Plants for flowers

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​Here are some ideas for plants for flowers and pollinators and some information when to plant and how best to care for them.  All the flowers described have had a presence in our bouquets this year.  We will be adding more as our own knowledge increases.  We hope the list will encourage more people to sow seeds and watch the magic of nature unfold. 

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Flower                      Description                                  When                    Care​​​

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​Sweet pea                        A star of our first season for scent     May to July                   For robust plants ideally sow in October

                                               and colour.  If flowers are picked                                                   in pots that allow their roots to grow deep

                                               regularly it keeps giving.                                                                    (we use the cardboard centre of toilet rolls)           

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Alchemilla Mollis           The lime green, feathery flower of      June to August          Dead heading and a cut back mid-summer

                                               this perennial plant offers a perfect                                            will help to extend the flowering season

                                               balance to the bright colours of

                                               sweet peas in our bouquets. 

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Hydrangea                     This large shrub has grown in our        June to Sept              Needs little attention during the flowering

                                              affection since we inherited several                                            season depending on variety

                                              in the garden where we have

                                              recently moved.  It is another

                                              'generous flower giver' throughout

                                              the season and adds great

                                              structure to our bouquets.

 

Cosmos                              Another generous provider of                 June to Nov            With an early sowing and regular dead 

                                                bright, delicate flowers that have                                               heading Cosmos will flower from the 

                                                become a staple of our bouquets                                              beginning to the end of the season

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Ammi majus                    New to us, this delicate, hardy                June to Sept           Multiple sowings through the season will

                                               annual plant has beautiful, white                                                help extend the flowering season 

                                               spidery 'umbel' flowers and has 

                                               quickly become a firm favourite

                                               in our bouquets.  

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Buddleja davidii            We would find it difficult to over-state    June to Oct          It will grow pretty much anywhere and easily

                                              what a wonderful shrub this is.  We                                            lives up to its 'pioneering' status of quickly

                                              have  the purple variety in our garden                                       inhabiting urban wastelands                                                                                          and allotment and it is a go to for

                                               our bouquets ... and for insects and

                                               birds too!  

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Dahlia                                 So many different types and varieties    Aug to Nov          They need protection from the slugs when   

                                               or cultivars to chose from.  Our current                                    the leaves are in their first flush (we use 

                                                favourites are 'La Recoleta' and                                                  copper bands) and staking.  They should  

                                                'Cafe au Lait Twist'. The garden,                                                  survive the winter where we are but in some 

                                                and our bouquets would be looking                                          areas of the UK will need lifting.  

                                                significantly less colourful without them. 

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