How to grow sustainable cut flowers

Use these simple techniques to ensure your cut flowers not only grow well and look great, but benefit wildlife and the environment too

Choose peat-free

Always choose peat-free compost for sowing seeds and filling containers for planting. Peatlands store more carbon per hectare than any other ecosystem and we shouldn’t be using this precious resource to create beauty in our homes and gardens at the expense of peatland habitats.

Top tip Some peat-free composts contain large particles that can make them too freedraining for seeds. If so, mix one-part sterile topsoil to two parts sieved peat-free compost.

Cut and condition stems

To give your flowers maximum vase life, it’s important to condition them. This is the process of preparing freshly cut stems so they have adequate time to rest and rehydrate prior to arranging.

Top tip Find a cool, dark location to condition your flowers, such as a garage or bathroom. This will reduce the rate of transpiration, which means your stems will hydrate evenly.

Be pollinator-friendly

Growing your own flowers can help to combat biodiversity loss and provide food for pollinators. Single, open-faced flowers are ideal for pollinating insects, but accessing pollen in fully double blooms can be difficult for them. As some single flowers don’t have the longest vase life, grow a mix of flower types for your vase and the insects.

Top tip Make it a priority to attract a wide range of insects – a well-balanced ecosystem will help to reduce pest and disease damage.

Reject floral foam

Choose sustainable techniques to arrange your flowers – avoid floral foam, for example, which is a single-use plastic. Floral frogs, kenzan or pin frogs (pictured), chicken wire and woody branches are all sustainable options for supporting your arrangements. Top tip Homegrown moss has a wide range of uses in floristry, and most of us have some in our lawns. So rake it out as part of your lawn-care routine. Just make sure no moss killer has been used on the lawn.

Keep soil covered

Mulching your flowerbeds helps to reduce weeds and retain moisture in the ground, and it also increases the biodiversity of the soil. More soil life means that you’ll be able to grow healthier plants that are more resistant to pests and diseases.

Top tip You can use a wide range of organic materials to cover the soil. Homemade compost, leafmould, bark chippings, straw and chopped plant material all make excellent mulches for flowerbeds.

Dry flowers for winter

Dried flowers are gaining in popularity, but don’t be tempted by the many chemically bleached, dyed or sprayed products available. Naturally dry your own seasonal flowers, grasses and seedheads from the garden to use for arranging – a reminder of summer’s bounty in the depths of winter. Top tip Dry your flowers in low light to retain the colour in the petals. To dust your dried arrangements, set a hairdryer at the lowest possible setting and blow lightly.

Collect rainwater

The cultivation of just one imported rose stem can take 7-13 litres of water. So using our water resources with care is an effective way to grow blooms more sustainably. Collect rainwater or harvest grey water from your home for use on cut-flower beds and borders. Top tip Grey water is one of the best ways to decrease our water use in the garden. Set up a system to siphon bathwater to a water butt or simply recycle bowls of washing-up water to keep your plants going in dry spells.

No need for flower food

Lots of chemicals are used in cut-flower production, including synthetic flower food, which comes in little plastic sachets. But there’s no need to add chemicals to extend vase life. Reject the sachets and instead use good hygiene to make arrangements last. Top tip Keep your vases clean, change the water every day and trim the stem ends to reduce bacterial growth. These simple steps will improve vase life without the use of added chemicals.