The phrase “cutting garden” generally refers to a separate area within the garden where annual flowers and those treated as annuals are specifically grown to be used as floral displays in the house.
It is often found within the kitchen garden – cut flowers are effectively a crop. As a bonus, their presence brings in pollinating insects which in turn benefits other crops.
Which flowers?
Conversations may be needed between the gardener and the person/s in charge of floral displays to develop a realistic plan. Suggested items to consider may include: –
- Colours – aka “no, there aren’t red Narcissus”
- Scent – freshly picked flowers tend to have more of a scent even when they’re not ‘fragrant’
- Style – a range may be needed to suit different rooms
- Just flowers or foliage too?
- To what extent will the foliage be grown as part of the cutting garden or taken from the existing ornamental garden?
- Year round flowers or seasonal?
- Will space be needed in cold frame / greenhouse?
- Who will pick the flowers, how many, how often?
Managing expectations is key: –
- space available for cutting garden
- time available for propagation / maintenance
- soil, aspect
Affect the range of flowers that can be grown.
Where will the Cutting Garden be situated?
Will the flowers be decided on first and a suitable location found to grow them? Or will the location come first, then flowers chosen to suit?
There are many variables, including overall size of gardens; number of staff available for maintenance; amount of flowers required and over what period.
- Kitchen garden – a traditional placement
- Border/s within the ornamental garden
- Old lawn area
- Single cutting garden or various spread around to make best use of space and aspect for particular flowers
Measure the area/s and draw up plan. Plus schedule for preparation of ground and growing, maintenance. Records should be kept for comparison. For example, which were most popular flowers on display, their germination rate and maintenance needs.
Sun or shade?
The term ‘sunny’ is not full sun all day.
Cutting garden flowers will be growing during the months when the sun is highest in the sky. Designate somewhere that receives six hours of good sunlight, not necessarily direct sun on the flowers.
There are annual flowers which will grow in dappled shade, or morning sun, these may help extend the range grown.
Preparation
Tasks required will depend on what is already in the space chosen to grow the cut flowers. Some preparation may need to be carried out the previous autumn / winter.
Soil pH
How acid or alkaline is the soil? A pH of 6 – 7.2 will suit the vast majority of annuals likely to be grown as cut flowers.
NB, pH may be less of an issue; small tweaks may be sufficient for one season’s growth. For example, incorporate a slightly acid or alkaline soil improver in the top soil layer where the flower roots will be: spent mushroom compost is alkaline, whilst ericaceous peat free potting compost is acidic.
However it is always easier to work with the existing pH, so check the annual flower list in the chalk garden and clay garden articles against the lists below.
Dig or no-dig?
The no-dig approach will take longer to be ready (up to a year).
Double digging and incorporating lots of organic matter may well be an over preparation as annual flowers don’t need much soil depth. However if the soil is very compacted you will need to single dig and loosen the base of the trench, before adding organic matter /soil improver.
See articles on Lasagna gardening and Double digging for more information.
Weeds
Remove perennial and annual weeds as part of the preparation. It is a good idea to leave the prepared soil for 1 -2 weeks to allow dormant weed seeds to germinate. They can then be hoed off. This also gives an the opportunity to remove perennial weeds roots that got missed the first time round.
How nutritious does the soil need to be?
On the one hand, the flowers are only in the ground for a few weeks, or months, so there is opportunity to replenish the soil when the cutting garden crop has finished.
On the other, the plants will be working hard to constantly produce more flowers for cutting.
NPK are Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium, the three main plant minerals. A shorthand to remember their importance to the plant growth stages is shoots, roots, fruits / flowers. A well prepared soil should provide most of these, but topping up with liquid fertiliser, as would be done for annual vegetables, may be necessary.
Growing in Rows
An efficient method: –
- When a seedling pops up, if its not in the row, its probably a weed.
- Weeding between rows with a hoe reduces walking on the soil, which is good for all sorts of reasons, not least preventing compaction on heavier soils.
- Enables easy access to the flowers for cutting by leaving gaps between the rows.
- In a windy garden it’s easier to create a support framework for rows of taller flowers rather than individual staking.
However, it’s not essential to grow cut flowers this way. A more decorative approach may be more appropriate, for example: –
- Sow seed in spirals, in the centre and corners of the plot. Make weeding easy by first marking out patterns with sand. The rest of the cut flower garden could be grown in rows. Alternatively have tepees for climbers or groups of especially tall flowers in these spots.
- Line a path with trellis for climbers.
- Plant in colour blocks, repeated across the area. The flowers can be in rows within their blocks, and include access between blocks for cutting. This can be stunning where bright coloured flowers are grown – think modern art.
Flowers
Hardy annual flowers
Centaurea cyanus
Daucus carota, Queen Anne’s lace
Helianthus annuus
Nigella
Papaver
Salvia horminum
Half hardy annual flowers
Antirrhinum majus
Cosmos
Moluccella laevis, bells of Ireland
Zinnias
Biennial flowers
If needs be, in the first year, ‘cheat’ with bought in small plants that will flower the same year. Sow seeds from the first year for a continuous crop.
Campanula medium, Canterbury bells
Dianthus barbatus
Digitalis purpurea
Hesperis matronalis
Lunaria annua
Matthiola incana
Bulbs, Corms, Tubers
Can be treated as annuals or grown as perennials, bulbs lifted to allow for soil improvement overwinter.
Allium
Dahlia
Iris
Lilium
Narcissus
Paeonia
Tulip
Foliage
Ornamental grasses
Herbs – rosemary, fennel
Climbers
Lathyrus odoratus
Rhodochiton atrosanguineus
Annuals are the obvious choice, but it is possible to have a perennial cutting garden with herbaceous perennials, tuberous plants, fragrant flowering shrubs, foliage plants. This extends the season and range for displays, eg by growing scented winter shrubs, coppicing eucalyptus for juvenile foliage.
Establishing the floral requirements at the start will aid gardening staff in making the decisions on what and where to grow.
Marie Shallcross
Plews Garden Design and Consultancy; Gardening Lessons