Norfolk


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/04/Forever-Green-Flowers-credit-Salsabil-Morisson2-1.jpg" alt="A bouquet being created from cut flowers laid out on wooden table " class="wp-image-40676" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/04/Forever-Green-Flowers-credit-Salsabil-Morisson2-1.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/04/Forever-Green-Flowers-credit-Salsabil-Morisson2-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/04/Forever-Green-Flowers-credit-Salsabil-Morisson2-1-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/04/Forever-Green-Flowers-credit-Salsabil-Morisson2-1-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption>Photo: Salsabil Morisson</figcaption></figure>



<p>Did you know that more than 85% of cut flowers sold in the UK are imported? Along with the beauty comes a high environmental cost, as well as a decent dent in your bank balance. One way to bring down the carbon footprint of the flowers in your vase &#8211; and save some pennies &#8211; is to grow your own! </p>



<p>Spring is the perfect time to start a cutting garden for a house filled with beautiful homegrown blooms come summer. Celestina Robertson from <a href="https://www.forevergreenflowerco.co.uk">Forever Green Flower Company</a> in North Norfolk shares her top tips for starting your own cutting garden. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/04/ForeverGreenFlowerCo.jpg" alt="Flower field at Forever Green Flower Company. Pink flowers and pink sky." class="wp-image-40825" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/04/ForeverGreenFlowerCo.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/04/ForeverGreenFlowerCo-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/04/ForeverGreenFlowerCo-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/04/ForeverGreenFlowerCo-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption>Flower field at Forever Green Flower Company</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-assess-your-plot">1/ Assess your plot</h2>



<p>If you have the space in your garden, there are a few simple tasks you can do to set up an area specifically for growing flowers for cutting. I like to think about cut flowers in a similar way to vegetables in a veggie plot: the flowers are crops that I&#8217;m going to harvest so I don’t want to cut them out of the ornamental garden. Separate cutting beds laid out like a vegetable plot will be efficient and practical &#8211; and produce an abundance of blooms throughout the season!</p>



<p>A simple assessment of your plot before you start will help you to make decisions about the layout and what you will be able to grow. Start by ascertaining the aspect; the sun will travel across your plot from east to west, so ideally the length of your planting beds should run from north to south in order for your plants to have equal access to light (although be aware that the orientation of your garden and limitations such as boundaries may dictate the final layout).&nbsp;</p>



<p>Measure your plot and decide on the size of your beds – make sure that you can reach comfortably into the middle of each bed from the pathways without over-reaching! Easy access to water is important for your plants and to fill buckets with when cutting your blooms. Establish the type of soil you are growing on – clay, silty or sandy &#8211; as this will have an impact on which plants will thrive on your plot; if possible, get a soil test done to ascertain the pH level of your soil. All of this information will help you to figure out how to get the best results from your plot!</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/04/Forever-Green-Flowers-Copyright3-1.jpg" alt="White and pink cut flowers laid out" class="wp-image-40673" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/04/Forever-Green-Flowers-Copyright3-1.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/04/Forever-Green-Flowers-Copyright3-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/04/Forever-Green-Flowers-Copyright3-1-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/04/Forever-Green-Flowers-Copyright3-1-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">2/ Selecting varieties to grow</h2>



<p>With such a wide variety of flowers to choose to from, how on earth do you decide what to grow? Firstly, I would suggest that you grow what you love! They will form the basis from which you can expand your range of flowers. The next thing to consider is a colour palette. If your favourite plants tend to be soft pastel shades then consider additional varieties in tones to complement them – this way you’ll grow a palette of blooms that sit well together in arrangements.&nbsp;</p>



<p>How will your selections work together in the vase? Flowers for arranging are usually divided into the following categories: foliage, focal, supporting, filler, texture and airy elements. It’s a good idea to grow a diverse range of flower shapes in order to create layers of interest in your floral arrangements.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/04/Forever-Green-Flowers-credit-Salsabil-Morisson-1.jpg" alt="Hands picking up seeds from seed tray" class="wp-image-40675" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/04/Forever-Green-Flowers-credit-Salsabil-Morisson-1.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/04/Forever-Green-Flowers-credit-Salsabil-Morisson-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/04/Forever-Green-Flowers-credit-Salsabil-Morisson-1-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/04/Forever-Green-Flowers-credit-Salsabil-Morisson-1-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption>Credit: Salsabil Morisson</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Annuals or perennials?</h2>



<p>For an instant cutting garden, start sowing hardy annuals in early spring followed by half-hardy annuals through mid-late spring. Annuals can be sown in succession through the season to give you a continuous supply of flowers from June through until the first frosts of autumn.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Newly planted perennial plants will take a couple of years to get established, and then they will provide lots of stems for cutting year after year with very little work. They greatly extend the range of material available in the cutting garden and perform reliably in extremes of weather when the annuals can tend to suffer.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/04/Forever-Green-Flowers-Copyright-1.jpg" alt="White, pink and purple cut flowers laid out" class="wp-image-40671" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/04/Forever-Green-Flowers-Copyright-1.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/04/Forever-Green-Flowers-Copyright-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/04/Forever-Green-Flowers-Copyright-1-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/04/Forever-Green-Flowers-Copyright-1-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">3/ Growing in a small space</h2>



<p>If you don’t have enough space to establish a separate area for a cutting garden – or if you don’t have a garden at all – you can still have flowers to cut for the home by growing plants in containers! Select ‘cut-and-come-again’ varieties to grow; plants such as dahlias and sweet peas grow well in containers and will continue to produce flowers over many weeks &#8211; the more you cut, the more flowers the plants will produce! Spring bulbs can be planted ‘lasagne’ style in pots in the autumn to provide a succession of blooms for cutting through the spring.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/04/Forever-Green-Flowers-credit-Salsabil-Morisson3-1.jpg" alt="Cut flowers in an assortment of vases" class="wp-image-40677" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/04/Forever-Green-Flowers-credit-Salsabil-Morisson3-1.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/04/Forever-Green-Flowers-credit-Salsabil-Morisson3-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/04/Forever-Green-Flowers-credit-Salsabil-Morisson3-1-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/04/Forever-Green-Flowers-credit-Salsabil-Morisson3-1-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption>Photo: Salsabil Morisson</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">4/ Cutting and conditioning your flowers</h2>



<p>Every variety has an optimum stage for cutting. Cut too early and your stem won’t be mature enough to take up water and stay hydrated; cut when your flowers are in full bloom and they won’t last long in the vase at all! Some flowers will open if cut in bud, others – like dahlias – need to already be open to be cut. It is best to cut your blooms in the coolest part of the day – either early morning or in the evening – as flowers cut in the heat in the day will be difficult to hydrate and won’t last long in the vase.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Cut stems at a 45-degree angle, strip away any leaves that may sit below the water in the bucket and place your stems into water as soon as they’ve been cut. Keep your bucket of cut flowers somewhere cool and dark for a few hours so the flowers can fully hydrate before you arrange with them. This process is called conditioning and will really help to extend the vase life of your garden-grown blooms.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Further details about cutting stages and conditioning can be found in Celestina’s book <em>Cut Flowers</em> which is available directly from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forevergreenflowerco.co.uk/the-cut-flowers-book">Forever Green Flower Company</a> and all good bookshops. The flower farm has fresh flowers for sale between April and October. </p>



<p><em>Forever Green Flower Company, Grove Farm, Holt Road, Aylmerton, NR11 8QA</em></p>


Take your pick! How to start a cutting garden

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