Nature indoors

Before we had this spell of hot sunny weather, I'd been buying the odd bunch of flowers to brighten the house up. But they were quite expensive, didn't last that long and some came from the other side of the world! So I decided to start picking my own until the cut flower area of our garden was ready. Living in the countryside means there are lots of verges and fields to pick flowers from. Some are probably weeds but I don't mind as long as they have nice flowers, I'm not picky :) I found some buttercups. Unbelievably bright.

I picked these from the lane opposite the house and put them on the table when we had a bbq with our neighbours. Apart from the daisy, I can't tell you what any of them are but they smelt great.

Most of them were only tall enough to sit in a jam jar.

I've picked wild daisies and cow parsley a few times, they look great together. Both grow everywhere around here so I can cut away without robbing the countryside of plants.

And then the cut flower garden flowered! Hooray! I planted a few things with cutting in mind; cornflowers, chamomile, stocks and sweet peas. Not a great deal has happened with the stocks. I've had one cut stalk which smelt like patchouli and lasted for nearly 2 weeks on the kitchen windowsill.

The bunch below contains: cornflowers, lavender, chamomile, blue cornflowers, white cornflowers, a lupin and sweet peas. When the lupins start going to seed at the bottom I cut them off, remove the lower buds and put them in a jar with the other flowers.

The cut flowers are perfect for giving away as small gifts and adding a little bit of homemade fabric ribbon makes them look a bit more special.

I'm loving the sweet peas at the moment. They smell so perfumed and are growing like triffids. One day Scott will come out to find me cocooned!

I want to grow them again next year but I've realised the ones in the garden are annuals. Does anyone know if perennial/everlasting sweet peas smell as good? Or is it better just to get a new plant each year? Do you have any favourite plants for cut flowers?

Lots has been happening in the veg patch, will share with you next week!

P.S. I'm finally on Instagram (a bit late to the party I know). I'm 'gemmagarner' if you want to add me!