HEAVEN SCENT
Forget candles, there’s nothing better than the fragrance of freshly cut flowers indoors
he scent of mimosa, viburnum and sweet box – I’ve enjoyed it indoors for the last couple of weeks. I grow these plants outdoors but always cut a couple of branches for vases and, if anything, their smell intensifies when trapped indoors. With recent studies showing that some scented candles release toxins into our environment, an alternative is to return to nature and swap artificial scents for the real thing. All of which got me thinking about what I’m going to grow in the garden this year that I can also cut and bring indoors to enjoy both scent and colour. I’m not alone. Over the past decade a huge industry has grown up around home-grown flowers for cutting. And by home grown I mean gardeners turning into farmers, commandeering some land, building polytunnels and growing crops of flowers, from chrysanthemums to dahlias, to sweet peas, tulips, lilies and more. From the 1930s, legendary florist Constance Spry pioneered this idea by growing what were considered romantic English flowers for her shop in Pimlico, Central London. Her stock was seasonal, it wasn’t associated with air miles and she set trends by having an annual exhibit at the Chelsea Flower Show. These days a premium can be achieved for the same cut flower blossoms. They are the polar opposite of the cellophane-wrapped petrol station forecourt blooms, and they’ll make the heart leap when presented to a loved one! Many of them are easy to grow, even in our garden-sized plots. So if you wish to be a home-grown florist what are your choices? Top of any list comes the sweet pea. It’s a plant that responds to its flowers being harvested by producing more, it has a wonderful fragrance and is easy to grow. This is a job you can start straight away by sowing seeds. You can even start sowing in the autumn for a head start, but now is a good time as well. If you don’t have the space or capacity to grow from seed, purchase seedlings in spring. It’s a good idea to succession sow to give you a longer picking season. Those in the know use owlsacreseeds.co.uk which specialises in sweet peas. It has a great selection, including early flowering varieties – the Winter Sunshine series – as well as heirlooms. Lilies are dramatic,
Top choice is the sweet pea which just keeps bringing more flowers
beautiful and make excellent cut flowers. Again, you could have planted these in the autumn but spring will be fine too. They don’t like sitting in heavy wet soil so if yours is unsuitable then plant in pots. You can sink these pots into your borders if you like and lift before the winter to keep dry. Whether in soil or pots, it’s a good idea to sprinkle some horticultural grit at the base of the bulb to help keep them dry. Lily bulbs are big and should be planted deep – they need at least six inches of soil over them. Sarahraven.com has a lovely collection of scented varieties (Scented Lily Collection, £15.95 for nine bulbs), chosen to give you a succession of beautiful flowers which will fill your garden with delicious scent for weeks. The parade starts with Lilium regale, one of the most famously perfect lilies. This is followed by the pure-white, huge-flowered and highly fragrant Lily ‘Casa Blanca,’ finishing with the spectacular Lily ‘Muscadet.’ Remember that lilies are poisonous for cats, and after cutting remove the anthers covered in the orange pollen as this can stain fabrics. Unlike lilies which are hardy perennial bulbs, gladioli are tender corms and in most parts of Britain need to stay under cover until the worst of the weather is past. They make magnificent specimens for floral arrangements – they are popular because of the showy flowers, strong vertical interest and a good vase life. Plant in well-drained sunny soil, scattering some fertiliser to encourage growth. Tall varieties will need staking but you can also grow lovely dwarf varieties. Blomsbulbs.com has some very dainty collections which will commence flowering in early June and last for a long period, throwing up secondary spikes. Nanus Nymph has pure white flowers with prominent splashes of deep carmine pink and it grows a foot high (£5.90 for 10).