A home filled with flowers is food for the soul, especially if you’ve grown them yourself. Why not try these easy to grow garden cut flowers?
For most of her adult life my mother grew her own flowers for the vase, as did many of her generation. A friend’s mother, now in her 80’s still picks flowers from her retirement village garden and remembers how her mother used to do the same.
That age old practice passed from mother to daughter doesn’t seem to have survived into this century, which is a pity because growing flowers for the home can be just as rewarding as growing your own veggies. It may even be easier.
It is not necessary to have a large garden either. Cut flower varieties can be incorporated into the existing garden or into a vegetable garden, which will encourage pollinators.
What makes a good cut flower?
The best cut flower varieties are those with sturdy or long, straight stems that hold the flower heads upright. They are generally the old fashioned varieties with bold, large, colourful or well-formed blooms.
The flowers that give the best show are usually those that like plenty of sun. Keep this in mind when selecting a position in the garden. They also need to be accessible for picking.
Prepare your soil well, use compost to build up the structure of the soil, and fertilize with a well balanced fertilizer prior to planting. Most old fashioned cut flower varieties can be grown from seed. Sow directly into the soil or start them in seedling trays.
Routine care
Fertilise at least once a month with a potassium rich fertiliser, such as Vigorosa 5:1:5 or 8:1:5, or liquid fertiliser to ensure good flower production.
Depending on weather conditions, water deeply once or twice a week, as early as possible.
Regular picking as well as deadheading encourages the production of more flowers. This prevents the plant from forming seeds which slows flower production.
Picking tip
Carry a bucket of water and put the cut blooms straight into the water. Flowers can be arranged immediately or kept in a bucket filled with water in a cool, dark room overnight. This allows the stems to absorb as much water as possible.
Try these cut flowers
Kirchhoffs seeds has an extensive collection of heirloom flower varieties. These are some of the easy growers.
Antirrhinum (Leeubekkies) ‘Fancy Show Mixed’ is a tall variety (75 – 90cm) that comes in a mix of colours, mainly yellow, red, bronze, rose, pink and cream that blend beautifully with most other garden plants.
Asters are easy to grow from seed and are long lasting in the garden and in the vase. ‘Rainbow mixed’ has fragrant yellow centred single flowers in a range of colours including blue, purple, rose, pink and scarlet. There’s also ‘Super Giants Mixed’ which are very tall, with large flowers. They are showy and spectacular in gardens and vases.
Carnations are another fragrant oldie. Carnation ‘Super Giant Chabaud’ is a mix of large double flowers comes in a range of colours, many of which are sweetly scented.
‘Baby’s Breath’ (Gypsophila) are free flowering plants that grow in any soil. It’s a pretty filler in a flower arrangement because of its multitude of tiny flowers. Plants grow 60 to 75cm high.
Marigold ‘Sunset Giants Mixed’ is a tall African marigold with paeony shaped large yellow or orange flowers. They are quick growing, vigorous plants.
Nigella ‘Persian Jewels’ consists of a selection of long-stemmed red, rose, blue, violet, and white flowers nestled between ferny foliage and airy bracts. The seed pods are intriguing and often used as cut flowers.
The Sunflower range includes a ‘Cutflower Mixed’ seed packet selection of tall sunflowers in shades of yellow, red, and brown as well as a miniature version, ‘Dwarf Sunspot’ that grows 40 to 60cm high. It’s the classic sunflower with big seed filled heads, on dwarf bushes.
Zinnia ‘Lucky Day Mixed’ is a dahlia flowered type Zinnia with extra-large flowers on strong sturdy stems. This easy to grow flower is good for beginners. Water the soil freely during dry weather, avoid overhead watering.
Published in the Beeld, written by Alice Coetzee
