Author Topic: Bedding plants (Read 4172 times)

suziequeue · « **on:** May 31, 2011, 07:40:09 pm »

Well - I'm no gardner.

Having cleared out the flower beds here of the daffodils, docks and creeping buttercup. there's not much left so I thought I would fill them with bedding plants.

I am keen to go for a cottage garden look if possible.

Any suggestions/ideas as to what I should get that's already in bloom or will flower this year?

Sandy · « **Reply #1 on:** May 31, 2011, 07:57:10 pm »

Bedding plants are good for a display but I prefer to plant something that keeps on comming and getting bigger every year! I bought some shrubs when they were tiny and now they are really nice, I always like max outcomes from plants, pretty coloured leaves, nice flowers and berries if poss and sometimes evergreen.

I love ferns and have loads of lillies planted, they are great for stunning display and nice smells, I also planted loads of pansy's and they can re seed themselves and come up year after year and can provide flowers all year just about, I also buy petunias as they flower for ages and fill a space with loads of colour, you can buy them as plug plants and then plant them out and you should get a nice display!!!!!!! I also have loads of seeds in our baskets and tubs so I should keep the slugs away, they just love bedding plants!!!! Lastly, I have some wild flower seeds that I also put in containers and they then can be moved around to fill dull gaps...happy gardening!!!!

doganjo · « **Reply #2 on:** May 31, 2011, 08:23:12 pm »

I just bought a few plants at our local Focus DIY store - they are closing down in about 3 weeks but I think their prices may still drop further. 10% off all plants and some items even more.
You can have both perennials and bedding plants in the same border - in fact it is a good idea to do so, then when the bedding plants are finished you still have the shrubs etc. Why have you taken all the bulbs out - they give spring colour in a border and die off in time for the shrubs to come into their own and bedding plants to go in. I'd replant them as well.

There were loads of busy lizzies, nicotiana, fuschias etc and also lots of lavendar, and other perennials. Many of the supermarkets have bedding plants too. I must admit i've never had much success with wild flowers - probably because I mistake them for the abundant weeds in my garden so they get pulled out!

Thomson & Morgan have some good bargains just now, and they have 18 pages of bedding plants!!!!!

http://search.thompson-morgan.com/search?p=Q&srid=S8%2d3&lbc=thompson%2dmorgan&ts=custom&w=bedding%20plants&uid=694549943&method=and&isort=score&view=grid&srt=24

suziequeue · « **Reply #3 on:** May 31, 2011, 08:30:26 pm »

I just meant that I have cut the leaves off the daffodils now. The bulbs are still intact.

The Thomson and Morgan site is mouthwatering.

I think I might just go a bit mad with the colours and get a real carnival going.

Make it all crazy and jumbly.

Thanks

doganjo · « **Reply #4 on:** May 31, 2011, 08:33:29 pm »

I just LOVE looking at all their lovely pictures, the bit I don't like is digging the ground first - I'm just plain lazy!

suziequeue · « **Reply #5 on:** May 31, 2011, 08:46:00 pm »

Oh god

I've just spent a fortune on that website!!!!

I got:

Osteospermum Falling Stars™ (Sunbrella)
Begonia 'Inferno'
Stocks 'Most Scented' Mix
Petunia 'Phantom'
Marigold 'French Vanilla' F1
Tulip 'Red Impression' (for next year)

SO - all a bit mad and disjointed but it's going to be such fun

Sandy · « **Reply #6 on:** May 31, 2011, 09:49:40 pm »

Last year we went shopping and walked around all the shops and bought nothing, then we stopped off at a garden center and spent loads. We bought lots of stuff of the internet and it came packed very nicely...My daughter sent me a nut tree for last years birthday!!! and another sent seeds!!!!!! growing things is like getting little presents all the time!!!

suziequeue · « **Reply #7 on:** May 31, 2011, 10:01:22 pm »

Yes Sandy.

I can't remember the last tie I spent ANY MONEY on clothes (and this from a person who used to have a personal shopper at John Lewis!!!) but put me in a garden centre and I'm just jelly!!

I'm so excited about my riot of flowers arriving.

Even more incentive to get the last of the creeping buttercup out of the back bed.

Sandy · « **Reply #8 on:** May 31, 2011, 10:23:21 pm »

We had a present of some lovely rose bushes last week, we could do with clearing some garden to plant them!!! We have a rambling rose that looks a mess, I want to take it right back and start again!!