RHS The Little Book of Cut-Flower Gardening

Book excerpt: Flowers brighten our homes, our lives and, when they are homegrown, they also brighten our gardens - not just for us, but also for the buzzing wildlife that loves their nectar. Growing your own flowers gives the huge satisfaction of harvesting something from a plant you have nurtured, and brings a greater connection with nature and the seasons. It also allows you to have a house full of flowers at a fraction of the cost of buying them, all with a sustainable, positive environmental impact. RHS The Little Book of Cut-Flower Gardening is the perfect introduction to growing your own blooms. Whether your cut-flower patch is a handful of pots or half an allotment, you'll find accessible information on successful and sustainable growing, to keep your plot healthy and as productive as possible. As well as introductory chapters on planning and gardening basics, there are details on how to cut your flowers and extend their vase life, and how to dry flowers for everlasting arrangements. More than just flowers, the directories break down the blooms and foliage into their different groups. There are sections on annuals from seed, such as love-in-a-mist, zinnias and sweet peas; growing bulbs and tubers such as tulips and dahlias; perennials for flower and foliage, such as lady's mantle, lavender, roses, apple mint and ornamental grasses; and shrubs and trees for foliage, flower, spring blossom and colourful winter stems.