Bounty Hunter

Lisa Barrett

@wildly_sown @wildlysown_studio

It is said that flowers are music from the ground, the way the earth

laughs, and inspirational in their growth out of dark places. They are joy held, love shared and words when there are none. They are the ultimate reward for months of tending, they’re food for pollinators and they mark the change in seasons. Growing your own flowers is rewarding, adding beauty to any space and making useful additions to vegetable gardens. With our warm and sunny climate, we are spoilt for choice, so read on for a summer flower-by-needs guide.

BEST FOR BEGINNERS

If you’re starting out with growing flowers from seed then zinnia’s, sunflowers, California poppies, and marigolds are your friends, germinating easily and delivering bright colours to your garden.

FLOWERS FOR SHARING

There are some good summer flowers that are perfect for cutting, due to their long-lasting ability, both in a vase and in their seemingly endless production of blooms throughout summer and autumn even with frequent picking - in fact, the more you pick, the more they'll produce. These include cheerful zinnias, cosmos, calendula and dahlias with all their majestic colours and forms. Other great cutting flowers for summer are snapdragons and scabiosa.

DOING IT FOR THE BEES

Attract bees to your garden with perennials such as indigenous jasmine, ribbon bush, agapanthus, cape honeysuckle, Scabiosa africana and Euryops daisy. For a bee and butterfly haven and a textural feast add the round forms of cornflower, rudbekia, echinacea, marigolds, zinnia and nigella for ethereal beauty, towering sunflowers, spires of foxglove, and scented frothy clumps of phlox. Butterflies love flowers with a flat landing pad with easy-to-reach nectar, while bees find flowers through scent.

FOR THE EDIBLE GARDEN

Flowers make good companion plants for food gardens as they attract pollinators, help keep insect populations in balance and increase the biodiversity of insect life and soil organisms. Open-centered flowers such as cornflowers and sunflowers will bring the bees needed to pollinate the flowers of fruits and vegetables. Lace and sunflowers are great for attracting beneficial insects, and marigolds help keep aphid populations in check. Plant dahlias alongside your nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant) and cucurbits (cucumber, squash) to help protect them from harmful nematodes in the soil. Edible flowers have garnishing talents that can elevate your humble baking and salads to chef-like levels. Painterly summer flowers for both palate and plate include violas, pansy, dahlias, zinnias, borage, roses, cornflower, stock, dianthus and nasturtium.

"It is said that flowers are music from the ground, the way the earth laughs, and inspirational in their growth out of dark places."

FOR THE SELF-SUSTAINABLE GROWER

California poppies, cornflower, cosmos and violas readily pop up as volunteers from last season’s blooms, creating a garden that designs itself. Calendula, nasturtium, cosmos, marigold and cornflower are satisfying to collect seeds from; heirloom varieties are the best for this purpose. Bearded iris and dahlias multiply underground and can be lifted and divided in winter to multiply your stock.

For the best water-wise flower options go indigenous with agapanthus, gaura, African daisies, clivia, tulbachia and pelargonium (geranium). Yarrow, penstemon, zinnia, California poppy and bearded iris are other non-indigenous options that are drought and heat tolerant. Grow calendula, lavender, bulbinella and chamomile for your medicine cupboard and use them for sting-relieving salves and comforting teas.

HELPFUL TIPS FOR GROWING BEAUTIFUL BLOOMS:

Most flowers prefer well-draining soil that is rich in organic matter, in a spot that receives 6-8 hours of sunlight. Amending your soil with compost before you plant, as well as mulching with compost during the season will improve soil health and help regulate soil temperatures and retain soil moisture, as well as keep weed seeds from germinating. Check planting instructions for each variety, some seeds need coaxing to wake up and may need light or dark conditions, or even a period of cold stratification to germinate. Some more fussy seeds do better starting off in trays while others’ roots don’t transplant well and are better directly sown. Watering in the early morning or with drip irrigation will help prevent fungal diseases caused by high humidity or leaves being wet for too long. The soil around plant roots is alive with a network of soil microbes which form a source of nutrients and support for the plant, so avoid chemical pesticides and fungicides which destroy life below and above the soil. Fertilise with an organic fertiliser that builds a healthy soil, adding compost each season. Keep your flowers healthy by deadheading spent blooms or picking them regularly. Keep a look out for insect populations that are getting a little too comfortable and bin any diseased leaves.

If your flowers are heading for the vase pick them in the coolest period of the day using clean scissors and put them straight into water. Flowers enjoy being left to drink water through their stems in a cool spot for a few hours before being arranged or pressed into someone’s arms for a flower hug.

Lisa @wildly_sown grows organic flowers for market bunches and flower subscriptions in her garden using regenerative farming principles. Looking to source rare flower seeds and locally grown fresh flowers, contact @hortcoutureflowercollective on Instagram.