The Floral Dream
Olivia McCord, author of this beautiful new book, The Floral Dream, uses organic practices in her flower growing.
“My initial introduction to growing was through kiwifruit. We established a kiwifruit orchard from scratch, and it is now a fully certified organic orchard.”
This gorgeous book is bursting with colour and inspiration, as well as being a practical, comprehensive guide to growing cut flowers.
The following is extracted with permission from The Floral Dream: A Guide to Growing Cut Flowers in New Zealand by Olivia McCord (Potton & Burton) $49.99 RRP
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Sourcing plants
There are numerous ways that you can start your dream cutting garden, and it will be dictated by the way you source your plants. What will ultimately determine the way you source your plants will be your scale of operation. If you are a small home gardener it is feasible to spend a little more on a seedling as you will be planting fewer as opposed to a small scale flower farmer who will require multiple seedlings of each variety.
The key is to plan what you want to grow so you can ensure you are sourcing your plants at the right time they are available. For example dahlias, a hugely popular item, will go on pre-sale in winter when you need to secure them to ensure you don’t miss out on the varieties you were after come summer time.
Growing from seed
When I first started growing flowers I was incredibly daunted by growing from seed and believed that it was for very experienced growers only. Fast forward a few years and I now own a cut flower seed business, so it is safe to say I became a quick convert to growing from seed.
The reason I love growing from seed is the large selection of plants available (a lot of garden stores do not offer a decent cut flower range) and the inexpensive cost. The trick to growing from seeds if you are starting out is to choose annuals (perennials can be fussier) and follow the basic guidelines laid out later in this book.
You do not require fancy equipment or a greenhouse to get a range of seeds germinating.
Above: Olivia McCord
Growing from plugs
This is generally reserved for small scale flower farmers. Plugs are small seedlings of a particular variety grown in large trays. There are a number of nurseries (like Gray Floral listed in the appendix) around the country that will wholesale trays of plugs to growers. However, there are minimum quantities so this option is not feasible for home growers
Seedlings
Seedlings are fantastic as a quick way to get started as someone has done the initial work for you. They are more expensive but if you are growing a handful of plants this expense is relatively small. Just ensure you are mindful about selecting the right variety. A lot of local gardening stores sell plants in their potted colour section for pots. Therefore if you are choosing a zinnia for example you might be selecting a dwarf bedding variety that will not grow an appropriate stem for a cut flower.
There are a number of nurseries around the country starting to offer cut flower seedlings which have been noted in the back of the book.
Bulbs, tubers and corms
Bulbs, tubers and corms are a fantastic way to grow cut flowers as they are often reliable bloomers. The key is to work out what you want to plant in advance, as most spring flowering bulbs are on sale late autumn, and summer flowering bulbs are selling in winter. More information is detailed on how to grow these later in this chapter.
Cuttings and sharing
A fabulous way to grow your garden is through cuttings and sharing plants with other gardeners. I myself have taken cuttings from my neighbour’s ‘limelight’ hydrangeas and grown them on to fill my garden.
Whilst annuals can be difficult to grow in this manner, perennials lend themselves to dividing. Chrysanthemums are a wonderfully easy plant to propagate through cuttings, so join your local gardening groups and go to garden open days. They are wonderfully welcoming groups and an excellent way to grow your garden and learn valuable knowledge.
Potted plants
Potted plants, which are mature plants, are the most expensive way to add to your garden. However, it is sometimes the best option. Whilst I don’t recommend buying annuals this way, as they will only last a season, buying a potted perennial, shrub or especially trees, saves you a lot of time.
I personally like to buy most of my roses as potted plants rather than cuttings as it saves me a large amount of time and adds instant flowers.
Photos: Olivia McCord
