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Summer is in bloom CONT .
The Flower Farm Denstroude , near Canterbury , opened its farm to the public last year offering a beautiful selection of seasonal blooms to the public including dahlias , sunflowers and everything in between – give them a follow on instagram ( the _ flower _ farm _ denstroud ) to keep updated on their open days for 2022 and go and grab a bucket .
Castle Farm , Sevenoaks is famous for its lavender and is well worth a visit , as well as selling lavender , they produce hops , dried flowers , Kentish lavender and honey .
Little Budds Peony Farm in Thurnham near Maidstone is great for peony lovers . Here you ’ ll find an incredible collection of peony plants with over 50 different varieties , in colours ranging from pink to yellow .
“ We like to promote buying locally and there are a lot of growers in Kent who belong to Flowers from the Farm . Most of them are small and grow a wide variety of flowers covering about nine months of the year rather than specialists like ourselves . Seasonality is also something a lot of the public have lost touch with as shops import from all over the world .” Little Budds Farm , Maidstone
“ For me , summer blooms are all about striking colours , wild stems and varieties that just keep on flowering … Cosmos is an absolute must as they scream summer with their bright yellow centre and soft romantic paper-like petals , they also have a long vase life . Its partner in crime is Ammi Majus . Similar to countryside cow parsley , it is a great filler to use when creating summer designs as its long stems and multiple flower heads bring architecture and height to any design . They go hand in hand in floristry and both can be easily grown and enjoyed in your own garden , allotment or even happy in balcony pots in the sunshine . I like to use British seed companies when planning my cut flower plot , and often use my own grown blooms in my summer displays , or for weddings and events . I also shop locally at a brilliant family run nursery called Frankie ’ s , rather than buying imported plants from abroad .” Jo at Eliza Rose , Artisan Floral Design , Kent www . theartisanflorist . com
“ MY FAVOURITE FLOWER COMBINATIONS HAVE TO BE HEDGEROW FOLIAGE SUCH AS WILD CLEMATIS , HONEYSUCKLE AND GRASSES WITH SHOWSTOPPERS SUCH AS DAHLIAS , OR A RESTFUL MIX OF FOLIAGE , GRASSES AND WHITE AMMI – ALWAYS CLASSY .” ANNA , ANNA ’ S COUNTRY FLOWERS
Creating your own cut flower garden
The key to achieving a successful cut flower garden , as with any garden , is to plan . Firstly , ensure that your cut garden is easily accessible for taking cuttings , but more importantly choose a spot with easy access to water and the compost heap – you ’ ll be thanking us later . It ’ s also important to think about positioning in terms of light and generally a sunny spot with well drained soil will work best for growing most things .
If you ’ re lucky enough to have a large garden , you can allocate an area for your cut flowers ; the general rule for cut flower gardens is to plant in lines which therefore requires plenty of space , so if you have it , take advantage of it . Once you have your space sorted , you can start thinking about what you ’ re going to grow ; a productive and long-lived cutting garden comes from choosing plants that will flower for long periods of time . to deliver the goods , so it ’ s best to opt for flower types that will keep blooming throughout the summer . Cosmos , dahlias and zinnias are always a good bet , and also make great colour combinations ; plant these in clusters within your beds , and that way you will be making the best use of the space .
WE RECOMMEND THIS BOOK :
Floret Farm ' s Cut Flower Garden : Grow , Harvest , and Arrange Stunning Seasonal Blooms , which is available to buy at waterstones . com ; £ 21.99 .
When you ’ re starting out , choose plants wisely ; consider the perfect balance of foliage to flowers and think about blooms that will continue to deliver throughout the seasons . Continue to review your cut garden , take notes in a journal on what ’ s performed well or not as this will help you to develop your garden year on year .
LITTLE BUDDS PEONY FARM
Maximise the use of smaller spaces by choosing the right blooms ; single stems won ’ t continue
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