Early this year, as I stood looking at the beautiful Daffodils and Tulips that had bloomed, I was very aware of a lack of anything else flowering in the garden. I hadn’t started any seeds at this point and ‘flower gap’ was real.
As I started to learn about the Cut Flower growing year, I found out all about Biennials. These are flowers that require 2 years to complete their life cycle – so you sow the seeds in the first year, they will put on growth but then flower in the 2nd year.
Now at first mention of this, when there are showy annuals that will do all of this in just 1 year, I was wondering if there was any advantage of growing biennials. However, as I learnt more, I realised that these little workhorses will often produce flowers early in the 2nd year as they’re so much further along in their life cycle.
A flower to help fill the void that I’d experienced in the early part of the year? Yes please! Blooms that I could use in bouquets with the Tulips and Daffs, just adding a little variety to arrangements and also some much-needed early colour to the garden.
So, in late June I set to it. In all honesty it felt a little strange sowing seeds at this point – I had not that long before just finished sowing all of the annual seeds! The idea of having strong plants going into the next cutting year was too good to miss out on though.
This year I’ve sown Sweet Williams, Honesty, Hollyhocks, Foxgloves, Wallflowers and Sweet Rocket. They put on great growth with the weather still being nice and warm for them, I’ve got some planted out and others in pots, waiting for a little space when the final curtain comes down on this year’s annuals.
Knowing that I’ve got a little head start on next year’s growing feels good – I’m looking forward to seeing how they get on over Winter and can’t wait to be surrounded by lovely blooms next year!
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