At this time of year, it is easy for the glorious colours of Summer to be fading in our memories. But you can keep your garden alive with vibrant colour throughout the season (and into Winter too!) with beautiful Autumn bedding.

We’ve chosen just a few favourites below, included our secret to ensure healthier, stronger plants, and some different planting ideas to keep your displays fresh and interesting.

Favourites…

Dianthus

‘Festival’ is the best choice, offering flowers in the white-pink-red-violet range with wonderful scent, throughout October and November.  Simply pinch off the old flower heads in November and the plants will sleep through the Winter before flowering again in March, April and May.

They’re perennials too, so they’ll be back again the following year – bigger and better!

Pansies & Violas

Winter-flowering pansies and violas are simply the best bedding plants to give colour in your garden right through Autumn, Winter and into Spring.

They’re both ideal for tubs, baskets or borders, and just need regular dead-heading (and watering if it’s dry) to keep them at their flowering best. Since plants grow very little in Winter, it’s best to start with good-sized plants, plant them closely together and use enough plants to make sure you get a colourful display.

Cyclamen

Cyclamen come in all shapes and sizes but by far the best for a great outdoor display at this time of year is the miniature cyclamen.

Available in colours ranging from dark maroon to soft pink and pure whites, they do best with a bit of shelter from the worst of the weather, where they’ll flower strongly into the New Year and they’re scented too!

Chrysanthemum

Hardy chrysanthemums flower from September through to November and later, and so make an excellent addition to the border for late colour – and they are great for cutting too!

These beautiful plants are easy to grow and fairly resilient, all they ask for in exchange is a sunny position where they won’t get swamped by other plants. Available in colours including purple, pink, yellow and orange, they’re guaranteed to make an impression.

Other favourites include ornamental kale, wallflowers and primroses.

The secret to success… is don’t wait!

Plant your bedding plants in September, while the soil is still warm and the weather is better. This will give them a great start as they’ll have chance to establish properly and develop into strong plants before the weather worsens – which ultimately means that your display will last longer too!

Planting Combinations

We’re all familiar with the favourites above which are, of course, a delight in any garden – but keep an open mind about your planting ideas, and you’ll be able to create a fresh and interesting display that’s unique!

Here are a few ideas to get you started…

• Include evergreen and semi-evergreen perennials in your planting plan – heuchera provide a wide range of foliage colours and are followed with tiny flowers in Spring and Summer, and sedum produce beautiful flowers and maintain interest with fleshy, succulent leaves.

• Include evergreens such as ivy and euonymous, or grasses and ferns which provide a wonderful foliage contrast.

• Flowering heathers handle bad weather well and have a long flowering season from November to March, so they’ll pick up after your Autumn bedding has faded.

• If you’re planting in a container, use Autumn bedding for instant impact, use evergreens for permanent interest and use a variety of bulbs so that your display continues in following seasons. Need inspiration? Then click here to check out our guide to 100 days of colour!

We have lots of beautiful Autumn bedding in stock, plus a great range of evergreens, bulbs and containers to complete your display – so visit us in-store to see our full range and choose the plants that will keep your garden a-glow this Winter!