Monty Don has shared the “essential” rule gardeners must remember in a bid to avoid further work.
In the latest episode of Gardeners’ World, the host expressed admiration for those who grow cut flowers as he claimed it could be an “incredibly hard” task.
Moving onto his demonstration, Monty said his cut flower bed was “destined for new bulbs”.
Opting for his choice of Narcissus Avalanche, he then explained: “Because these are cut flowers and I’m going to lift them, it doesn’t matter if I plant them shallowly.
“So all I’m going to do is make a fairly shallow rill.
“I’m going to plant them at the bottom of the rill and because it’s very very gritty soil, I can push my hand right in, so I can push them “in without damaging them.”
He went on to explain: “If I was putting these in the border, I’d probably put them about six inches apart.
“But because of the cut flowers, just a couple of inches apart.”
As he continued to demonstrate the task, the 69-year-old stressed the importance of using a board.
“The board means of course that I’m not putting any pressure on the bed,” he shared.
“It’s really essential that with any kind of raised bed that you never step on it, kneel on it, put your hand on it.
“Don’t compact it and then it shouldn’t need digging.”
Planting cut flowers involves growing flowers specifically for the purpose of cutting and displaying them in your home or giving them as gifts.
Issuing further advice on how to get the best result, Monty shared: “The problem with cut flowers is always that you’re robbing Peter to pay Paul.
“If you take the very best flowers, which is what you want, to look fantastic indoors, in a case, there’s a real risk that the border will look less good as a result, and that seems a shame.
“So, the answer is to grow some flowers specifically for cutting.”
Gardeners’ World is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
