Honesty
Lunaria annua
Silvery rounds of seedheads are beautiful in winter.
Honeysuckle
Lonicera spp.
Too much flowering honeysuckle in arrangements indoors can make the scent overpowering.
Hornbeam
Carpinus betulus
Hosta
Hosta spp.
Hyacinth
Hyacinthus orientalis
Hydrangea
Hydrangea spp.
The more mature flowers are less prone to wilting. (Paniculate hydrangea is Hydrangea paniculata.)
Icelandic poppy
Papaver nudicaule
Arctic poppy
Iris (bearded)
Iris germanica
Iris (Dutch)
Iris x hollandica
Ivy
Fatshedera lizei
Tree ivy
Jacob’s ladder
Polemonium spp.
Lovely delicate spikes of unusual flowers.
Japanese anemone
Anemone hupehensis / Anemone x hybrida
Jasmine
Jasminium officinale; Jasminium polyanthum
J. officinale (common jasmine) is deciduous; J. polyanthum (many-flowered jasmine) is evergreen.
Knapweed
Centaurea nigra
Common knapweed; hardheads
Lamb’s ears
Stachys byzantina
Larkspur
Consolida spp.
Poisonous: don’t use to decorate cakes.
Laurel
Prunus laurocerasus
Cherry laurel
Good as a base for large pedestals or garlanding. Tough as old boots.
Lavender
Lavandula spp.
Very calming scent in bouquets and buttonholes – good for nervous brides and grooms.
Lilac
Syringa vulgaris
Some people think lilac bad luck to bring into the house; I say absolve it and use it for the glorious scent!
Loosestrife ‘Firecracker’
Lysimachia ciliata ‘Firecracker’
We grow this for its foliage.
Lungwort
Pulmonaria spp.
Use in water-based arrangements in late winter. Can be wilty but will recover in water.
Maple
Acer spp.
Meadow cranesbill
Geranium pratense
Very hard to condition. I would use garden cultivars instead.
Mint
Mentha spp.
Edible.
Monkshood
Aconitum napellus
Very poisonous. If you must cut it, wear gloves. And never use to decorate a cake.
Myrtle
Myrtus communis
Common myrtle
Emblematic of marriage.
Narcissus
Narcissus spp.
Nerine lily
Nerine bowdenii
Bowden Cornish lily
Nettle
Urtica dioica
Stinging nettle
Use to make a plant-feeding tea.
Nigella
Nigella damascena
Love-in-a-mist
Seedheads as well as flowers useful in floristry. (Nigella damascena is the classic love-in-a-mist. Also try N. papillosa, with its distinctive foliage.)
Oak
Quercus spp.
Old man’s beard
Clematis vitalba
Traveller’s joy
Sprayed with hairspray, this won’t shed if used dry in winter wedding schemes.
Orlaya
Orlaya grandiflora
White laceflower
Ornithogalum
Ornithogalum spp.
Star of Bethlehem
Ox-eye daisy
Leucanthemum vulgare
This is the wild field daisy.
Paperwhite narcissus
Narcissus papyraceus
‘Paperwhite narcissus’ is also used loosely to mean any of the small, many-headed, highly scented narcissi commonly forced for winter.
Parsley
Petroselinum crispum
Edible.
Pear
Pyrus spp.
Wire fruit to branches to prevent them falling if using in autumn floristry.
Penstemon
Penstemon spp.
Peony
Paeonia spp.
Persicaria
Persicaria spp.
Philadelphus
Philadelphus spp.
Mock orange
Classic rich, orangey scent, wonderful in floristry. Cuts well.
Phlox
Phlox drummondii
Physocarpus
Physocarpus opulifolius
Ninebark
Pines
Pinus spp.
Many different pines are useful in floristry for greenery. You can also use the pine cones.
Pineapple mint
Mentha suaveolens ‘Variegata’
Edible.
Pink
Dianthus spp.
Delicious clovey scent, reminiscent of gardens past.
Pittosporum
Pittosporum tenuifolium
Pot marigold
Calendula officinalis
Calendula
Look for unusual colours to grow. Edible petals.
Ranunculus
Ranunculus asiaticus
Persian buttercup
Red campion
Silene dioica (syn. Melandrium rubrum)
Adder’s flower
Red valerian
Centranthus ruber
A good wildflower. Some dislike the smell, but I’ve never noticed it. (The white variety is still called ‘red valerian’).
Rose
Rosa spp.
Edible petals and hips.
Rosemary
Rosemarinus officinalis
Use in bouquets and buttonholes to signify remembrance of loved ones no longer with us. Edible.
Rudbeckia
Rudbeckia spp.
Black-eyed Susan
Stands up well in buttonholes or flower crowns. (‘Black-eyed Susan’ is Rudbeckia hirta.)
Scabious
Scabiosa spp.
Scarlet oak
Quercus coccinea
Schizostylis
Hesperantha coccinea
Crimson flag lily
Sea holly
Eryngium spp.
Useful also dried in winter arrangements.
Sedum
Sedum spp.
Stonecrop
Smoke tree
Cotinus coggygria
Can be difficult to condition. Use in water-based, rather than flower-foam-based arrangements.
Snake’s head fritillary
Fritillaria meleagris
Chequered daffodil
Pull rather than cut for longer stems.
Snowball bush
Viburnum opulus ‘Roseum’
Snowdrop
Galanthus nivalis
This is the UK native snowdrop. Pull rather than cut for longer stems.
Sorrel
Rumex acetosa
Common sorrel
Edible leaves early in the season.
Spindle
Euonymus europaeus
Gorgeous pink-and-orange berries for winter weddings.
Spiraea
Spiraea spp.
Statice
Limonium spp.
Lovely frothy points in bouquets.
Strawberry (wild)
Fragaria vesca
Edible.
Sun spurge
Euphorbia helioscopia
As with all euphorbias, beware of the caustic sap, which can irritate skin.
Sunflower
Helianthus annuus
Sweet box
Sarcococca spp.
Christmas box
Beautifully scented winter flowers.
Sweet gum
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Sweet pea
Lathyrus odoratus
Sweet rocket
Hesperis matronalis
Dame’s violet
Sweet William
Dianthus barbatus
Can also be used for spring foliage.
Tellima
Tellima grandiflora
Fringe cups
Thyme
Thymus spp.
Edible.
Tulip
Tulipa spp.
Viburnum
Viburnum spp.
Wallflower
Erysimum spp.
Wayfaring tree
Viburnum lantana
White deadnettle
Lamium album
I love the sharp green scent of this when cut.
Wild carrot
Daucus carota
Queen Anne’s lace
An easy wildflower to grow successionally through summer.
Willow
Salix spp.
Winter-flowering honeysuckle
Lonicera fragrantissima
Zinnia
Zinnia spp.
APPENDIX 2: SEASON PLANNER
Use this appendix as a checker as to what’s in season for your wedding, and what will suit your growing conditions. It is not a definitive list, but is intended to inspire you to do further research into what you might grow.
* Unless specified otherwise, all plants will do best in well-fed, relatively neutral soil.
RESOURCES
The resources listed below are UK-based. For readers in North America, a separate list is provided further down.
UK resources
Seeds and bulbs
Don’t buy seeds or bulbs from garden centres; buy direct from suppliers. The seeds/bulbs will be fresher, and will have been kept in better conditions than the generally rather hot, bright situation that is a garden centre. And remember, when choosing, to keep yourself to perhaps five or seven types of flower: ones you can grow a lot of. While it’s wonderful to have many different flowers to cut from a garden, you’ll need a bit of the same for each arrangement, to give your wedding flowers a consistent look. The following are a few of my favourite suppliers.
Seeds
Chiltern Seeds
Crowmarsh Battle Barns,
114 Preston Crowmarsh,
Wallingford OX10 6SL www.chilternseeds.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1491 824675
A really comprehensive seed list, especially good for those who are perhaps looking for more unusual flowers. A new grower might find the list too much, but for an experienced gardener, a few hours spent trawling this Aladdin’s Cave is a treat.
Easton Walled Gardens
Easton, Grantham,
Lincs NG33 5AP
www.eastonwalledgardens.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1476 530063
Ursula Cholmeley sells the seed she saves from the 90-something varieties of sweet peas she grows in the ‘Pickery’ at Easton. This is a great garden to visit if you’d like to be inspired by plants grown especially for cutting.
Emorsgate Seeds
Limes Farm, Tilney All Saints,
King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE34 4RT
www.wildseed.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1553 829028
A good supplier of wildflower seed, Emorsgate will tell you which part of the UK the seed comes from if you’re really concerned to keep strictly local.
Higgledy Garden
http://higgledygarden.com
Benjamin Ranyard has a great website, filled with easy-to-follow growing tips for new growers. His seed is good quality, the germination rate excellent, and for annuals and biennials he has a good list. (There’s no telephone number – all orders online.)
Kings Seeds
Monks Farm, Coggeshall Road,
Kelvedon, Colchester, Essex CO5 9PG
www.kingsseeds.com
Tel: +44 (0)1376 570000
For sweet peas especially – they have a huge variety.
Pepperpot Nursery
www.pepperpotherbplants.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1483 424614
Email: [email protected]
A very good mail-order herb supplier with an excellent choice of small plants and seedlings. (Contact by phone or email only – nursery not open to the public.)
Tamar Organics
Cartha Martha Farm, Rezare,
Launceston, Cornwall PL15 9NX
www.tamarorganics.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1579 371098
It’s difficult to find organic seed for cut flowers, but Tamar Organics have a good, if not enormous, selection.
Bulbs
Avon Bulbs
Burnt House Farm, Mid Lambrook,
South Petherton, Somerset TA13 5HE
www.avonbulbs.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1460 242177
For top-quality bulbs and wonderful, interesting variety. Constantly wins gold medals at RHS shows year on year, for good reason.
Fentongollan Farm
St Michael Penkivel,
Truro, Cornwall TR2 4AQ
www.flowerfarm.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1872 520209
An old English family firm specializing in bulb supplies.
Peter Nyssen Flower Bulbs & Plants
124 Flixton Road, Urmston,
Manchester M41 5BG
www.peternyssen.com
Tel: +44 (0)161 747 4000
Peter Nyssen have given me the best customer service I’ve ever had ever, anywhere.
Roses
The two suppliers listed here are the best known in the UK, but do check too with your local nursery, who may not only have a very good stock but also be a source of useful advice. If you are going to plant roses specially for a wedding, then the best time to put them in is the winter before, bare-root, and they should flower in time (so long as your wedding date is at a rose-flowering time of year). Do check that you’re buying repeat-flowering roses, as the one-time-only-pony rose, while always spectacular, cannot be expected to be at its best for you at the exact time when you need the flowers.
David Austin Roses
Bowling Green Lane, Albrighton,
Wolverhampton WV7 3HB
www.davidaustinroses.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1902 376300
Peter Beales Roses
London Road, Attleborough,
Norwich, Norfolk NR17 1AY
www.classicroses.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1953 454707
Dahlias
Order dahlia tubers well in advance to be sure of getting the varieties you want. Dahlias should flower well, especially if they’re fed regularly, in their first year, but if they are first-season growers don’t expect more than three or four in perfect condition from each plant for your big day. Count how many dahlias you need for your scheme, then you can work out how many plants.
Do remember that one dahlia can go a long way in a bouquet or posy, and you may only need one per table centre for good effect. The bigger the dahlia heads, the fewer you’ll have flowering on a plant at a time, so if, say, you want a scheme made up largely of the huge-headed ‘Café au Lait’ dahlia, then you’ll need more plants than if you’d like something smaller (but still impressive), like one of the Karma series waterlily-style dahlias.
The National Dahlia Collection
Varfell Farm, Long Rock,
Penzance, Cornwall TR20 8AQ
www.national-dahlia-collection.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)7879 337714
Withypitts Dahlias
Turners Hill, West Sussex RH10 4SF
www.withypitts-dahlias.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1342 714106
Chrysanthemums
Chrysanthemums Direct
Holmes Chapel Road, Over Peover,
Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 9RA
www.chrysanthemumsdirect.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)800 046 7443
A good selection, which can be ordered as plantlets to be delivered in
spring for potting up and flowering later in the year.
Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas are another stalwart of the wedding flowers garden that you might consider if you are planting for the future. Order them bare-root from Loders:
Loder Plants
Market Garden, Lower Beeding,
Horsham, West Sussex RH13 6PP
www.loder-plants.co.uk
Grow your own Wedding Flowers Page 16