Five favourites: books about cut flowers
Growing flowers that you can cut and bring into the house is one of our very favourite parts of gardening. No air miles, no huge expenses for big bouquets, just homegrown British blooms, bringing cheer and colour inside, and the huge satisfaction of knowing that you grew these yourself…
My first attempt at growing flowers was back when we got married, and I decided to try and grow flowers for our wedding. This was 12 years ago now, and it’s been a huge journey since then, from a patch of seed-grown cosmos, to the inclusion of plenty of annuals and perennials throughout the garden, and gorgeous vases filled with flowers for all of the Summer and early Autumn months…
Along the way, I’ve taken advice from the experts wherever I can, and reading books — and looking at inspirational photos — has taught me so much that I have implemented in my own garden. Here are five of my favourite books about cut flowers.
Cut flower garden
by Erin Benzakein
I’ve long been obsessed with Floret’s Flower Farm and this book is every bit as gorgeous as her Instagram account. As well as stunning images, though, there is plenty of incredibly practical information, along with some more unusual and interesting varieties of plants. Erin in based in America, so some of the advice may need to be translated to UK soils. I have both of her other books too (A year in flowers and Discovering dahlias) but this was the first book to be published and has a special place in my heart (/ on the book shelf…)
From seed to bloom
by Milli Proust
This is a stunning coffee table book, with beautiful photos and gorgeous design — perfect as a gift for a gardener or flower lover. The book includes general essays about floristry, soil health, composting and planning planting, along with 26 projects with advice on growing and styling floral arrangements.
The pottery gardener
by Arthur Parkinson
This is my very favourite book to go to on gloomy Winter days, when I need a pick-me-up to remember that Spring and Summer are on the way. It’s a beautiful book, with absolutely stunning photos, but is also especially inspirational for growing cut flowers in pots and containers. Arthur Parkinson always uses lots of fun, colourful, wildlife-friendly plants, and this book is no exception. Like all of his books, this is really uplifting and joyous (plus there are plenty of chicken pics, which always makes me happy!)
Cut flower sourcebook
by Rachel Siegfried
This book by Rachel from Green and Gorgeous is particularly interesting as it mostly focuses on perennial cut flowers, which is a really sustainable way of growing plants, rather than propagating every year. Including perennials and woody plants permanently within garden borders is such an easy introduction to cut flowers, so this one is perfect for anyone shorter on space or who doesn’t want a separate cut flower patch.
Cut flowers
by Sarah Raven
This was the very first book I ever bought about cut flowers. I bought it the year before I got married (about 12 years ago now!) as I was planning to grow some flowers for the wedding. It’s still just as useful now as it was then. It’s a really great practical guide (especially suited to beginners) for growing cut flowers. It was what encouraged me to get started with my very first cut flowers: I had a massive patch of cosmos that year, and tried out a range of different varieties. I still love to grow cosmos every year, and I have since branched out into so many other cut flowers too, and this book was really what started the whole obsession!
