How to recreate magic of the garden indoors

Expert says you can recreate the magic of your garden within your own home by planning which flowers you would like to grow for cutting.

Here are master gardeners top five summer cut flowers.

~ Cornflowers ~
"These are such simple flowers but they are extremely eye-catching in a vase," he believes.

"They produce the main flush of blooms in summer with a second flush in autumn."

Planting: The perennial cornflower thrives in any well-drained garden soil in sun or light shade and spreads rapidly. It needs to be lifted and divided every few years and tall-growing types need to be staked.

The annual cornflower has wiry stems bearing flowers in pink, red, purple, white or the original blue. It has greyish green leaves, which make a good contrast from the foliage of most annuals.

~ Peonies ~

"A glorious bunch of peonies is a fantastic addition to any room and they are just coming into their own now," he says.

"Pick them when you can see petal colour in the bud and they should open out beautifully. If you have a lime green plant such as Alchemilla mollis in the garden, that makes a wonderful foil for them."

Planting: Peonies thrive in any well-drained cultivated soil in full sun. Be warned, they don't like being moved, so if you buy a plant from a garden centre it may take several years to flower.

~ Roses ~

"They are starting to come into their own again," he says.

"I think the old-fashioned varieties are the best. They may not last as long in a vase as the more modern cultivars, but the scent is amazing. Even a single rose in a pretty glass can look effective.

"Stems should be cut at an oblique angle and should be picked early morning or evening when it's cool."

Planting: They need plenty of sun, shelter from cold winds, a soil which is reasonably rich and preferably slightly acid, with the addition of humus.

~ Sweet peas ~

"Anyone who grew these up a wigwam as a child will hold special memories of the beauty and fragrance of these plants," he says.

"The wonderful thing about them is, the more you pick the more they will flower. I would always go for the old-fashioned scented varieties in a mass of different colours."

Planting: Sweet peas enjoy a sunny, open position in any well-drained garden. For best results dig in some bulky organic matter before planting.


~ Lilies ~
"If you've just got a pot of lilies on your patio you wouldn't want to cut them, but if you are able to grow more in a larger area they are the perfect cut flower. I would always go for Lilium regale because the scent is fantastic."

When picking lilies, leave at least 12inches (30cm) of stem behind. The bottom section has most of the leaves, which are essential for the subsequent food storage in the bulb, encouraging good flowering for the following year.

Planting: Lilies need a well-drained site and reasonable soil enriched with organic matter. Most relish sun, but a little shade during the day is not a problem.