Book Review: “The Cut Flower Sourcebook”

Review The Cut Flower Sourcebook
“The Cut Flower Sourcebook: Exceptional Perennials & Woody Plants for Cutting”                   
By Rachel Siegfried; Photography by Éva Németh
Filbert Press, 2023
256 pages, hardcover, $40

Rachel Siegfried, a flower farmer and florist in Oxfordshire, England, began her career as a garden designer for the National Health Service eventually shifting to growing vegetables, fruits, and flowers on an estate for private use. Six years later, growing increasingly frustrated that the beautiful flowers she grew were not available to the general population, she switched gears and developed a 2-acre plot of her own into a flower market garden. She grew mostly annuals but noted that, with climate change, the seasons were blurring and the flowers were not blooming at the expected time, an important factor in her business. She switched her focus to perennials and woodies, expanding to 2 more acres of flowers. She finds perennials and woody plants more reliable in the face of climate change, and they satisfy her goal for low-impact growing, decrease weeds, and provide protection and food to wildlife. She also uses them to extend the season instead of using hoophouses, which do not fit well on her land or in her neighborhood. Through “The Cut Flower Sourcebook”she shares her philosophy and growing practices plus her favorite flowers.

This is a beautiful book with stunning photographs capturing her deep love of nature and flowers. It is a primer for flower gardeners who are considering a commercial venture. She is a florist, too, and chapter two, “From Garden to Vase,” takes you through the planning phase for the flowers you will be designing with and the elements of design. There are pages of photos with examples of shapes, colors, and textures. Her own designs are large, gorgeous creations!

Siegfried then talks about everything you need to think about to get started. The list is long: planning, soil and water management, creation of the beds, mulching, weed control, tools, mechanization, and harvesting. She divides tasks by the season, giving examples of what flowers are best for each season and many tips. I was a little stunned by her conditioning practices: She doesn’t use hydrators, holders, or flower food to extend the vase life of her flowers. She places them in clean water and lets them sit for 3-12 hours, feeling that 12 hours is the ideal.

The last portion of the book is a listing, along with photographs, of 128 plants including bulbs, perennials, climbers, grasses, trees, and shrubs. The author gives information on height, spacing, cultivation tips, when to harvest, vase life, uses, and propagation. For plant protection in the field, she uses perennials and woodies to buffer more delicate plants from the prevailing winds.

I grow many of the flowers that they show here, but one caveat is that Oxfordshire, England, is a 9a growing zone with a longer growing season, so many of the listed flowers will not work in Maine. I, personally, am flipping the other way in 2025, going from a 20-year career in commercial flower growing to a home perennial, woody, and annual garden. Therefore, I will be putting this book on my Christmas list.

– Karen Volckhausen, Orland, Maine

This review was originally published in the winter 2024 issue of The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener. Browse the archives for free content on organic agriculture and sustainable living practices.

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