We’ve just had a week with record breaking temperatures….
It’s going to happen more regularly, and as flower farmers, we need to ensure the sustainability of our businesses by making sure we have flowers whatever the weather.
So what can you grow that will give you a key flower during hot July weather, that you can be sure of withstanding drought?
Well on my Chalky Surrey slope, Achillea Gold-plate is a winner.
Achillea Goldplate, strong sturdy stems on dry poor soil.
These Achillea were originally grown from seed from a plant from my parents garden. The seed head had become damp in autumn rain, and the seeds had germinated while still on the seed head. I just had to prick them out and pot them on. The original plants that I nurtured were planted in a bed that was slightly shady, and very dry, being near a conifer hedge. They still gave me 70cm length stems each year, but the flower heads were quite small.
When I created more perennial beds on a sunny part of the field, I propagated the original plants, and there are now 7 metres of golden Achillea for the summer.
They flower in July, before the Dahlias have started, and although my customers are never keen on lots of yellow, they are loved as a bright foil in our flower arrangers buckets
Photo Cecelina Tornberg
They then are also great for drying, keeping their golden colour, and they long strong stems through the drying process.
This bed has never been watered since it’s been established, and the large clump feathery leaves have spread to cover the ground very well, meaning there is very little weeding to do each winter when we finish cutting down the stems.
Now if someone could create a pale pink variety of this plant that can stand the same conditions, that would be a flower farmer winner.