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Having a go at a cut flower patch...

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  • TootlesTootles Posts: 1,469

    Thanks ever so much Kitty. I'm going to try and cut flowers every Friday to have over the weekend so should get the hang of it by October!  Love sweet peas. Got some growing in the greenhouse ready to plant out. Are you growing some?

    hi GG, thanks for the nice comment on the vases. 50p each from the local charity shop. I love buying vases from charity shops as I like that they have had a past life and I also like a bit of vintage. I'm planting up four beds, each 1 meter square. Not been brave enough to put ant plants in yet but have got seedlings sprouting and am growing on some plugs in the greenhouse. What about you?

    thanks for the link little Anne. Looks like an interesting website. Will defo have a read.

  • Kitty 2Kitty 2 Posts: 5,150

    Hi all.  Sorry if I seemed to disappear yesterday, got a phone call from the dressmaker and had to trek into city centre to look at fabric samples for 2nd daughters prom dress.

    I grow sweet peas every year Tootles, this year I also have cosmos, pompon dahlias, ten week stocks, larkspur, dwarf sunflowers and zinnia seedlings all coming along nicely. (wish I could post photos but my camera hasn't worked since I lent it to darling teenage daughter no.1, nothing to do with her of course)

    In the past I have mainly grown flowers in shades of pinks, purples blues and white. Last year I started a bed of hot colours with red, yellow and orange and found it quite striking to look at.

    I have clumps of alchemilla mollis around the garden which I use for foliage in my vases and also discreetly snip stems from hebes, heathers and other shrubs.

    Happy to help if I can Matty, I'm qualified City& Guilds but stopped working as professional florist when I had children, kept my hand in by doing weddings for friends and family at no charge other than materials (shop bought flowers).  Nowadays it's just a very enjoyable hobby for me.

     

     

     

  • Matty2Matty2 Posts: 4,817

    Thanks Kitty image

    This year is a practice year for me as never really grown annuals or cut flowers before. Also gives daughter chance to change her mind before the definitive list and time to practice making bouquets etc.

    Also need to ensure I have sown to get optimum amount of flowers for the end of July

    All sunflowers now seem to have germinated, Next week i'll sow the 2nd batch of zinnias. Then I thnk it's a case of nurturing and finger crossing.

    I have ordered some plugs as well, not sure when they arrive - again new to me

  • CharlieBotCharlieBot Posts: 208
    I'm aiming for end of august flowering so not sown asters, zinnia or sunflowers yet. Need to get the larkspur in this week as well as more direct sown sweet peas.
  • Matty2Matty2 Posts: 4,817

    I hope you succeed - have you tried cornflower? they have a long season and stand up well to being cut.

  • Woo2Woo2 Posts: 223

    Hi peeps, you all seem to be doing well with your seedlings. I've got seedlings of 2 variety of cosmos going at the moment plus just a few sunflowers and several sweet peas. Today I have sown antihhrinium (excuse any errors in spelling), asters, rudbeckia and verbena. Can i ask you all which method you have found the best for larkspur germination? I've never sown it before and have spent the last few days umming and arggghing on what to do. ?????? ??????????????????

    Ive also got phlox sown but nothing happening there at the moment. I'm also going to sow dill as that looks nice as a filler between flowers in a vase.

    your vases look lovely Tootles, nice to see some colour indoors ????

     

  • Matty2Matty2 Posts: 4,817

    http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/larkspur/growing-annual-larkspur-plants.htm

    Have you seen this Woo. I have tried putting them in fridge for a while, also just put packet of seed in freezer for a few days. The freezer ones eventually germinated, Then my cold house disintegrated in the storms and the ones in the fridge were literally scattered to the winds. I have redone a lot from the same packet that were frozen and will wait and see - took 3-4 weeks to germinate though!

    Others gardeners just seem to put them on soil so.................................

  • Woo2Woo2 Posts: 223

    Thanks Matty, will try the freezer method then I think. Will keep my fingers crossed that they germinate ????Sorry to hear about your cold house problem! I had the same thing happen to me 2 years ago, came home to find trays of compost seeds and seedlings everywhere sooooooo frustrating!

     

  • Gardengirl..Gardengirl.. Posts: 4,172

    I got the Garden News mag today with the flower bouquet bit it in still need to read it all but sowed the seeds that came with it for leave colour

    Some of my other seeds are coming up like my cornflower, cosmos and some from the cell tray that I grew them in. my sunflower some have germinated now out in the gh  

    Fence got sorted behind flower patch so need to put the wire back up and dig the bed and add compost

    Hampshire Gardener
  • CharlieBotCharlieBot Posts: 208

    I've pricked out my ammi majus. Cosmos and pom Pom dahlias are looking sturdy now. Just sown some white sunflowers and zinnia this week. Direct sown nigella today so hopefully will see them pop up soon. Still got larkspur, cornflowers and many others to do.

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