Five top garden flowers to grow for cutting and how to make them last in a vase 

Your guide to choosing what blooms to grow in your garden, how to cut them, how to create an eye-catching display, and how to ensure they last in a vase

Plantswoman, broadcaster and author Sarah Raven. Picture: Jonathan Buckley/PA

If you love cut flowers, you could be sowing seeds now for a riot of colour in your home later on in the year.

But what might you choose? How much time and space do you have, and how long are the blooms likely to last? You may find that while favourites like peonies are beautiful, they won’t flower for long in the garden, as opposed to cosmos and dahlias, for instance.