Beginner: Advice on flowers to cut...?

[ghoti_fish]

Hi all,

I've had my allotment for a year now and just roped off a 8ft x 8ft square for growing flowers. I would like to be able to cut them for vases in the house. I know absolutely nothing about growing flowers (in the past have only been interested if its edible) so would appreciate any advice!

SO:
What flowers are good to grow and cut?
How do I sow/grow them?
How long will they stay in the bed for?


I have some sweet william seeds but was disapointed to find they only flower in the second year. I would like someting a bit more immediate if possible. I have some daf and tulip bulbs to plant ready for next year too...

[greenishfing]

Hello and welcome.

I love sweet peas. They smell gorgeous and come in so many colours and you can grow them up a wigwam. You still have time to plant them for this year and they last for ages. The bees like them too. They are an annual so you plant them afresh every year.

I also like dahlias to put in big bunches. You can get tubers from the garden centre now. In the winter you dig them up and keep them frostfree to replant next year,

My other favourite flower is the rose and I've got a rambler crawling over my shed.

[Martin H]

Hi and welcome.

If you put your location in your profile we'll be able to give targeted advice.

Get a few Dahlia tubers from the local GC. You can plant them straight into the ground at this time of year if you're in England. They'll shoot up and give you dozens of flowers from July through to the first frosts. Lovely in the garden, lovely cut flowers in whatever colour you want. Read the back of the packet, the tall ones are best for cutting.

It's a good time to plant Gladioli corms as well.

[ghoti_fish]

Awesome, thank you.

So I'm thinking I might make a big circle in the middle of the square and make a sweet pea teepee in there. Then plant some dhalia and gladioli around too. Then around the circle plant all my spring bulbs.
This might seem like a silly question but do you have to put a marker on summer bulbs so you know where to dig them up from? Also what time of year should they be dug up?

Thanks all!

p.s I think I have added my location to my profile. If I haven't; I'm in suffolk, England.

[Two_Sheds]

I'm in suffolk

*waves down the A12 at ya*

I grow cutting flowers, have a look in my links below, to see if anything takes your fancy. We've also started a cutting flowers thread.

And you could scroll through the rest of Flower Mill forum to see what else you might like.