It's been an interesting year so far for my flower patch. Back in winter I carefully selected the seeds I wanted to grow with lots of useful information from both my favourite Cutting Patch book and sarahraven.com. It was exciting to get inspired and visualise the year ahead, having to restrain myself from massively over ordering. As last year's experience highlighted, not all flowers can be cut but then for daily joy looking out of the window, not all need to be cut. The marigolds in pots were one of my favourite sights so they were always going to feature. Also, in the sunshine the mesembrythemum were incredible, so were making a return. In fact most things get a second go this year except a few. All but the smallest of plants are now outside and growing strongly; if not growing upward then certainly thickening up. It's incredible how fast the change can happen. In the space of a week so much can happen.





What made the prime flower patch?
Zinnias - LOVE THESE SO MUCH. My first year with them last year and I fell head over heels for the striking colours and fascinating detail.
Cornflowers - blue and mixed. The slugs knobbled all of these last time so I am desperate to have some flowers. The plants are looking ready to flowers soon!
Larkspur - I haven't even seen one up close in real life, except maybe last year's wild patch. I'm intrigued by them.
Same goes with Nigella - These are proving rather tough to grow. I sowed direct and tried to keep them watered but there aren't many little plants on the nigella square. Come on guys! (Typically a rogue one is growing on the orchard plot which I am graciously tending even though nature is showing me up with it's awesome display)
Iceland poppies - DARN IT. They are not co-operating. Attempts to grow seeds in the greenhouse have been wholly unsuccessful with a total of 2 being planted outside, both no more than 2 inches tall. Seeds also sown directly. Nothing to show. In future I will either grow from plugs or not at all. Boo.
Cosmos - Again, not really seen these up close personally. I have 'daydream' variety I think. Very much looking forward to these.
Rudbeckia - marmalade, orange variety. I've not seen these either but I do love oranges.
Stocks - 10 weeks mixed. I suspect the 10 weeks is perhaps more of a guide than a promise. It's another flower I've never owned.
Scabious - Mixed colours. These are showing small signs of growth but are nowhere near as big as I assumed they would be by now. I've seen wild ones.
Didiscus - blue lace flower. Another I've not seen but the pictures look so delicate.
Gypsophelia covent garden - Perhaps the only disappointment so far. The plants are not yet ready for cutting and look a little flimsy. Maybe they'll shape up?

There has been so much overspill that the orchard plot has now been filled as has the garden. And pots. And I've offloaded a few onto family too. But overall, numbers were judged pretty well.
In the orchard along the back we have surpluses plus the sweet william and honesty biennials and euphorbia oblongata. Since I discovered just how nasty the sap is I've been put off it a bit! Around the allotment I have about 15 sunflower plants (huge). Some of last year's giant yellow and some red 'evening sun' which should be a spectacle.
The sweetpeas I planted last year to grow over the metal arch are absolutely enormous. There are only 4 plants but they are so thick, hard to believe! We could be in for a bumper lot of flowers.







There are lots of gladioli and lilies growing, irises, anenome, honeywort, alliums... The snowdrops, muscari, daffodils and tulips have all gone now. We have infills of lineria and a cow-parsley look alike of which the name escapes me. It's brim full of growth.
In the garden there are more surpluses plus some verbena borensis and then dahlias and chrysanthemums in pots. More posts with herbs and dwarf fruit trees...



A red peony in a pot too.
I think that's it.
I think I've caught the flower growing bug. Send help and/or vases.
Sophie