Architectural plants good for cutting starter collection

Many people are starting to look at the plants they put into their gardens with a view to them being useful for both the garden and house. I know not everyone likes cutting the flowers from their border perennials to adorn the house, but think of it as a pruning technique to produce more flowers on the same plant. If you cut to thin out a plant you will get more flower production and therefore a longer flowering period on that plant, it also helps keep them tidy.

Penstemon digitalis "HuskersRed"

This wonderful Penstemon has long stems with white to
lilac tubular flowers in the summer months. Unlike others in this family it has rosettes of nearly evergreen basal leaves. The new leaves appear ruby red in the spring and can go dark green by the end of the season. A semi shaded area is a good place for these to grow.
This is a selected form from Nebraska and can tolerate very harsh conditions. The plant also has many other attributes, being great as a beneficial insect attractant, resistant to deer damage and drought tolerant.

Alcea ficifolia Rosea - Flower

Often referred to as the fig leaved hollyhock due to resemblance of the leaf shape. 

The hollyhocks have been grown in gardens for centuries being introduced as far back as the 16th century and are striking tall perennials or biennials for the back of a border.

The ficifolia species are truly perennial  and have the added benefit of being resistant to hollyhock rust. 

This species is from Siberia and as such are very tolerant of many conditions.

Alcea ficifolia Rosea - Leaf

For long flowering, also great stature in a border in full sun and reasonable soil, you cannot do better than this wonderful sterile thistle. It has to be one of my favourites for being such a reliable free flowering plant, producing masses of deep magenta thistle flowers throughout the season and re-blooming well after cutting back. Rivulare means growing by a stream and this plant will benefit from being grown in moister conditions. It can produce copious amounts of down, but no seed.The leaves do produce thistle spikes but they are not too sharp.

Cirsium rivulare "Atropurpureum"

The Salvia family is a large diverse group with many great plants such as this beautiful

Salvia "Eveline".

The tall elegant spikes of soft pink cover the plant in mid summer. Cutting back can induce more flowering so it is beneficial to pick these. A sunny site with free draining soil is an ideal location. The bees and butterflies love the flowers for their nectar.

This form is a hardy perennial variety for planting in mixed borders or the cutting garden.

Salvia "Eveline

To finish off this collection of wonderful plants for stature and cutting we have an easy to grow but also extremely useful plant Astrantia major Alba.

Its name comes from the Greek for star which describes the shape of the flower, commonly know also as masterwort.

A moist humus rich soil and a semi shady position in the garden these plants will succeed happily.

Buy this collection here

Architectural cut flower selection