Bedding plants provide lots of colour for your beds, borders, and all sorts of containers. They are most commonly used to fill the garden in spring amd summer, but some can also be used to make colourful winter displays. Here’s our infographic showing our top ten easy to grow bedding plants – read on, and share with your friends – you could inspire them to grow more colour in their own gardens!
1 – Pansies & violas
Pansies and violas are some of the most popular and versatile garden plants. Use them in beds and borders, containers and hanging baskets, in full sun or partial shade. You can also grow them through the winter as well as in spring and summer! To keep the flowers coming, remove (deadhead) old flowers as they fade.
Lobelia
Lobelia flowers are small but there are lots and lots of them on each plant, creating a cascade of colour. You can use them in beds and borders, flowering all summer long, but they are especially useful in containers and baskets. Try gorgeous purple ‘Monsoon’ or a ‘cascade mix’ for a variety of colours.
Polyanthus & primroses
Primrose and Polyanthus plants provide a beautiful display from late winter to the end of spring. They are available in a wide range of colours like the flame-hued ‘Firecracker’ or the striking ‘Best Red’ Some varieties also have wonderful scents.
Petunias
Petunias produce lots of flowers all summer long. Just remember to remove blooms as they fade, to encourage the plant to produce new flowers. They will give masses of colour in flower beds and borders, but the most popular petunias are the trailing varieties which are ideal for hanging baskets and window boxes.
Geraniums (plelargoniums)
Geraniums are consistenly popular, giving months of colour and available in both bedding and trailing types – there are even varieties which can be trained up a support as a climber. As well as the hardy geraniums there are masses of geranium varieties to tempt you!
Dianthus
This group of plants includes carnations (or pinks) and Sweet William. They are resilient and long-lasting, coming back year after year. A massive range of colours is available, from the creamy white ‘Haytor White’ to the deep red ‘Diane’.
Fuchsias
Fuchsias are a popular addition to summer beds, borders, baskets and containers, with elegant hanging flowers in a range of colours. They are easy to grow and some are hardy, so that they will come back year after year. Try Fuchsia ‘Patio Dancer’ collection for an explosion of colour, or ‘Display’ for a hardy variety.
Wallflowers
This classic cottage garden plant is a versatile addition to any garden, and will thrive even in poor soil. A quick way to fill your beds, borders and containers with colour. Try ‘Artist paintbox’ for spring aromas, or ‘Colour vibe collection’ for a splash of colour in the garden.
Stocks
Stocks make a wonderful, fragrant addition to borders and containers and are great for cutting too. Early flowering and in a range of attractive colours. Try ‘Most scented mix’, or ‘Night scented’ to keep your nose entertained!
Busy Lizzies
Busy Lizzies have long been a garden favourite but in recent years have been badly affected by powdery mildew, so at Dobies we now only offer the mildew resistant ‘New Guinea’ types, which also includes ‘Beacon raspberry sundae’, ‘Beacon salsa mixed’ and ‘Solarscape mix’, so you can rely on a fantastic display of large flowers in a range of colours – perfect for beds, patio pots and garden borders.
Here’s the full infographic: