easy to grow flowers for cutting

beemuzed

Hello, not visited this board before, but think you may be able to help me.
Like to take flowers up to the cemetery fairly often, but apart from this time of year when we have daffs aplenty our garden doesn't seem to have much I can cut, so I usually end up at the florist. We're not great gardeners, but I'd like to have flowers I could use. Any suggestions as to what I should be growing please?

V_Chic_Chick

Sweet peas - quite easy to grow, climbers, flower all summer, cutting off the flowers stimulates more to grow, and they come in all sorts of different colours. You could train them up a trellis or netting and cut them as required. They last fairly well in a vase of water.

V_Chic_Chick

Sorry pic is so big, can't get it to go any smaller.

ethansmum

What about cosmos- thats cut and come again too. Poppies and Zinnias too

Davesnave

Here's a thread from another forum which lists some of the things I'd recommend:

http://www.kitchengarden.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3252&sid=b6cc2b4e2af6154149610c799958525f

They mention Sarah Raven's site too, which can be used for free inspiration. The plants aren't so cheap!

V_Chic_Chick

ethansmum wrote: »

What about cosmos- thats cut and come again too. Poppies and Zinnias too

You can even get some lovely dark red cosmos which smell of chocolate

Davesnave

You can even get some lovely dark red cosmos which smell of chocolate

True, but try keeping them from one year to another! They are perennial, but I never succeeded in hanging on to mine, inside, outside or anywhere in-between. A real nurseryman's dream they were!

The annual cosmos are cheap as chips though and easy-peasy.

beemuzed

Thanks for your replies folks - I'll have a go then!

torbrex

It is a long term solution but a tip that my father gave to me when I got my first garden was to visit a proper garden centre at different times of the year and see what is in flower at that time then you will know that it will be flowering again a year later.
I have used this method both for perenials and flowering bushes and it has served me well.

V_Chic_Chick

Davesnave wrote: »

True, but try keeping them from one year to another! They are perennial, but I never succeeded in hanging on to mine, inside, outside or anywhere in-between. A real nurseryman's dream they were!

The annual cosmos are cheap as chips though and easy-peasy.

Ah, damn. I've got a packet waiting to be planted out now, so will just have to enjoy them whilst I can. They were £3, but I didn't buy them, so it's not too bad.

Davesnave

will just have to enjoy them whilst I can

Ah, but don't give up on keeping them. We gardeners are an optimistic lot and you may succeed where I failed. They flower a long time anyroad.

As a nurseryman, these were one of the plants I'd buy in for £1 or so each Easter, re-pot, grow on and sell around late May for £3.50. I didn't make any claims about keeping them, I'd just say 'tender perennial.' But someone obviously keeps them!