Beautiful bedding plants
Our five fave bedding plants to give you a boost of colour!
Looking to add some bright pops of colour to your garden? Take a look at our top picks for bedding plants and how to get long-lasting beautiful blooms from your plants.
There’s plenty of great choices to pick from in the garden centre, our team of experts on hand to give you advice, and even better, when you buy your plants from us, you’re helping us to reinvest our profits for the benefit of the local community. Find out more about how we give back.
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Petunia
Petunias are pretty versatile plants that are perfect for pots, hanging baskets, beds and borders. Keep their soil consistently moist, but not waterlogged and sopping. During warm, dry periods you’ll likely need to water petunias in pots or baskets daily, sometimes even twice a day. Plants in the ground can go a little longer. Little and often is key.
You can encourage more blooms by increasing the hours of sun your petunias get throughout the day. Deadhead spent blooms to encourage further flowering. If your petunias are looking a little leggy, you can give them a good trim with some sharp scissors or secateurs.
Feed with an all-purpose plant food every 10-14 days.
Bacopa
Bacopa plants prefer moist soil and partial to full sunlight. They should be watered regularly to keep the soil moist but not waterlogged.
Feed the plants every 10-14 days during the growing season.
Prune the stems regularly to encourage bushier growth and remove any dead or yellowing leaves to keep the plant healthy.
Bacopa can be affected by powdery mildew which will appear as small white spots. If you spot the signs of powdery mildew, trim back affected leaves and reduce watering.
Marigold
Marigolds are pretty fuss-free and easy to care for. They’re also great for attracting pollinators and other helpful insects to your garden.
They prefer full sunlight and well-draining soil. Water regularly at the base of the plant avoiding wetting the leaves and flowers. Containers will need to be watered more often than plants in the ground.
Deadhead spent flowers regularly to encourage continuous blooming. You can also pinch back the stems to encourage bushier growth. You can feed with an all-purpose plant food once a month to promote healthy growth.
Geranium
Geraniums thrive in bright sunlight and well-draining soil. They do well in pots, beds, borders and as a gorgeous centrepiece in hanging basket.
Water thoroughly when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch but avoid overwatering as it can lead to root rot. Deadhead spent flowers regularly to encourage continuous blooming and pinch back the stems to promote bushy growth. Feed them every two weeks or so during the growing season to promote healthy growth. Geraniums benefit from occasional pruning if they’re becoming leggy to encourage a bushier shape.
Lobelia
Lobelias are a beautiful bushy bedding plant with bright blue blooms that look really great mixed with other bedding plants in a hanging basket.
Lobelias are quite delicate and require moist soil and partial to full sunlight to grow well. Water them regularly to keep the soil moist but not waterlogged. Check daily to make sure the soil is not drying out.
Deadhead spent flowers regularly to encourage continuous blooming and trim back the stems to promote healthy, bushy growth.
Feed around once a month to promote healthy growth and bright beautiful blooms. Lobelias can be sensitive to heat and drought, so keep a close eye on them during the warmer months.
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