November is when the cutting garden really starts to gather momentum and my personal favourite month of the year in my garden. The spring flowers are beginning to finish, the summer annuals are putting on growth and, if you've been busy sowing over the past few months, you'll soon have plenty of flowers to pick.
Here are a few things to focus on to keep your flowers flourishing all season.
1. Keep succession sowing
One of the easiest ways to avoid gaps in your cutting garden is to sow seeds in stages rather than all at once, which I admit often fall into the trap of not doing due to time constraints so don't panic if you find yourself not doing it either. But if you can succession sow it extends your peak flowering window throughout the season.
Try sowing smaller quantities every two to three weeks, depending on the variety. This helps stagger flowering times and gives you a more consistent supply of blooms.
Some of my favourite summer flowers to succession sow include:
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Zinnias: A wonderful cut flower that produces plenty of stems when picked regularly.
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Cosmos: Quick growing and generous with their flowers throughout summer.
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Scabiosa: Beautiful delicate flowers that are excellent for cutting and arranging.
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Strawflowers: Perfect for fresh arrangements and drying.
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Amaranthus: Adds height, texture and something a little different to summer bouquets.
Check the recommended sowing times for each variety, as some flowers don't enjoy being sown in the heat of summer.
2. Pinch out your plants
If you've grown flowers such as cosmos, zinnias and amaranthus from seed, now is a good time to think about pinching out the growing tips.
Pinching involves removing the very top of the main stem, just above a set of leaves. This encourages the plant to branch out rather than putting all its energy into one central stem.
The result is usually a bushier plant with more flowering stems, which is exactly what we want in a cutting garden.
Not every flower needs pinching, so check the requirements of individual varieties before getting started. Some plants are best left to grow naturally.
3. Keep picking and deadheading
Regular harvesting is one of the best things you can do to encourage more flowers.
Many annual cut flowers respond to being picked by producing additional flowering stems. The more you cut, the more you encourage the plant to keep producing.
For plants that aren't being harvested, make sure you remove spent flowers before they have a chance to set seed. This encourages the plant to put its energy into producing more blooms rather than developing seed heads.
I try to make a habit of walking through the garden every few days with a pair of snips. It's a good opportunity to collect flowers for the house and keep an eye on how everything is growing.
4. Give your flowers a little support
As summer approaches, some of the taller flowers will need a bit of extra support.
Flowers such as cosmos, amaranthus and asters can grow quite tall, and a strong wind or heavy rainfall can quickly flatten plants that haven't been supported.
There are a few ways to do this. You can use individual stakes for taller plants or install flower support netting across a bed while plants are still relatively small. As the flowers grow, they'll naturally grow through the netting, helping keep stems upright.
It's much easier to put supports in place before plants become too large and start falling over.
5. Keep on top of watering and feeding
As temperatures increase, the garden will need more attention when it comes to watering. Newly planted seedlings are particularly vulnerable to drying out, so keep an eye on soil moisture, especially during warmer or windy periods.
Rather than giving plants a quick sprinkle every day, aim for a good, deep watering that encourages roots to grow down into the soil. Watering early in the morning is generally best, allowing foliage to dry throughout the day.
A layer of mulch around plants will also help retain moisture and reduce weeds. Just take care not to pile it directly against plant stems.
If your soil was well prepared before planting, you may not need to feed heavily. However, a little additional organic fertiliser or compost can help, my favourite side dressing is a seaweed liquid fertiliser.