Bloom on

Once summer draws to an end, you might be thinking about what flowers to sow to keep the colour blooming into autumn. Owner of online store Veggie Garden Seeds, Bec Shelley shares her favourites.

I have always loved spending time in the garden. Watching a tiny seed germinate and bloom into something beautiful is truly mesmerising. Growing my own cut flowers to admire, gift to friends and family brings me a lot of joy. This season, I invite you to grow your own cut flowers. Here are a few of my favourites to sow now to enjoy throughout autumn.

Strawflower

Also known as everlasting daisy or paper daisy this beautiful Australian native flower is easy to grow from seed. Sow seeds direct and cover ever- so-lightly with soil or vermiculite . Once established, strawflowers are low maintenance and bloom over a long period. Strawflowers come in a large range of colours including Salmon Rose, Vintage White, Apricot and Peach, Deep Purple, Pink, Copper, Scarlet... this list goes on! They can grow up to 1m tall, so will need staking for support. Native bees will thank you for planting this flower in your garden. Harvest strawflowers in the morning, avoiding overmature blooms (as they will continue to open), hang upside down and dry inside.





 

Rudbeckia

Also known as black-eyed Susan, this flowering annual is available in an array of colours. It requires long days for flowering but once in bloom, the flowers persist right through to autumn. When sowing seeds, it is best to start them off in punnets. Cover very lightly as light is needed for germination and water from below to avoid the tiny seeds becoming lodged too far down into the soil. With its long stiff straight stems, rudbeckia makes an ideal cutting flower that has a long vase life.





 

Cornflower

This old favourite is easy to grow from seed and germinates within 7-14 days. This hardy bloom will tolerate poor soil conditions and grow to 1m tall (will need staking), making it a great low maintenance cut flower. The flowers are edible and can be used in salads and cake decorations. Cornflower come in a range of beautiful colours including frosted purples of ‘Classic Magic’ and frosted pinks and reds of ‘Classic Romantic’.

 

Billy Buttons

A well-known Australian native, Pycnosorus globosus , also referred to as sun ball and drumsticks is another cut flower that is easy to grow from seed and can be sown late summer. This perennial can tolerate harsh conditions and poor soil once established. They have long stiff wiry stems making them a perfect cut flower, that can be used fresh or dried, retaining their bright yellow colour once dried.

 

Echinacea

A long-flowering perennial with a prominent central cone (disc florets) surrounded by coloured ray florets or petals. The echinacea root is well-known for its medicinal properties that can help the immune system to fight cold and flu symptoms. Echinacea purpurea is the easiest to grow from seed. Sow seeds in punnets in a greenhouse or warm sunny spot on the window sill. Transplant into the garden once the second set of true leaves have formed.