ORGANIC FLWES
organicgardener.com.au^55
Selectedsuppliers
Seed:australianseed.com;diggers.com.au;
edenseeds.com.au;greenharvest.com.au;
lambley.com.au;rpseeds.com.au
Plants:frogmoregardens.com.auLentilPurbrickis theco-authorof Grown &
Gathered, andTheVillage. Sheloves food gardening
butshealsoenjoysgrowingandselling cut fl owers.DAHLIAS:Atrulybeautifulflower
tohaveinyourgardenthatperforms
amazinglyasacutflower,too,andcomes
insomanyshapes,sizesandcolours.
SCABIOSAS(pincushion):Remindmeof
Mediterraneanhillsides.Hardy,tolerate
dryconditions.Beautifulcutflowers.
FENNEL:Smellamazing,cutstemswhen
theflowerhasfullyformed(canbeweedy).
FORGET-ME-NOTS:Asuper-easy
flowertogrow,littleblueflowerswith
shortstems(canbeweedy).
YARROW:Thewhiteandpastelvarieties
areafavourite.
RUDBECKIA:Asuperlowmaintenance
decorativegardenflower.
SNAPDRAGONS:Abigfavouriteinour
house,tallvarietiesarebest.
PHLOX:Alow-maintenancegarden
flower,goodforpots.
COREOPSIS: Tolerates most soils
and semi-shade.Chrysant emu
(Chrysanthemum species and hybrids)
These plants are perennial, so can be grown from
cuttings, seeds or plant division. Once established, they
can be simply left in the same position to grow again
and again with each new season. There are hundreds
of varieties of chrysanthemums, which are divided into
13 classes, used to defi ne their shapes and sizes.Growing notes
Chrysanthemums must be grown in nutrient-rich,
well-drained soils. You can buy seed or as plants at your
local nursery. They are prone to mildew if they become
water-logged or weak, so raised beds are a good option.
Spring is the ideal planting time, allowing their roots
to become established (six plus weeks) before the peak of
summer. If planting from seed, it’s best to start seedlings
indoors in late winter. In spring, though, it is better to
plant from rootstocks or as small plants.
When mature, pinch leaf tips to encourage bushiness
and more blooms, and deadhead for continuous
blooming.Whenthefloweringseason has ended, but
beforetheoldstemshavebecome too hardened, cut
theplantsbacktoneartheirbase, feed with compost/
manureandmulcharoundeachplant. This will
ensurea healthystartthefollowing spring.Ascutflowers
Amazingcutflowersthataresuper hardy and long-
lastingina vase.Pinchouttoprovide bushier growth or
theymaybecometootallandspindly. Also, provide some
horizontalmeshtrellisingforstrength and support.favourites
Irregularincurvevarietiesarethe most beautiful with
giantblooms,ofteninpasteltones,withpetalsthatfoldinto
thecentre.Try‘Shogun’–abeautifulmauve/pinkflower.
Moreeasilyavailablefromseedis the beautiful ‘Rainbow
Mix’.Other^ favouis
Left: Chrysanthemum ‘Rainbow Mix’.Left: From garden to
home – beautiful!PHOTO: GAP.