Cutting Garden - Summer sizzlers to plant now

Continuing our series on cutting flowers; now is time to plant flowers for summer vases. We have chosen cleome, dahlia, cosmos, rudbeckia and zinnia.

Cleome

This whimsical flower, known as grandfather’s whiskers or spider flower is great for picking.

Sow seeds in spring, direct into a sunny garden bed. Ensure the soil is free draining and dig through plenty of compost or well-rotted cow manure before planting. Sow cleome seeds in clusters, 5mm deep, directly where they are to grow. Thin seedlings as they emerge; allow 30cm apart. Germination can take up to 30 days. Flowering takes up to 20 weeks. Trim off spent flowers to keep the plants tidy and encourage further flower formation.

 

Zinnia

For fabulous colour, zinnias are hard to beat.

Sow two seeds in each planting hole, 25-30cm apart, in a sunny garden bed. Zinnias love the heat; November is perfect! Thin to one seedling soon after the first true leaves have formed. If the soil is warm, germination will take seven days.

Flowering will usually start in January, earlier in warm climates. Look for ‘Purple Prince’, with remarkable free-flowering, fully-double flowers, in an intense shade of magenta. I love the 'Queeny' series of zinnias; sturdy, compact, with bold colours that flower continuously for months. They have the wow factor! Available from lambley.com.au and mrfothergills.com.au

 

Dahlia

These retro blooms have enjoyed a huge resurgence.

Hard to beat as a cut flower, dahlias grow from swollen tubers that should be planted in a sunny, well-drained garden bed in October. Some varieties grow tall and need staking. Others are small and suitable for pots.

There are many types of dahlias; spiky cactus, feathery, decorative (waterlily), ball, anemone, mignon, collarette and single. Dahlias love rich moist, well-drained soil. Dig in rotted cow or sheep manure before planting. Plant tubers 5-10cm deep and stake them, if required. Dahlias need at least six hours of sunshine to flower well. Don’t over-water as tubers will rot. In fact, don’t water at all until the tubers ‘shoot’. Keep them just moist once the leaves appear. A slow-release tomato fertiliser in early summer will promote good flowering. Sulphate of potash is also good for flowering. To purchase, visit: tesselaar.net.au, redearthbulbs.com, and vdqbulbs.com.au.

 

Cosmos

Hard to resist the charm of this divine cut flower. There are a few varieties that flower throughout summer and autumn. Best to sow cosmos from September to November in a full sun spot. Prepare the bed with compost or manure before you sow. Sow seeds 30cm apart to allow room for good development. You may need to thin your seedlings. Cosmos will grow to 1m. ‘Cupcake Blush’ has fused blush pink petals that look like a tiny teacup. ‘Kiiro’ is a Japanese variety with flowers in a mix of soft cream, rose, peach and lemon. Grows on sturdy stems to 1m. Both varieties are available from lambley.com.au.

 

Rudbeckia ‘Sahara’

Commonly called black or brown eyed susan, rudbeckias are available as annuals and perennials. Pots of these autumn-toned flowers usually arrive in your nursery in autumn. ‘Sahara’ is an annual variety of Rudbeckia hirta with flowers in a rusty mix of rich yellow, copper, orange, mahogany, brown and soft rose. Compact plants grow to 50cm. Sow seed in early spring, direct into the flower bed. Shallow sowing is best at 40cm intervals; germination takes 7-14 days. Water carefully with a fine spray. In 100 days, they will start flowering. Available from veggiegardenseeds.com.au