Scarlets Cut Flower Patch 2022/23/24

               

Kaffir lilies. They grow like my hated Montbretia. One flower stem has its own set of leaves but it looks as if they form clumps which will spread and merge

Another flower to consider - Verbena Bonariensis.
   

I have have verbena rigida...which is really lovely, can propagate from cuttings really easily.
Also verbena hastata...although I bought those this year. Tried from seed twice and never managed one seedling... hoping I can take cuttings from these. I have in pink white and purple.

I definitely need to do some research on what flowers that will bloom in September. The dahlias go so well, but they look stunning with a few different blooms that will go with them. Less varieties and more of the same may help. Not much of a colour theme going on here as I'm using every stem I can pick. I've picked so much from the garden this year that I've little filler left. Raspberry is good... but I've picked all those too!

Picking every day means that I just have to go with colour/blooms that are perfect to pick. I've not deadheaded any dahlia yet - I've used every single bloom.

When you've researched September flowering whatever, could you share wit us (me)?  I think every year I've got to find something to brighten up the borders at this time of year apart from sedum.

For the garden you can't beat snap dragons - if yo don't get the extra tall F1s for cutting, there's loads in a pack and much shorter so are perfect for garden colour. Scabious? Mine are still going. Cosmos is a fab late summer option, first time for straw flowers for me this year but I would recommend.



The snap dragons here are tetra ruffled giants...they didn't get that big here as it's been too dry. I didn't stake, these are just in the garden so no use for picking. Ran out of space in the spring. I always grow scabious for late summer colour.

Thanks Scarlet, food for thought there.

Perennials that I have now would be penstemons and japanese anemones.

What I forgot to add and which has been brilliant for cutting this year is Rudbeckia Sahara. Not many in  apack of seeds but they are a really gorgeous colours - coppers, dirty pinks :} not quite sure how to describe! burgandys and are mixed. They are double petals... ....you may be able to spot them in the flower bunch photos I posted earier.

....what happened to your dahlias?

Bearing mind they were only bedding dahlias from seed and the blackfly loved them, theyre nothing special, but  they're not too bad. I had hoped for a few more flowers. Although they're supposed to be dwarf, they're over 3ft tall.

   

I like this colour         and this one is interesting in that you never know what colour combination of petals will show      

I feel I'll have to invest in some proper tubers if I want showier flowers

I grew rudbeckia Sahara last year and loved them. This year I went cheap (how stupid of me!) and bought a packet of mixed rudbeckia for about a pound.
Hundreds of seeds as opposed to the 40 that were in the Sahara packet for £2.50.
Anyway they’ve been brilliant for cutting, but they’re ugly and garish and take up too much room.
Shall be “Sahara-ing” next year.

Other things that are still giving me a few cuts are gypsophila, calendula, Gaura, hydrangea, helichrysum.
Plus just a few cornflowers which are now on very short stems.
The gaura are great but you need loads to get a bunch, so I’m leaving them in the garden to enjoy.
Can’t think of much else that’ll be good for picking in Sept and Oct. 
Wish I could grow dahlias like Scarlet ….. but I’m hopeless with those.

I grew rudbeckia Sahara last year and loved them. This year I went cheap (how stupid of me!) and bought a packet of mixed rudbeckia for about a pound.
Hundreds of seeds as opposed to the 40 that were in the Sahara packet for £2.50.
Anyway they’ve been brilliant for cutting, but they’re ugly and garish and take up too much room.
Shall be “Sahara-ing” next year.

I think they look pretty fab all together! ... but like you I've found the yellows don't sell as well.

Other things that are still giving me a few cuts are gypsophila, calendula, Gaura, hydrangea, helichrysum.
Plus just a few cornflowers which are now on very short stems.
The gaura are great but you need loads to get a bunch, so I’m leaving them in the garden to enjoy.
Can’t think of much else that’ll be good for picking in Sept and Oct. 
Wish I could grow dahlias like Scarlet ….. but I’m hopeless with those.

Your helichrysum look amazing.... how close together to you plant?

When you've researched September flowering whatever, could you share wit us (me)?  I think every year I've got to find something to brighten up the borders at this time of year apart from sedum.

For the garden you can't beat snap dragons - if yo don't get the extra tall F1s for cutting, there's loads in a pack and much shorter so are perfect for garden colour. Scabious? Mine are still going. Cosmos is a fab late summer option, first time for straw flowers for me this year but I would recommend.



The snap dragons here are tetra ruffled giants...they didn't get that big here as it's been too dry. I didn't stake, these are just in the garden so no use for picking. Ran out of space in the spring. I always grow scabious for late summer colour.

Thanks Scarlet, food for thought there.

Perennials that I have now would be penstemons and japanese anemones.

What I forgot to add and which has been brilliant for cutting this year is Rudbeckia Sahara. Not many in  apack of seeds but they are a really gorgeous colours - coppers, dirty pinks :} not quite sure how to describe! burgandys and are mixed. They are double petals... ....you may be able to spot them in the flower bunch photos I posted earier.

....what happened to your dahlias?

Bearing mind they were only bedding dahlias from seed and the blackfly loved them, theyre nothing special, but  they're not too bad. I had hoped for a few more flowers. Although they're supposed to be dwarf, they're over 3ft tall.



I like this colour    and this one is interesting in that you never know what colour combination of petals will show  

I feel I'll have to invest in some proper tubers if I want showier flowers

A few tubers and you will have sturdier plants...they are a good investment as one tuber will make 3 the following year.

Other things that are still giving me a few cuts are gypsophila, calendula, Gaura, hydrangea, helichrysum.
Plus just a few cornflowers which are now on very short stems.
The gaura are great but you need loads to get a bunch, so I’m leaving them in the garden to enjoy.
Can’t think of much else that’ll be good for picking in Sept and Oct. 
Wish I could grow dahlias like Scarlet ….. but I’m hopeless with those.

Your helichrysum look amazing.... how close together to you plant?

Everything raised from seed is about 6 - 8inches apart. Haven’t got the space to spread them out, so cram them all in and keep cutting the bushy bits to TRY to keep them under control. I’m sure they’d do much better if I could give them a bit more room!

Scarlet, what do you do with all your dahlias overwinter, do you lift them?