BEDDING PLANTS

Offer a froth of clusters of yellow-eyed, sky-blue flowers which sit above the grey-green foliage which can be weaved through borders, is excellent for edging pathways, and equally at home at the front of a mixed, herbaceous or wildflower border. Plant them with Spring-flowering bulbs such as tulips and daffodils and euphorbias for an eye-catching combination or, for a more informal look, with cow parsley, honesty and ferns.

They self-seed vigorously so you can almost guarantee a continual supply of plants, which is great news for bees because they love them!

Bring a simply dazzling array of shades to the garden in Spring. Available in a rainbow of colours from red, orange, russet, pink, apricot and both subtle and strong purples, there is certainly a lot to choose from – and they have the added bonus of fabulous scent too!

One of the most reliable bedding plants, they’re happy wherever they’re planted and will continue flowering for three months if you dead-head regularly.

Are a large and varied group of Primula, characterised by a kaleidoscope of bright, blazing colours which sit above their distinctively textured foliage. A cottage garden classic, these gorgeously reliable plants can survive the harshest Winter weather.

Are super-hardy, sturdy plants offering a profusion of flowers in red, white, purple, lavender and pink during April and May, regardless of what the weather throws at them!

Be sure to plant them in full sun (but not high temperatures, they’re a ‘cool season’ plant) and in a location where you can also enjoy their deliciously sweet scent – and if you simply can’t get enough of them ,their densely packed blooms make for wonderful indoor arrangements too.

Easy to grow and capable of enduring all weathers, these garden stalwarts will be smothered in beautiful flowers – and you can choose from a range of colours from dark orange through to yellows and the very newest cream varieties!

As well as enjoying the beautiful flowers, these make excellent companion plants as they’ll keep aphids away from your tomatoes.

Available as both trailing and bush varieties, this enthusiastic flowering gem works in hanging baskets and containers, and also makes excellent border and path edging.

They’re easy to propagate from seed too, so you can collect seeds annually for an ongoing supply!

There are few carpeting plants able to provide such a splash of colour as the hugely versatile Arabis, commonly called Rock Cress.

Available in pinks, white and purples, these make a great choice if you’re looking for something evergreen in your baskets or in your borders.

With large saucer-shaped blooms which sit on slender, wiry stems a-top wispy, fern-like foliage, Cosmos is great for introducing texture and informality – and it’s loved by bees too!

Traditionally available in red, pink and white, the newer Cosmos sulphureus adds fiery yellows and oranges to the mix – and whichever you choose you can be sure it will flower prolifically from mid-Summer until mid-Autumn.

With varieties suitable for just about any position in the garden, from dark, dry shade to hot, dry sun, there can be little doubt over the value of these wonderfully reliable plants.

Use Summer-flowering bedding geraniums to add a touch of the Mediterranean to your garden, making sure you choose both trailing and upright varieties to make the best displays in your hanging baskets, pots and containers, or in beds and borders.

The Spring-flowering varieties are mostly shade lovers and are available in shades of pink, purple, blue and white – perfect for adding interest and lighting up areas under deciduous trees and shrubs.

These plants have a mound-forming habit which makes them perfect for baskets and containers, and with a good long flowering period they’ll continue well into the Summer.

Whether it’s shining among ground cover plants in beds and borders or the star of the show in hanging baskets, pots and containers, the large trumpet flowers of Petunia are a dramatic announcement of the arrival of Spring.

Available in plain, spotted, striped, single or double flowers, and in a rainbow of colours (including one which is almost black!), there is an almost over-whelming choice, but rest assured that whichever you choose will be popular, as they are loved by bees too!

Or Busy Lizzie as they’re commonly known, offers a profusion of vibrant flowers which start in late Spring and continue through the Summer.

Available in shades of pink, purple, orange, red and white, the blooms are offset beautifully against the simple green foliage – and as a bonus they bloom entirely of their own accord, so won’t need deadheading.

‘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!

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!

Hardy chrysanthemums flower from September through to November and later,  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.

Pansies and 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 self-seed vigorously so you can almost guarantee a continual supply of plants, which is great news for bees because they love them!

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.