Our Top Seven Cut Flower Varieties This Year

On your own plot, late summer is a great time of year to bask in successes and review things that didn't go so well. Here are seven varieties we introduced this year at Field Gate that worked really well for us. Different plants may make it onto your keepers' list, depending on your tastes, growing conditions and the needs of your cut flower business — so take these as suggestions.

1. Sweet Rocket (Hesperis matronalis)

A biennial, so we sowed it in late summer and planted out in late September. By April of the following year we had very strong plants with abundant blooms. Sweet Rocket flowers can vary in colour from deep purple, through paler lilac shades to white — you may find you get different colours within one seed pack. The variety we used was true white and set off our tulips beautifully in spring bouquets. We will definitely be sowing Sweet Rocket again.

2. Cosmos bipinnatus 'Kiiro'

A bit of an afterthought when a florist asked me to supply more unusual varieties of Cosmos. With petals in the traditional bipinnatus shape and a soft shade of yellow, fading to white in the centre and edges (possibly a hint of peach in there too), this is definitely a winner and one we'll be sowing year after year.

3. Achillea millefolium 'Summer Pastels' (Yarrow)

Some people find it incredible that a flower that grows so readily by the roadside should be cultivated as a cut flower. I think one look at these Summer Pastels stems would win them over. We now have several varieties of Achillea on the plot and all of them do well, but Summer Pastels has been a sturdy and charming filler flower for bouquets and buckets since late spring. They'll no doubt spread themselves around in the coming years — and very welcome they'll be.

4. Callistephus 'Duchesse Apricot' (Chinese Aster)

We chose this apricot variety and it was just gorgeous. The stems have a habit of growing towards the floor once the flower heads grow big and heavy, so staking or containing them within a string support is worthwhile. You need to pick them just before they are at their best — before the underneath petals start to turn brown.

5. Matthiola incana 'Apricot' (Stocks)

We've grown stocks before — they're pretty easy maintenance. This apricot variety blended really well with other cut flowers blooming over the summer and is perfect for including in wedding bouquets.

6. Phlox drummondii grandiflora 'Crème Brulee'

Phlox are perennials so will come back year after year. They're also a popular candidate for the 'Chelsea Chop' — the early summer pruning method that aims to prolong blooming periods. Crème Brulee with its mix of pale coffee and pink colouring is definitely a keeper.

7. Calendula officinalis 'Indian Prince'

We've grown plenty of calendula before but this particular variety gave an amazing show of orange and gold with nice long sturdy stems for cutting. Calendula are hardy annuals so can be planted out in the autumn or early spring — and they'll produce flowers from summer through to autumn.

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Roz