The flowers took a while to get into full swing this year and it was August before I felt that there were an abundance of flowers to cut. It's a complete joy to be able to pick something from the garden every day, whether it's a handful of sweet peas or a bigger bunch for a more ambitious display.

Larkspur 'Misty Lavender' tops my list of the annuals that I have grown this summer. It has a gorgeous, muted lavender colour which manages to be quite vintage in feel. In the flower press, it fades to a soft grey which is an unusual colour for a pressed flower. I like it this way but will also be microwave pressing some to preserve more of it's lavender hue.

I've grown a lot of cornflowers this year in traditional blue but also some white and pink ones to ring the changes.

Statice (Limonium) makes a lovely cut flower but is also grown to use a a dried flower as it keeps its vibrant colour well after drying. I bought a mixed pack of 'bright shades' but apart from a deep blue one they are all white or lilac. They do seem to be toning in nicely with my larkspur and cornflowers so I shouldn't complain.
