Summer Bedding

June is the month to plant out your bedding and other half-hardy/tender plants while the risk of frost has hopefully now passed.

Jargon Buster: Tender basically means they generally don’t tolerate cold weather and half hardy means they can tolerate it a bit more but a really cold snap could kill them

There are lots of summer bedding plants to choose from that are perfect for borders or pots and hanging baskets. Our plant labels tell you whether a plant is upright or trailing.

You will want to plant trailing ones near the edges of pots and baskets so that they cascade down the side of the pot/basket. Upright plants are better positioned in the back or middle of pots/baskets as they give height.

Plants we recommend you look out for include:

Trailing:

Petunias

Calibrachoas

Ivy Leaf Geraniums

Trailing Lobelia

Angelis Skylover

Trailing Fuchsias

Upright:

Geraniums

Nemesia

Diascia

Non Stop Begonias

Bush and Hardy Fuchsias

Planting a hanging basket or container?

If you are planting a hanging basket or container, make sure you use fresh, good quality potting compost – old compost may have gone off and can certainly cause problems and never use garden soil for your containers.

Before planting, add some controlled-release fertiliser and water-retention gel to the compost. The fertiliser will help feed the plants all summer and the gel will prevent the compost drying out prematurely ensuring strong, healthy growth and a colourful display.

We recommend planting your basket/container so that it looks pretty full from the start. Use taller plants for height, trailers around the edge and fill the middle with other plants. Remember, if you’re using mesh-sided hanging baskets to pop a few plants through the side as it helps to hide the basket and produces even more colour.

Frequent watering is essential – the aim should be to keep the compost evenly moist. If you forget to water regularly, or you go away for weekends or holidays, watering can become more of a problem. However, there are products that can help you such as a drip watering system or a timer. When put in place properly, these systems can also be very efficient as a way to conserve water.

Baskets that are high up can be difficult to water properly, so perhaps you may want to consider using a hi-lo bracket system? If so these are sold in our garden centres and helpful staff are able to give advise should you need it.

Always remember to feed your plants regularly for a summer display to be proud of.

To extend the flowering period of plants deadhead them (remove dead and dried up flower heads by gently snipping the flower stem off).

For more help on choosing the right plant for the right place, ask one of our plant team when you next visit.