Rachel’s best half-hardy annuals

SNAPDRAGONS are fantastic for flower arranging, with generous spires of clustered flowers adding bulk. Rachel recommends the tall and statuesque hybrids that come back strongly when cut. Sowing must be done with care, as the seeds are minuscule and prone to damping off. ‘Sow the seeds really thinly, so they have space to breathe, and keep in a sunny position so the atmosphere doesn’t get too damp,’ advises Rachel.

COSMOS is easy to germinate and grow – although in richer soils it can produce too much foliage at the expense of flowers, so do not feed the soil too much. ‘If you are not confident about arranging flowers, it is easy to make cosmos look fantastic in a simple jug or vase, and you don’t need anything else with it.’

CLEOME, or the spider flower, provides a more exotic

look for an arrangement later in the season. ‘Cleomes are a bit of a pain to pick as they are so spiny, but they’re worth it because they provide contrast,’ says Rachel. ‘They are airy plants – you can look right into the flower – so they add volume but not density.’ The Cleome ‘White Queen’ is brilliant and just about glows at night.

SUNFLOWERS are a good filler. ‘I like to arrange sunflowers of different sizes and colour tones with softer things like fennel or dill.’ Sunflowers can be sown direct in late spring – and often do better when sown outside, although you have to keep an eye out for slugs.

ZINNIAS are very useful for the flower arranger, with a huge variety of strong, punchy colours available. Available from Hadeco

8 hadeco.co.za; Seeds for Africa 8 seedsforafrica.co.za