Growing your own flowers

Growing Your Own Flowers

My garden in Devon is about half an acre in size, and furthest from the house you'll find my cutting bed, which is where I grow my annual flowers. I also have an allotment space too, which is in full sun, which makes it easier to grow more tricky flowers that I wouldn't be able to grow in my shady garden.

However, if you don't have much space, don't be put off. You can still grow flowers in small town gardens, on balconies, or even in window boxes.

Bex's Flower Beds

I built the beds in the garden myself using the no-dig method, which has proven to be very successful and is one of the best ways to maintain and care for soil.

I grow most of my plants from seed using the sowing times below:

• annuals in spring (these will generally flower from June/July onwards)
• biennials in the summer (these will flower the following year)
• hardy annuals in early autumn (these will flower the following year)

Some things to think about when choosing what to grow include:

• what will I use the flowers for? What is the end result I want?
• how many plants will I need?
• how many seedlings do I need to sow?
• what textures and colours do I enjoy working with?
• am I growing all the textures and colours I need? A nice mixture is best
• can I get any flowers or seed heads from friends, family or neighbours?

Bex's Favourite Suppliers

• Chiltern Seeds
• Plants of Distinction
• Sarah Raven

Nurturing Plants From Seed

I grow all of my plants from seed, whether they're annual, biennial or perennial, and it's this process that inspires me to create in the way that I do.

By growing annuals, biennials and perennials, I have created a growing space that is interesting all year round, with flowers in the summer and seed heads in the winter.

This also provides me with plant materials every season, as well as being an invaluable resource for insects.

Cut and Come Again

Flowers which are described as 'cut and come again' flower prolifically. The more you cut the stems of these plants, the more flowers you will get.

Some flowers that are cut and come again include:

• Cosmos
• Strawflowers
• Rudbeckia
• Statice
• Dahlias

Grow More Than You Think You'll Need

One of the most important lessons to learn when drying flowers is that you will need more than you think you do. Most flowers shrink dramatically once they are dried, so you will need to have more stems to create a full bouquet or a big display.

By growing as many blooms as you can, you'll ensure you have enough for your displays and as replacements for any flowers that do not dry successfully.

Annuals

Some of my favourite annuals to grow from seed include:

• Strawflowers
• Nigella
• Statice

Perennials

• Achillea 'Summer Berries' - you can increase the number of plants you have every autumn by digging them up and dividing them.
• Achillea 'The Pearl' - this flower has white pom pom flowers and also flowers prolifically.
• Sangasorba - a tall flower that looks stunning in displays and in bud vases.

Why Grow Your Own Flowers?

If you don't have the time or the space to grow plants from seed, you can also grow them from plug plants. These small plants are available in spring from plant nurseries and can be planted directly into the ground.

Growing your own flowers will help you to understand how plants grow together and the shapes that nature creates, which can inform your own work in many ways.

Your Assignment

Make a list of the flowers you would like to grow during the coming growing season. Make sure you are growing a mix of annuals, hardy annuals and perennials.

For inspiration, look through seed catalogues, visit local garden centres and think about what local wildflowers you could bring into your garden.

| Flower name | Month to sow | Flowering season | Is it annual, biennial or perennial? |

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