Bedding plants add extra interest to a garden. They are often used to plug gaps between established shrubs, or to fill borders, pots, and hanging baskets. Most gardeners go the extra mile in summer, with acres of colourful bedding plants. This is only natural, as we typically spend a lot more time in the garden when the weather is nice. But don’t forget, there are plenty of attractive bedding plants that are suitable for autumn and winter!
Why Bother with Bedding Plants in the Autumn and Winter?
Some gardeners are happy to let their pots and borders fade away as the summer disappears and cold weather returns. Aside from a quick prune and tidy up, they don’t venture outdoors until spring arrives. However, this is not doing your garden justice. You may not be spending a lot of time sitting outside, but this doesn’t mean you can’t see your garden through the window. Bedding plants add extra colour and interest to a garden in autumn and winter. So, instead of staring out at a dismal grey border or dead hanging basket, you can enjoy a splash of bright colour on a miserable day.
Replacing Your Summer Pots and Baskets
Your pots and baskets will be dying back by now. Keep an eye on them and once they are past their best, remove the old bedding plants and compost them. Replace the compost in your tubs and baskets and then you are ready to plant some pretty bedding plants for autumn and winter colour.
Popular Autumn/Winter Bedding Plants
There are some great winter flowering bedding plants that don’t mind the cold, rain, and snow:
- Pansies – Pansies are our go-to favourite. They always look lovely in any setting and are very hardy. They are also very versatile and will flower much longer than other bedding plants. There are lots of colour combos to choose from, so design a colour scheme and go crazy with pansies. Bear in mind that they do best in a sunny location and if you want them to keep flowering, deadhead them often.
- Violas – Violas are another pretty and easy-to-grow bedding plant. They look like pansies, but the flower head is smaller. Trailing varieties work well in hanging baskets, especially when interspersed with ivy.
- Cyclamens – Cyclamens will fill your borders with colour, even when it’s miserable outside. The flowers are pretty, and the leaves are attractively mottled, so they are a good choice for window boxes and containers.
- Heathers – Heathers make excellent bedding plants over winter. For more subtle colour, plant some between brighter bedding plants such as pansies and cyclamens.
- Chrysanthemums – Late flowering Autumn Chrysanthemums are perfect for autumn colour. They don’t mind our British weather and will cheer you up well into winter.
- Primroses – Primroses are happy in winter, as they are very hardy. Add them to your pots, containers, and window boxes for a splash of colour. They will begin flowering from mid-winter, so mix and match with autumn bedding plants.
For more great planting ideas, have a chat with us today!
