Tags
Antirrhinum 'White Giant', Bupleurum rotundifolium, cut flower patch, Scabious 'Black Cat', sweet williams
So far, the cut flower patch hasn’t faired too badly in the almost continuous rain we’ve had this summer. I fear my late summer and autumn cut flower plans though, may not be so successful. With rudbeckias rotting in the ground and my pathetic zinnias which, I swear have not grown since I planted them out at the end of May, I’m really not going to have much to pick from. The zinnias are no more than a foot tall. One of them has produced a flower but it’s on such a small stem it’s no use for cutting, unless I get a request from any allotment elves, for a teeny tiny bouquet.
A mix of Antirrhinum ‘White Giant’, Sweet williams, Scabious, Sweet rocket and Alchemilla mollis
It’s incredibly frustrating that all those plans I had back in February and March will not come to fruition but at least I don’t depend on it for a living. I have so much sympathy for those who work so hard to produce food and flowers for us and whose crops have suffered this summer. Anyway, I thought I’d share a few photos of my cut flowers whilst I still can.
Scabious
My scabious plants have just started to flower. It’s the first year I’ve grown them and they seem to take an inordinate length of time to open their buds or maybe it’s just a combination of my impatience and the lack of sun. They have been well worth the wait though. I’m loving these white ones that look like a fluffy pom-pom and I just spotted some dark Scabious ‘Black Cat’ today which are the most sumptuous dark plum colour.
Scabious ‘Black Cat’
I’m growing Bupleurum rotundifolium ‘Griffithii’ for the first time this year to provide me with some foliage to add to my arrangements. Similar in appearance to euphorbia, its big advantage is no poisonous sap, unlike its lookalike.
Bupleurum rotundifolium ‘Griffithii’
There’s the signs of some larkspurs about to open too, another new one for this year. So for the moment, at least, my cut flower patch means I can fill the house with beautiful blooms.
wellywoman 
Absolutely gorgeous blooms. Particularly like the scabious black cat and the poppy seed heads. I’m relying on my sweet peas and roses for flowers this summer, but I also planted some pink Cleome in mine and a client’s garden and like your zinnias, they’re hardly off the starting blocks. This time last year they were monsters!
I love your white scabious — it’s so extravagant looking! I grow a dark scabious called “Ace of Spades” that is tidy and buttony like your Black Cat. It leapt from one section of the garden to another this year, somehow, after years in the same spot. Maybe I ought to plant a friend near by to encourage it to stay put!
Lovely bunches of flowers and fantastic white and black scabious. My sweet peas failed and now the re-purchased and re-planted ones seem to be stationary. But at least we aren’t in a drought in Africa and dependent on rain for our very survival.
Lovely flowers, much safer in out of the rain. Your scabious are beautiful, might try them again, but I think we may be too acid for them, they only seem to last a year with me.
Loving the ‘Black Cat’ I will defo add that to the Higgledy Garden shop next year. You have done really well…it’s been the toughest year ever for growing annuals…next year will be easy peasy lemon squeezy. Fact. 😉
Lovely! It’s noticeable how most flowers aren’t lasting very long before getting rather bedraggled, which isn’t surprising. Still if we get a good autumn we may get some surprises. xx
A lovely selection…considering the weather. Love the black Scabious!
Thanks Bridget. It’s a real gem isn’t it?
I plonked a £2 Morrisons-bought rudbeckia in one of my walled borders last summer – it’s in the corner that I use to climb into the bed for pruning, weeding, etc, and has grown so big this year that I’ve had to find another access point into the bed! I think the location has meant it’s got good drainage and some shelter which has helped it to establish well. I’m pleased to see a pic of the Bupleurum; I have free seeds from Gardens Illustrated which I’ll now grow for a splash of green foliage. Is that your garden behind the Black Cat Scabious? Looks very lovely!
My perennial rudbeckias are doing well at the allotment ( I have a small perennial bed) but the annual ones poor things are hating all this rain. I’d try growing some of the bupleurum in seed trays first. I’ve tried them direct sown and had problems with them. Yes, it’s my front garden and thank you so much for the compliment. It’s looking a bit shaggy and unkempt this year because of the weather and a little bit of neglect. I need to learn to be less of a perfectionist, I think. I’m forever comparing myself and my garden to others and it’s not a recipe for contentment. Especially when I discover that others have gardeners, greenhouses and more space. If I’m going to compare then I should at least do it with people on a similar level as me 🙂 Your compliment means a lot, thank you.WW
Beautiful scabious, both of them. Shame the weather is so hostile for cut flowers this summer. I think we lost one of rudbeckias this year too, I suspect the slugs and rain made a deadly combination…
It’s the first year I’ve grown the scabious and they are beautiful. My perennial rudbeckias are doing well but it’s the annual ones that have been eaten or are refusing to grow. If it had been warmer and they’d put on some growth they wouldn’t be such a great meal for slugs. Apparently it looks like there might be some movement in that jet stream so maybe things will start to improve soon.
It’s a challenging year all round with all the rain we’ve had. Looking on the bright side, it should be a doddle next year.
Jo, Liking the positive attitude. It would certainly be hard to imagine a year worse than this. 🙂
beautiful! I had some white scabious reseed themselves along the garden fence! I have never seen that giant variety before. Love those!