an easy way to fill your garden with colour (Bedding Plants in General)

Member Name: freud

Product:	Bedding Plants in General
Date:	01/06/09 (93 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: just choose, plant & enjoy!

Disadvantages: can be expensive but worth shopping around

I'm by no means an expert gardener but I do enjoy pottering about once the lawn is cut , the edges trimmed, the pruning & weeding done etc... then is the best time - the planting!

I've bought bedding plants for years now & have been delighted with some flowers whilst disappointed with others. I've also wasted a lot of money so hopefully, for non-gardeners like myself, this review may be useful?

Bedding plants are usually bought in strips, pots or trays with flowers which have been grown from seed. They are usually annuals (flowering once a year) but some last longer if protected in the greenhouse/ garage over the winter months. It's possible (from some) to collect seeds, dry them out on kitchen roll in a warm place & store is a sealed container in a dark place ready to be planted the following year.

There are so many colours & varieties to choose from & they're sold in many outlets. The garden centre ones I've usually found more expensive but great quality & some will make a refund/exchange if your plants don't thrive (it's worth asking if you're buying a lot). Big stores like Homebase & B&Q sell good plants - a friend of mine never buys at the weekend when busy but goes on a Monday morning when they often have plants on offer just because they've not sold.

My favourites have to be lobelia (the sort you see in hanging baskets or growing in low walls) these are very delicate but spread very well & come in all sorts of colours from white through to pale blue & rich purple. Another favourite are begonias as they (like lobelia) last right through the summer & I love the deep red variety.

I also buy marigolds & winter/ summer pansies (so British - lol!) for their bright colours plus bright red geraniums which remind me of the Med.

As you can see I don't colour-match - whenever I see something on offer I'll generally buy if they look healthy enough. Unfortunately we don't have many car-boot sales where we live but years ago I remember getting real bargains. Luckily we must have enthusiastic gardeners in our town as the numerous charity shops here sell them around this time of year.

School fetes/ fairs usually have plants for sale as do local scout/ guide groups so it's worth asking around or looking in the local freebie newspaper. Another growing trend is to 'share' plants with neighbours & friends as it's easy enough to either swap plants from each others' gardens or buy in bulk from big stores or nurseries.

My advice would be to get hold of a free gardening catalogue or take a trip to the library & see what takes your fancy, buy only when the risk of frost is well & truly over, don't shop at peak times (ie weekends/ Bank Holidays) & just enjoy!

Summary: can result in a beautiful colourful garden