Monty Don shares 'essential' must-do with growing cut flowers in bid to avoid harder task

Monty Don has shared an "essential" tip that could save you a preventable task when it comes to growing cut flowers.

In the latest episode of Gardeners' World, the host expressed admiration for those who grow cut flowers, describing it as an "incredibly hard" task that takes a lot of time.

He then demonstrated how to plant his choice of Narcissus Avalanche in his flower bed, explaining: "Because these are cut flowers and I'm going to lift them, it doesn't matter if I plant them shallowly.

"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 further explained: "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."

The 69-year-old went on to stress the importance of using a board while planting, adding: "The board means of course that I'm not putting any pressure on the bed. 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.

Whether for personal enjoyment, economic reasons, or cultural significance, it is a widely appreciated activity.

Offering further advice for those who love to adorn their homes with fresh blooms, he added: "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.