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Jane Westoby

Top 10 Filler flowers for a small scale flower farm

Want to know which filler flowers are going to give you biggest bang for buck? are easy to grow and will be the most useful.? Today I'm sharing my favourites with the why's, to help you decide if you need them or not.


I grow mainly for weddings rather than everyday bouquets but really all that changes is the colour to suit your clients and local needs.


I have limited space so I really need to make sure each flower is worth the space it's taking up. I re look at what I will grow each year and tailor it to each years weddings and clients so each year is very different.


I have 4 criteria when selecting what I will grow and each of my flowers fits in to one or more of these:


  1. High productivity  This includes all cut-and-come again varieties which is a no brainer for maximizing the space and profit

  2. Easy cultivation I need blooms which will easily germinate and grow without to much care and attention needed.

  3. Timing Is everything! There is nothing worse than having an event with not much blooming. I also grow a lot of crops which can be dried so used out of season.

  4. Size and abundance I also take a lot of flower crown classes which require smaller stems and lots of them.


Achillea Ptarmica

ACHILLEA PTARMICA - such a pretty flower and I think much nicer to use than gyp, its more sophisticated. Will get a second flush with shorter stems once cut, and is perennial so you don't need to sow it every year saving a whole heap of time. It does need staking though as it will grow tall. Can also be dried for use later in the season.

Criteria: Easy Cultivation, Size & Abundance


Hesperis

HESPERIS - a long lived perennial so saves a lot of time not having to grow every year from seed. Its also a cut and come again, so abundant - one of the best flowers going. I prefer the white variety as it almost luminous when paired with other flowers. It's also a great early crop for me starting in May.

Criteria: Easy Cultivation, Size & Abundance, Timing, High Productivity 



Larkspur

LARKSPUR - A Hardy annual so best sowed in Autumn but can be sowed in spring with a little cold stratification. It's not great as a cut and come again as stems take a long time to re grow and are much smaller, but is branching and so prolific that I just pull mine and replace with the next crop. Needs staking as it will grow tall and can also be dried for use later in the season.

Criteria: Easy Cultivation, Size & Abundance, Timing


Nigella Delft Blue

NIGELLA - Best sowed direct in autumn through to spring, it will also self seed throughout the patch so without much effort you can get a good early crop. Once cut the ground can be cleared for a second crop and seed pods can be dried for use later in the season

Criteria: Easy Cultivation, Size & Abundance, Timing


Cornflower Blue Ball

CORNFLOWER - A hardy annual which will bloom early in the season before many other flowers - especially of protected. Harvesting is a bit of a chore though as it takes a long time to cut individually. The best way to harvest is to cut hard as the first few flowers open and then clear the ground. Although if you have the patience each stem can be individually cut and it will re bloom.

​Criteria: Easy Cultivation, Size & Abundance, Timing

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Phacelia

Phacelia - Green manure crop which blooms very quickly and early in the season which is such a joy. It's not usually used as a cut flower but my customers all love it! Its just the perfect lilac colour, goes with everything and I'm often asked what it is.

Criteria: Easy Cultivation, Size & Abundance, Timing



Lathyrus Odoratus Sweetpeas

Sweetpeas - So expensive to buy from a wholesaler as they don't travel well but sooooo abundant and the fragrance is amazing. They do require some patience in cutting or deadheading every day bit will repay this time and effort spend with so many blooms that you won't know what to do with them! I use individual stems but also main stems in bouquets as a cage/frame work.

Criteria: Easy Cultivation, Size & Abundance, Timing, High Productivity 


Statice Blue

Statice

An annual which is supper easy to grow, it germinates very quickly and you can harvest as and when you need it, there's no rush, but it is a cut and come again so keep harvesting and it will keep producing blooms. Its one of the best crops for drying with it papery petals. A great staple to have on hand at the beginning and end of season when pickings are slim.

Criteria: Easy Cultivation, Size & Abundance, Timing, High Productivity 


Poppy Seed Heads

Poppies

I grow lots of different varieties of poppies but I mainly grow the large podded somniferum varieties in bulk. They can be direct sowed which saves a lot of time and will grow in abundance. The flowers don't last long in the vase so its the pods |I use in arrangements. They look great freshly picked and green so I do grow then I succession all summer long, but any excess can be dried and used over winter.

Criteria: Easy Cultivation, Size & Abundance, Timing



Lagarous Ovatus Bunnies Tails

Bunnies Tails

So easy to grow and such a delight. Customers always ask me what these are. Lagarous Ovatus........ commonly knows as bunnies tails due to their soft fluffy heads. They are a hardy annual so can be sowed in late summer for an early crop the following year. The ground can then be cleared to make way for something else. They can be used fresh when they are still green or dried when they turn beige and used throughout the season.

Criteria: Easy Cultivation, Size & Abundance, Timing


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