How to grow flowers to photograph them

Flower photography is creative, fun and absorbing but it can be expensive. Have you thought about growing your own flowers to photograph?

For details of Emma’s online flower photography course scroll to the end of this post.

Benefits of growing your own

constant supply available
no air-miles involved
perfect specimens guaranteed; no travel damage
more interesting varieties available

Cut flowers vs. garden flowers

Any flower can be photographed in situ if you have the landowner’s permission and the weather cooperates. If you want to bring flowers inside you will need to select varieties that have a good vase life. These are usually referred to as “cut flowers”. All the flowers listed below have a great vase life and are good cut flowers.

Varieties to try

The six flowers shown below can all be direct-sown in the UK. Direct sowing is where you plant the seeds straight into the ground. If you want earlier flowers then you can start sowing sooner but there are more steps because you need to avoid frost damage. To start sowing earlier first check the variety you have chosen will germinate and flourish if not direct-sown and then:

start the seeds off in trays indoors
prick them out into individual tiny plants
harden these plants off once frost danger is past
plant out in line with instructions on seed packet

Other flowers that are great for flower photographers (because of vase life and flower shape) are listed below. These may be more tricky to germinate (like sweet peas) or not grown from seed. Gardeners World or the RHS are good sources of planting advice.

The Art of Flower Photography

Emma’s online course runs once a year. In 2021 it starts on June 7 and is open for registration now. Click below for more details:

Flower photography