Cut Flower Seedlings

Cut Flower Seedlings

Cut flower seedlings - header image

I am not going to pretend that I know much about cut flowers, but what I will say is that I have a growing (excuse the pun) interest. As you may know, we are doing a lot of work this year on the ornamental side of the Quickcrop garden to build up our expertise in flower as well as fruit and vegetable growing. 

Last year I played around with some annual flowers including more interesting cosmos varieties like 'Apricot lemonade' (above and below). For the amount of time I put into them, they were one of the best things I grew in the garden and yielded many beautiful cut flower arrangements for the house or to give to friends. 

Apricot lemonade

I am expanding the number of varieties I am growing this year with a view to adding the best performers to our seed range for the 2025 season. 

To start off with I am thinking of doing the ultimate cosmos collection with eight different varieties as well as a pretty cornflower set including 'blue boy', 'ball white' and 'witching hour' which give blue, white and deep purple flowers.

Xeranthemum

I'm also sowing a Xeranthemum annuum or annual everlasting flower mix which includes white and soft magenta coloured flowers that make a very pretty cottage garden bouquet. 

Xeranthemum also makes an excellent dried flower for use in winter arrangements by cutting and hanging upside down for a month. Once dried, they will last forever (hence the name). 

Dalmatian Peach

I am being driven nuts at the moment trying to protect a bed of perennials that keep getting their heads shorn off by slugs when they try to come up. Wouldn't it be great, then, if you could order a selection of slug resistant plants like the fabulous foxglove 'Dalmatian peach' (above) so you don't need to worry about slimy marauders again? 

These seedling packs, which will include 'Dalmatian peach', Dottie warm rose' and 'Camelot cream', are more for planning ahead as, while they will be available in a few weeks, they won't flower until next year. 

Procut Plum

I couldn't sow seed for cut flowers without including sunflowers. I won't be going for the classic yellow but am growing two beautiful varieties including Procut plum (above) with a lovely graduation from claret to soft creamy yellow and its cousin, Procut red whose petals are a dusky ruby red. 

We now have 6 products available for pre-order on the site including an Ultimate Cosmos Mix, Callistephus & Xeranthemum Mix, Cornflower Colour Mix, Dusky Sunflower Mix, Foxglove Mix and cut flower filler mix. 

The idea here is to be able to offer annual flower seedlings trays with some easy to grow cut flower varieties. If all goes according to plan, we will be able to provide the means to create stunning looking displays for home, friends and family making you no.1 on the list of people to invite round. 

Our cosmos collection, for example, includes some of the more unusual varieties including 'Cupcakes blush' and 'Apricot lemonade' above. Our full range also gives plenty of choice for mind blowing bouquets with a mixture of subtle tones and bold colours like the deep red of 'Rubenza' below. 

As I said to anyone who emailed expressing interest in these packs, this is a new departure for us so we will see how it all goes. So far, germination has been good with seedlings coming on well but there is still some learning going on our end. In the unlikely event that any plants ordered don't reach a quality we are happy to send, any orders will be refunded in full. 

Please also be aware that we will be sending out orders in mid June for flowering in late summer and Autumn. Next year we plan to start earlier with staggered packs available through the season but let's see how this lot goes. View our cut flower seedling packs here.