Rows versus drifts
Existing borders can be adapted by simply planting larger
groupings of the main cutting plants to allow for losses.
For the serious cut flower gardener though, rows are a must. This makes weeding between direct sowings, staking and picking so much easier. Take the final spread of plants into account and allow access between the rows otherwise plants will fall into each other and can be damaged at harvest.
Site considerations
Cut flowers need a fertile, weed-free soil. Annual applications of organic matter especially to sandy and clay soils help retain moisture and improve soil structure. In dry summers watering may be necessary to achieve good stem length so site the bed near to a water source. Most cut flowers are sun lovers but a few shade tolerant plants (e.g. Solomon's seal, Acanthus spinosus and Heuchera) make interesting cut flowers. Windy sites are best avoided as staking will be essential for the taller flowers.
Seed or plants
Place orders as soon as possible to ensure you receive the plants you want. Keep a note of which seeds or plants you buy and hold onto the catalogue so that any particularly successes can be repeated the following year.
Growing cut flowers from seed can be very rewarding and is essential for cut flower annuals such as sunflowers, Cosmos, Calendula, cornflower, larkspur and love-in-a-mist. However, many herbaceous perennials are excellent cut flowers and will often be ready for cutting in their first year if bought as a plant.
Occasionally early sown perennials will flower in the first year from seed, such as with Achillea millefolium 'Summer Pastels', Agastache, Echinacaea and Delphinium, so seed raised plants may be a cheaper option without necessarily loosing out on picking time.
Extending the season of picking
Although annuals, biennials and perennials will form the mainstay of the cut flower border, the season can be extended by planting spring-flowering bulbs including tulips, hyacinths and daffodils, and early-flowering shrubs such as Chaenomeles, Forsythia and Camellia.
Bulbs used for cutting should be allowed to rest for a year between picking or simply discarded and new stock bought each year. Shrubs need to be allowed to establish and settle into flowering before cutting. If cut too hard they may flower poorly the following season.
Colours, textures and forms
Colour mixes in one type of plant can be tricky to use in arrangements. The exception is sweet pea where they are usually best arranged on their own and the mix of colours is pleasing, not confusing.
Choose flowers to give a rainbow of colours for picking but don't forget plants for foliage or those in the green range. For some winners try Bupleurum rotundifolium, Euphorbia polychroma (be careful of the sap when cutting as it is an irritant) and Alchemilla mollis. Select plants with different forms and textures.
Filler plants such as Achillea and Gypsophila are good for nestling between more solid heads such as cup-shaped tulips, saucer-shaped Rudbeckia or the erect spires of Antirrhinum.