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Birch Farm Journal
Sowing and Growing Snapdragons (Antirrhinums)
Snapdragons, or antirrhinums, are one of those flowers that really reward patience. They take their time to get going, but once they do, they give weeks of colour and wonderful, long stems for cutting. For us, they’re an essential early-summer flower, bridging the gap between spring and the height of the cutting season. This is how I sow and grow snapdragons here, along with a few lessons learned along the way. Why sow snapdragons early Snapdragons are half-hardy annuals and
Elizabeth
Jan 143 min read
Growing Sweet Peas for Cutting: The Best Varieties for Scent and Long Stems
Growing Sweet Peas for Fragrance and Cutting Sweet peas are one of those nostalgic flowers that feel woven into early summer itself. Their ruffled petals, climbing stems and unmistakable scent make them a favourite for cutting gardens, and once you’ve grown them, it’s hard to imagine a year without them. For me, sweet peas are all about scent and abundance. They are flowers you grow to cut, armfuls at a time, bringing the perfume of the garden indoors and sharing it generousl
Elizabeth
Jan 134 min read
How to Grow and Care for Cut Flowers: Feeding, Supporting, and Drying Tips
Sweet pea Caring for Your Flowers: Growing, Supporting, and Preserving There’s something incredibly rewarding about growing your own flowers, whether for a cutting garden, a flower farm, or simply to brighten up your space. To get the best from your blooms, it’s important to provide them with the right nutrients, support, and care throughout the growing season. In this guide, we’ll cover essential tips on feeding your plants, direct sowing, supporting flowers, saving seeds, d
Elizabeth
Feb 28, 20255 min read
Seedling Care for Annual Cut Flowers: Potting On, Hardening Off, and Planting Out
Home grown flower bouquet Nurturing annual plants for cut flowers from seedling to bloom is a rewarding journey. Understanding the processes of potting on, hardening off, and planting out is essential for cultivating healthy blooms. Potting On: Giving Seedlings Room to Grow As your seedlings develop true leaves—the ones following the initial pair—they often outgrow their starting containers. Potting on involves transferring these young plants into larger pots with fresh compo
Elizabeth
Feb 14, 20252 min read
Tips and tricks for growing cut flowers from seed.
Sowing into seed trays Where to grow your flowers. In this article we will cover everything you need to know to successfully grow cut flowers from seed. You do not need a huge garden to grow your own flowers for cutting. A flower bed of 1m x 3m will give you a generous return, you can even grow in pots and containers. If you choose to grow a good selection of “cut and come again” annuals they will reward you with flowers all summer long. More important than the space you have
Elizabeth
Feb 8, 20257 min read
How to Grow Ranunculus: A Guide to how we grow them at Birch Farm
Picotee Cafe au Lait from Parkers ready to open Ranunculus, with their layers of delicate, rose-like petals and vibrant colors, are a favourite among gardeners and florists alike. These elegant, perennial flowers may look complicated, but with a little care and planning, they can be grown successfully. Not only are these flowers incredibly beautiful, they are early bloomers, a very welcome arrival in Spring. This is our third year growing Ranunculus, so we thought we would sh
Elizabeth
Jan 6, 20255 min read
Birch Farm Top Ten Annuals To Grow As Cut Flowers
Here at Birch Farm we grow over 25 varieties of annuals each year. We have pulled together our top ten, to create a lovely cut flower collection that benefits from being easy to germinate and grow and will provide flowers from June until the first frosts. It also contains a good mix of shapes, textures, forms and scent, as well as some nice varieties for drying (statice, helichrysum, amaranthus). If you would like to find out more about how to grow your own flowers for cuttin
Elizabeth
Mar 14, 20247 min read
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