flwr:flower_growing

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flwr:flower_growing [2025/12/05 10:12] – created - external edit 127.0.0.1flwr:flower_growing [2026/03/26 18:33] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1
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-# Flower growing+This topic is part of [[gt:gardening|Gardening, smallholding & farming]]. 
 +====== Flower growing ======
  
  
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-## What is flower growing?+===== What is flower growing? =====
  
 This topic is about growing your own flowers to cut for the house, for gifts, or for family events, instead of buying them from florists, supermarkets or petrol stations. Historically, people didn't buy bunches of imported flowers. Until a generation or two ago, you either grew your own cut flowers, or bought them from a florist who sourced UK-grown flowers from a wholesaler or directly from Covent Garden flower market. Country people grew cottage garden flowers to brighten up their cottages, and grand people had teams of gardeners, hot-houses and walled gardens to produce stunning cut flowers for the Big House. This topic is about growing your own flowers to cut for the house, for gifts, or for family events, instead of buying them from florists, supermarkets or petrol stations. Historically, people didn't buy bunches of imported flowers. Until a generation or two ago, you either grew your own cut flowers, or bought them from a florist who sourced UK-grown flowers from a wholesaler or directly from Covent Garden flower market. Country people grew cottage garden flowers to brighten up their cottages, and grand people had teams of gardeners, hot-houses and walled gardens to produce stunning cut flowers for the Big House.
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 <caption> <caption>
-Lavender (back right), larkspur (middle left), and marigolds (foreground).+_Lavender (back right), larkspur (middle left), and marigolds (foreground)._
  
 </caption> </caption>
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-## What are the benefits of flower growing?+===== What are the benefits of flower growing? =====
  
-### Self-provisioning / personal+==== Self-provisioning / personal ====
  
 Gaining any craft or growing skills can help meet your and your family's needs, save you money and bring a lot of satisfaction and pleasure. If you really enjoy flower growing, this could evolve into a small business selling some of your home-grown flowers. Gaining any craft or growing skills can help meet your and your family's needs, save you money and bring a lot of satisfaction and pleasure. If you really enjoy flower growing, this could evolve into a small business selling some of your home-grown flowers.
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 <caption> <caption>
-Sweet peas are ideal flowers to grow for cutting.+_Sweet peas are ideal flowers to grow for cutting._
  
 </caption> </caption>
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 </WRAP> </WRAP>
  
-### Decentralising power away from corporations / building community+==== Decentralising power away from corporations / building community ====
  
 Providing things for ourselves in communities helps prevent extraction, decentralises power away from corporations (which makes it more difficult for them to corrupt democracy) and democratises work. Providing things for ourselves in communities helps prevent extraction, decentralises power away from corporations (which makes it more difficult for them to corrupt democracy) and democratises work.
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 Flower gardening improves local communities (people stop and talk to you if you garden in your front garden or on the pavement outside your house). Flower gardening improves local communities (people stop and talk to you if you garden in your front garden or on the pavement outside your house).
  
-### Environmental+==== Environmental ====
  
 Flower gardening attracts and supports wildlife, and of course growing your own flowers cuts out the pesticides and CO2 which emanate from the huge industry of chemical-drenched, intensively-grown flowers that are first air-freighted around the world then lorry-freighted around the country, often wrapped in excessive and non-biodegradable packaging. Flower gardening attracts and supports wildlife, and of course growing your own flowers cuts out the pesticides and CO2 which emanate from the huge industry of chemical-drenched, intensively-grown flowers that are first air-freighted around the world then lorry-freighted around the country, often wrapped in excessive and non-biodegradable packaging.
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 <caption> <caption>
-Growing cut flowers for beginners.+_Growing cut flowers for beginners._
  
 </caption> </caption>
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-## What can I do?+===== What can I do? =====
  
 If you're buying flowers, try to buy local (so seasonal) and sustainable, with as little (biodegradable) packaging as possible, and of course avoid floral foam. The [Sustainable Floristry Network](https://www.sustainablefloristry.org/) can help (see their directory). If you're buying flowers, try to buy local (so seasonal) and sustainable, with as little (biodegradable) packaging as possible, and of course avoid floral foam. The [Sustainable Floristry Network](https://www.sustainablefloristry.org/) can help (see their directory).
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 <figure> <figure>
  
-![These shaggy, flamboyant blooms are double sunflowers.](https://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/wp-content/uploads/sunflowers.jpg)+![_These shaggy, flamboyant blooms are double sunflowers._](https://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/wp-content/uploads/sunflowers.jpg)
  
 <caption> <caption>
-These shaggy, flamboyant blooms are double sunflowers.+_These shaggy, flamboyant blooms are double sunflowers._
  
 </caption> </caption>
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 <figure> <figure>
  
-![Cosmos (back right), salvia viridis (middle left), dahlias (left foreground) and antirrhinums (right foreground).](https://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/wp-content/uploads/dahlias.jpg)+![_Cosmos (back right), salvia viridis (middle left), dahlias (left foreground) and antirrhinums (right foreground)._](https://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/wp-content/uploads/dahlias.jpg)
  
 <caption> <caption>
-Cosmos (back right), salvia viridis (middle left), dahlias (left foreground) and antirrhinums (right foreground).+_Cosmos (back right), salvia viridis (middle left), dahlias (left foreground) and antirrhinums (right foreground)._
  
 </caption> </caption>
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 <caption> <caption>
-Home-grown organic flowers make beautiful bouquets for weddings and special occasions.+_Home-grown organic flowers make beautiful bouquets for weddings and special occasions._
  
 </caption> </caption>
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 </figure> </figure>
 </WRAP> </WRAP>
 +==== What equipment or tools will I need? ====
  
-### What equipment or tools will I need? +Equipment-wise, there's very little you really need for flower growing other than a selection of pots, seed trays, a hand fork and trowel, and some secateurs (or strong sharp scissors) for cutting blooms. A garden spade and garden fork will be handy if you have more ground (opt for the slightly smaller versions called 'border forks' and 'border spades'). A hoe is almost essential if you're growing your flowers in rows in the ground - hoeing regularly between the rows keeps weeds from becoming a problem. A window sill and a couple of plastic propagators (seed trays with tall plastic covers) are all you really need for starting seedlings, but a coldframe or small outdoor [greenhouse](/grho/greenhouses) will be very useful if you have space for them.
- +
-Equipment-wise, there's very little you really need for flower growing other than a selection of pots, seed trays, a hand fork and trowel, and some secateurs (or strong sharp scissors) for cutting blooms. A garden spade and garden fork will be handy if you have more ground (opt for the slightly smaller versions called 'border forks' and 'border spades'). A hoe is almost essential if you're growing your flowers in rows in the ground - hoeing regularly between the rows keeps weeds from becoming a problem. A window sill and a couple of plastic propagators (seed trays with tall plastic covers) are all you really need for starting seedlings, but a coldframe or small outdoor [greenhouse](/grho/greenhouses-polytunnels) will be very useful if you have space for them.+
  
 <WRAP center centeralign> <WRAP center centeralign>
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 <caption> <caption>
-Growing flowers and food together - cottage garden style.+_Growing flowers and food together - cottage garden style._
  
 </caption> </caption>
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 </WRAP> </WRAP>
  
-### What difficulties might I face?+==== What difficulties might I face? ====
  
 Just growing some flowers to cut for yourself and friends is moderately easy. Flower growing only gets more difficult if you're having to plan and prepare for a particular event - for example growing the flowers for a family wedding. That takes more experience in planning what will be in bloom at a particular time, and what to grow in reserve in case the season turns out unusually late or early. Just growing some flowers to cut for yourself and friends is moderately easy. Flower growing only gets more difficult if you're having to plan and prepare for a particular event - for example growing the flowers for a family wedding. That takes more experience in planning what will be in bloom at a particular time, and what to grow in reserve in case the season turns out unusually late or early.
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 <caption> <caption>
-Anemones (back) and grape hyacinth (foreground).+_Anemones (back) and grape hyacinth (foreground)._
  
 </caption> </caption>
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 </WRAP> </WRAP>
  
-### How much time will I need?+==== How much time will I need? ====
  
 Apart from a little time spent cutting blooms every day in late spring, summer and early autumn, you'll probably find that flower growing mainly needs some concentrated periods of time in spring and autumn when you're sowing seeds, potting on seedlings, and planting out young plants. If you get really hooked on gardening, of course, it will soon take up every available waking hour - it's very addictive. Apart from a little time spent cutting blooms every day in late spring, summer and early autumn, you'll probably find that flower growing mainly needs some concentrated periods of time in spring and autumn when you're sowing seeds, potting on seedlings, and planting out young plants. If you get really hooked on gardening, of course, it will soon take up every available waking hour - it's very addictive.
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-## Further resources+===== Forum ===== 
 + 
 +This topic belongs to the section [[gt:gardening|Gardening, smallholding & farming]]. You can ask questions or add information on the corresponding [Forum section](https://forum.growingthecommons.org/t/gardening). 
 + 
 +===== Further resources =====
  
 - [Flower Gardening Guide (pdf)](https://www.kellogggarden.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Monthly-Flower-Gardening-Guide.pdf) - month-by-month guide - [Flower Gardening Guide (pdf)](https://www.kellogggarden.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Monthly-Flower-Gardening-Guide.pdf) - month-by-month guide
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-## Specialist(s)+ 
 +===== Related topics ===== 
 + 
 +- [Beekeeping](bees:beekeeping) 
 +- [Soil management](soil:soil) 
 +- [Urban / small space gardening](urbs:small-space_gardening) 
 +- [Vegetable growing](vegg:vegetable_growing) 
 +- [Greenhouses & polytunnels](grho:greenhouses) 
 +- [Natural pest & weed control](ntpw:natural_pest_and_weed_control) 
 +- [Composting](cpst:composting) 
 +- [Herbs](herb:herbs) 
 +- [Wildlife gardening](wiga:wildlife_gardening) 
 +- [Smallholding](smho:smallholding) 
 + 
 + 
 +===== Specialist curators of this topic =====
  
  
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  • Last modified: 2025/12/05 10:12
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