Discover which flowers are the ones relied on by flower farmers for their beauty, robustness and ease of growing.
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Milli Proust, Alma | Proust
1 Rosa Olivia Rose Austin (= ‘Ausmixture’)
Roses are great for the vase if you cut them just as the buds have opened into a still-closed cup, and first thing in the morning when the plant is still hydrated. This particular cultivar is robust and prolific in both part shade and sun, and always my first and last to flower. Height and spread: 1m x 1m. RHS H6, USDA 4a-10b†.
2 Schizanthus x wisetonensis Dr. Badger’s Hybrids Mixed
Also known as poor man’s orchid, this annual has fern-like leaves and sprays of little flowers that look like butterflies. It comes in a range of pinks, whites and lilacs. This is one of the longest-lasting cut flowers we grow, with a vase life of up to three weeks. Great in the ground and in pots and very easy to grow from seed. 50cm x 50cm. RHS H3.
3 Silene vulgaris
Also known as blushing lanterns or bladder campion, this is a semi-evergreen perennial that sends up sprays of pretty white flowers with nodding, blushing balloons. We love it as a cut flower, and once the flowers go over, the seedpods are wonderful as a textural ingredient for bouquets. 1m x 50cm.
RHS H6, USDA 4a-7b.
4 Nigella damascena ‘Albion Black Pod’
Easy to grow, and best direct sown as they have a delicate tap root. The white flowers are lovely – cut just before they fully open – but the beautiful plum seedheads are also wonderful in bouquets, and great for drying for winter wreaths. 60cm x 40cm. RHS H3.
5 Lathyrus odoratus ‘Juliet’
Sweet peas are easy to germinate and to grow on. This cultivar flowers for a particularly long time and always is one of our most giving sweet peas. 2.5m x 50cm. RHS H3.
Find out more about Milli Proust at milliproust.com
Alfie Nickerson, Burnt Fen Flowers
1 Zinnia elegans ‘Queen Lime Red’
The colours of these half-hardy annuals are almost like they are from a coral reef, with over-exaggerated pinks and greens. Once they beat the slugs, nothing will stop them. 1m x 50cm. AGM*. RHS H2, USDA 2a-11.
2 Iris ‘Afternoon in Rio’
In late spring, my love of bearded irises takes over. One of the florists I supply once told me that that they’re so beautiful, they make you want to cry. They’re also scented, which only adds to their charm. You can multiply them relatively easily by splitting them after just a couple of years. I love all of them, but especially like the midnight blue of ‘Afternoon in Rio’. 90cm x 50cm. RHS H7, USDA 3a-10b.
3 Panicum capillare ‘Frosted Explosion’
I’m a huge fan of grasses and this annual one is my favourite as it dries extremely well, so can look lovely for years. When you add it to a bunch, it looks like a wedding veil waiting to be taken off. 1m x 50cm. RHS H4.
4 Dahlia ‘Downham Peggy’
Dahlias are great for their mix of colours and shapes. You can never get tired of walking up to a field of dahlias. They flower for three months and, when they are in bloom, are always the showstoppers. One of my favourite cultivars is ‘Downham Peggy’. It’s a very dark- purple pompom and, when you get up close, the number of different textures inside the flower is mesmerising. 1.2m x 50cm.
RHS H3, USDA 7a-10b.
5 Verbena bonariensis
A perennial that flowers for more than three months and is the most abundant of all my perennials. Its pop of purple – like stars – is a must, especially at the end of the season in October. 1.5m x 50cm. AGM. RHS H4, USDA 7a-11.
Find out more about Alfie Nickerson at burntfenflowers.com
Angharad Maxwell, Hilltop Flowers
1 Allium ‘Eros’
Its long, robust stems and mid-lilac flowers go well with both stronger and softer-coloured arrangements. It helps bridge the June gap, is easy to maintain and more versatile than deeper purple varieties. Plant generously and it will continue to bulk up year on year. 50cm x 50cm. RHS H6, USDA 4a-9b.
2 Achillea ptarmica ‘The Pearl’
For June to July, I love using this cultivar. It is such an easy perennial to grow from seed and comes back reliably for at least four years on my field. It is a wonderful filler for any type of arrangement, especially as a bulking/background flower in bridal bouquets. It has a good vase life, long stems and doesn’t need support. 1m x 1m. RHS H7, USDA 3a-9b.
3 Antirrhinum ‘Madame Butterfly Cherry Bronze’
The colour and texture of this cultivar stops me in my tracks every time. Like all snapdragons, it can be sown for succession. I sow in autumn and several successions in spring to get flowers from late April until the end of the season. It has a good vase life. I leave these short-lived perennials in the ground for two to three years with great results. 1m x 50cm. RHS H3.
4 Rudbeckia hirta ‘Goldilocks’
I find this more useful than sunflowers – the heads are better proportioned and the mustard colour is more versatile for pairing with the richer colours of late-season flowers. It doesn’t have the longest stems, but has a fabulous vase life. 1m x 50cm. RHS H3, USDA 3a-10b.
5 Rosa Lovestruck (= ‘Dicommatac’)
One of my favourite cut roses. Its iridescence means it complements many different colour palettes and combinations. A regular liquid seaweed feed keeps it at its best. 1m x 1m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.
Find out more about Angharad Maxwell at hilltopflowers.co.uk