Go-to cut flowers in summer - Part 1: Peonies, cosmos, Verbena bonariensis and valerian

Plant Directory

Achillea millefolium

Common name: Yarrow

Alchemilla mollis

Common name: Lady's mantle

Allium schoenoprasum

Common name: Chives

Amelanchier

Common name: Shadbush

Ammi

Common name: Ami, Bishop's flower or Queen Ann's lace

Anemone

Common names: Poppy anemone, Windflower

Anemone hupehensis

Common names: Japanese anemone

Anethum graveolens

Common names: Dill

Angelica

Common names: Wild celery

Anthriscus sylvestris

Common names: Cow parsley

Antirrhinum

Common names: Snapdragon

Astrantia

Common names: Masterwort

Go-to Cut Flowers in Summer

Part 1: Peonies, Cosmos, Verbena Bonariensis and Valerian

In this lesson we feature peonies, cosmos, Verbena bonariensis and valerian, all of which can be easily grown in domestic gardens.

Paeonia (common name: peony)

Peonies are everybody's favourites, loved for the beauty of their showy blooms, their scent and their quite long flowering season. We grow several varieties that flower in succession over a period of up to two months. Below we have selected our best early, mid and late flowering peonies.

• Early peonies: We think 'Corals' are some of the best early-flowering varieties; our top choice is 'Coral Charm', which opens as a beautiful coral colour bloom, fading to a pale peach later. We also like adding early single 'Corals' to our spring arrangements.
• Mid-season peonies: 'Monsieur Jules Elie', 'Pink Pom Pom' and 'Vogue' (frilly white with a touch of yellow) are good varieties to use mid-season. 'Sarah Bernhardt' - popular with florists for its strong stems and longevity - is probably the best-known mid-season variety, and we would also recommend 'Duchesse de Nemours', which is beautiful and easy to grow.
• Late-season peonies: We like 'Mother's Choice', an almost-white plant with a touch of blush, and 'Nick Shaylor'.

OUR ADVICE:

• Peonies can be safely moved and divided at periodic intervals; we advise doing this approximately every seven years.
• Avoid removing peony leaves; they help nourish the plant.
• Water and feed the plant with compost teas.
• Pick peonies when their flowers are in full bloom.
• When cutting for transportation, or for a later display, pick while the bud is still closed but not hard to the touch.
• Do not pick peonies with small, hard buds; these will not open up successfully.
• When peonies 'go over' in June, interplant them with 'airy' plants like dill or cosmos. These come up after peonies have flowered, will not stop sunlight getting through to the leaves, and will fill in the bare patches in the garden.

RECOMMENDED PEONY VARIETIES

• 'Coral Charm'
• 'Monsieur Jules Elie'
• 'Vogue'
• 'Sarah Bernhardt'
• 'Nick Shaylor'
• 'Duchesse de Nemours'
• 'Mother's Choice'

Cosmos (common name: cosmos)

These long-flowering, tolerant annuals with an average height of 40-50 cm (but often reaching 1.5-2m) are usually planted out as seedlings at the beginning of June. We had grown our favourite variety - the white 'Purity' - in a polytunnel, and by the time we'd planted out the seedlings in early June, they had reached an impressive height; in a few weeks they would grow to be 1-1.5m tall.

#### To Pick or Not to Pick Cosmos?

Contrary to some views, cosmos is very suitable for picking as long as the dead or faded flowers are regularly removed. When old flowers are gone, cosmos will keep producing new buds - outdoors and in - which will develop into blooms after three to four days. In water, cosmos arrangements can last up to two weeks.

#### Which Varieties to Choose?

If you are intending to grow only one variety, choose cosmos 'Purity' for its sturdiness and brilliant white colour. For stronger colours, go for 'Dazzler', which comes in bright pink and red hues, or one of the frilly pink 'Cupcakes' cosmos.

RECOMMENDED PEONY VARIETIES

• 'Purity'
• 'Dazzler'
• 'Cupcakes'