And, after that massive Zoella Fan Girl moment *blush*, let's get back to our Modern Country Garden series, with a book review of The Cut Flower Patch by Louise Curley.
If you'd love to grow more of your own flowers in amongst your Modern Country Garden but the whole idea feels either incredibly daunting, or a big ol' chore, then The Cut Flower Patch should be on your Christmas letter to Santa (have you been good this year?!).
The first thing that grabs you is its matt, textured front cover; you just want to reach out and feel it. The picture on the front is reassuringly down-to-earth and simple.
It's stylish enough, with the designer wellies and vintage enamel bucket full of freshly picked flowers to be enticing - but simple enough with the every-day variety of flowers and jeans-and-top outfit to know that this could be you next year if you follow the advice glitteringly encased within.
And that's the beauty of this book. utterly achievable but full of wisdom that'll change your gardening life and, consequently, your home. The Cut Flower Patch is a book that should be on your Modern Country Christmas list.
The Cut Flower Patch begins with a planning section, complete with sample garden layouts. I love that, instead of diving into the tempting flower possibilities, the book encourages you to slow down, stop a moment and consider your end result. It can be all too easy to end up with a cobbled-together Growing-My-Own attempt that is nothing but an eye-sore, so this section is well worth feasting upon.
And then we come to temptation city! Page after glorious page of delicious flower varieties: bulbs, corns, tubers, annuals, biennials, foliage and fillers. We're given a photo of each, and recommended varieties, along with plant care advice, including advice tailored to the cutting and arranging of your own flowers. This section alone is worth the price of the book. It explain what you should expect from each plant in cut-flower conditions, and, just as importantly, how to eke out extra days of vase life.
After a foray into making and caring for your cutting patch, we're led into a real fanfare: Showing Off! Full of lovely and easy ideas about presenting your pickings in the best possible light. It also includes Louise Curley's thoughts about foraging for useful material - perfect for those of you with very little garden space.
Did you notice that I sneaked Christmas into this post? Oh, yes I did! Over the next month, I've ideas a-plenty for stockings and presents that you might like to write on that letter to Santa.
Bank managers, look away now: To buy your own copy of The Cut Flower Patch by Louise Curley, click on the link!
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