet peas were a good idea with a cat but then I know little about cats.
    Cosmos is fine. Nigella not sure?
    Yeah, we don't have sweet pead due to the cat, but they're a bit flimsy anyway. I have zinnias on my list, and most varieties of Asters are non-toxic to cats apparently.... Looking more towards tall flowers like that...
  • mike bathomike batho Posts: 10
    GardenerSuze said:
    @mikebatho I read this earlier and have been trying to think of anything to fit your plan. I think you will need more than one pot as nothing flowers continuously through spring and summer. Sadly if you cut  the blooms the pots won't look so good, the flowers would have lasted longer if left on the plant. Perhaps plants grown on a wigwam in a large pot would give you more cut and come again flowers, however not sweet peas.
    Many gardeners grow flowers for cutting on allotments where it doesn't matter how the plant looks.
    If you would like to try some seed Nigella and Cosmos are a thought.
    GardenerSuze said:
    @mikebatho I read this earlier and have been trying to think of anything to fit your plan. I think you will need more than one pot as nothing flowers continuously through spring and summer. Sadly if you cut  the blooms the pots won't look so good, the flowers would have lasted longer if left on the plant. Perhaps plants grown on a wigwam in a large pot would give you more cut and come again flowers, however not sweet peas.
    Many gardeners grow flowers for cutting on allotments where it doesn't matter how the plant looks.
    If you would like to try some seed Nigella and Cosmos are a thought.
    Yeah, I'm also aware of this too. We do have a heck of a lot of pots in the garden and would probably be able to take only one or two stems from each plant to go in the (quite small) vase.

    Anything I was growing from seed, I'd probably stagger the sewing, then I have a couple of waves a month apart. We also go and get other plants from the nursery throughout, as things die back....
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    edited December 2023
    @mikebatho I have grown Cosmos Rubenza which is a beauty. Like Sweet peas it benefits from having the flowers removed so that more will form. Cosmos are available in lots of different colours but watch the height some are very tall
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • clematisdorsetclematisdorset Posts: 1,348
    Have you considered adding gerberas to  complement the other suggestions? They need to be sown in warm conditions and planted out to the garden later.

    Also Helianthus maximiliani:

    https://www.thompson-morgan.com/p/sunflower-maximiliani-seeds/gww9092TM
    Sorry to witness the demise of the forum. 😥😥😥😡😡😡I am Spartacus 
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    edited December 2023
    Just to add, if you look on the Sarah Raven website lots of advice on growing Cosmos.
    The Garden Centres will have them late Spring often the colours are mixed. You can also collect seed and keep for another year.
    Three large pots of Cosmos would give you flowers to cut summer to mid Autumn.
    Sugar pink may not be your choice if you decided on a red or orange vase. If the colours are mixed and you include some darker purpley pinks then anything goes as these colours will calm the sugar pinks. So many ideas!
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Added to the above I’d suggest a pot or three of bedding-type dahlias to provide blooms later in the season. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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