new to flowers

[ox]

Hi Guy's and Girls

This year I want to grow different flowers  down the allotment that I can cut and and put in a vase or two at home and have no blooming idea excuse the pun  :roll:.

Any ideas will be very grateful also any cuttings please if you have some I will be willing to pay for them of course. So far I have chrysanthemums.

Jim

[ox]

[saddad]

The new Dahlias that can be raised from seeds in one season are great.. Sweet Peas... Cutting Sunflowers.. Gladioli... the choices are endless...
;D

[GrannieAnnie]

ZINNIAS !
Cheery in a vase (in reds, yellows, oranges, pinks) and last a long time in water
They have different petal forms from round to shaggy, single or bi-color
They don't need watering or fertilizer.
they love heat and poor soil.
They come in different sizes depending on your vase size from tiny pompom to huge 4 inch plates. 
They'll bloom til frost. 
The more you cut 'em the more they bloom
Butterflies love them but bugs don't seem to bother them in our area

Their only down-sides: some get mildewed leaves in our area but still bloom AND there are NO
blue zinnias.

[GrannieAnnie]

Forgot to add that at the end of the year I collect literally bags of zinnia seeds from the best ones then broadcast the seed the next year in any open spot in the yard, just scratch them in a bit and water til they get started. Then thin them out. It becomes an absolute riot of color- not very organized which is fine with me- just wild, wonderful color.

[sunloving]

Hi
I recomend wallflowers and sweet willaim for early (sow these in august sept)
then sweetpeas and cornflowers, (Sow now) nigella, rudbekias last for ages in a vase, dahlias and chrysanths for late oh and helichrysums (strawflowers) are fab both for cutting and for drying. Then you can also have daffs and anemones in your half hardy veg beds or in your raspberries for some early flowers.
Good luck
Flowers are so fab
x sunloving

[floraldi]

The biggest success in my garden last year was the pots of white chrysanthemums which were all cuttings from a 50p plant that was in a sale at a local garden centre. It had been neglected and looked ragged but another gardener told me what to do and what a pleasure they all were. The flowers were small and brilliant white with a yellow centre - I think they are called spray "mums".   

I can confirm that dahlias from seed were a great success too and, at least, these will be tall if you want them for vases. Mine was a mixed pack of seeds but I didn't get any pompoms which is what I wanted.

ZINNIAS - this is a mystery to me as a gent on another forum told me these would be the best thing to grow for my entry in the Top Vase section at our local show. You can only can ten stems or the entry but they say one stem can have a few flowers. But...mine were a flop so perhaps Grannie Annie could tell me what I did wrong?

[Deb P]

I grew Zinneas for the first time last year for a late sown flower bed that bloomed from August until late November. I sowed in modules then planted out, had reasonable germination and the plants grew quite quickly. Mixed with Calendulas and Sunflowers they were a great display....

[markfield rover]

Check out Sarah Ravens website I think there is a link in the wiki she knows alot about 'cutting garden' flowers
a good site but you may wish to buy the seeds elswhere. I also grow Icelandic poppies HHP the only poppy I
know that has a vase life.