Summer's Canvas: Bedding Plants for Vibrant Displays

As the days lengthen and the warmth of summer arrives, our gardens become a blank canvas, ready to be filled with glorious colour and texture. Bedding plants are the quintessential choice for creating stunning, temporary displays that provide months of continuous blooms, transforming borders, containers, and hanging baskets into breathtaking spectacles. At Creepers Nursery, we're ready with a fantastic selection to help you paint your perfect summer garden.

Choosing the right bedding plants is key to a successful and vibrant display. Consider the location – whether it's a sun-drenched patio or a shady corner – and the effect you want to create. Trailing varieties are perfect for spilling from baskets and containers, while upright plants add structure and height to beds and borders.

Here are some of our favourites, guaranteed to bring a splash of summer cheer:

For Cascading Colour:

• Bacopa: These delicate beauties offer a profusion of small flowers along trailing stems. Available in classic White, pretty Pink, and cool Blue, they are ideal for softening the edges of pots and creating a frothy effect in hanging baskets. They bloom tirelessly throughout the summer.
• Calibrachoa: Often known as 'Million Bells', and for good reason! These prolific trailers produce countless small, petunia-like flowers. Our selection in vibrant Pink, White, and Red will create a dazzling cascade of colour that lasts until the first frosts. Perfect for baskets and containers in a sunny spot.
• Lobelia Trailing: A firm favourite for a reason, trailing Lobelia provides a carpet of dainty flowers. The classic White and Blue varieties are superb for adding a softer touch to mixed plantings or for creating a block of solid colour in hanging displays.

Adding Structure and Drama:

• Dahlia Mixed Colours: For bold impact and an abundance of blooms, you can't beat Dahlias. Our Mixed Colours selection will provide a surprise with every flower, offering a vibrant tapestry of shapes and shades. Deadheading regularly will encourage even more of these show-stopping flowers.
• Geranium Upright Mixed Colours: A staple of summer bedding, upright Geraniums offer sturdy, colourful flower heads held above attractive foliage. Our Mixed Colours range includes shades from brilliant reds and hot pinks to softer pastels, perfect for adding pops of colour to borders and the centre of containers.

Thriving in Tricky Spots:

• Begonia Waterfall: If you have shadier areas that need brightening, the Begonia Waterfall series is a superb choice. With a lovely trailing habit and beautiful blooms in Lemon, Pink, and Red, these perform exceptionally well in lower light conditions, bringing colour to those often-difficult spots.
• New Guinea Begonia: These upright Begonias boast stunning foliage, often with colourful patterns, alongside their vibrant flowers in Lavender, White, and Red. They are more tolerant of sun than some other Begonias but also perform well in partial shade, adding a touch of the exotic to your displays.

Scent and Sensory Delight:

• Lavender Stoechas (French Lavender): While not strictly a traditional bedding plant, French Lavender is fantastic for adding a touch of the Mediterranean to pots and borders. Its distinctive 'eared' flowers and fragrant foliage make it a wonderful sensory addition, and it attracts bees too.
• Nemesia White: For a truly delightful fragrance, include Nemesia White. These charming plants produce a profusion of small white flowers with a lovely sweet scent that will drift on the summer breeze. Ideal for planting near seating areas or doorways to be fully appreciated.

Long-Lasting Performers:

• Erysimum 'Bowles's Mauve' (Perennial Wallflower): While a perennial, 'Bowles's Mauve' is often used in bedding schemes due to its incredibly long flowering period, often starting in spring and continuing well into autumn. Its spires of mauve flowers add vertical interest and a cottage garden feel.

Getting the Best from Your Bedding:

To ensure your bedding plants thrive and provide a summer-long spectacle, here are a few tips:

• Preparation is Key: Use good quality multi-purpose compost in containers and hanging baskets. For borders, enrich the soil with well-rotted manure or garden compost.
• Planting Out: Wait until the risk of late frosts has passed before planting out tender bedding plants. Harden them off gradually by placing them outside during the day and bringing them in at night for a week or two before planting in their final positions.
• Watering: Bedding plants in containers and baskets dry out quickly, especially in warm weather. Water regularly, perhaps even twice a day during hot spells, ensuring the compost is moist but not waterlogged. Plants in borders will also need watering, particularly during dry periods.
• Feeding: To keep those flowers coming, feed your bedding plants regularly with a high-potash liquid fertiliser every week or two throughout the summer.
• Deadheading: Removing spent flowers is crucial for encouraging most bedding plants to produce more blooms and will keep your displays looking tidy.

With a little planning and care, you can create a summer garden that is a true masterpiece of colour and fragrance. Remember, our bedding plants can be seen in our London Nursery at Wandsworth, and the stock is refreshed regularly. Visit Creepers Nursery today to explore our fantastic range and get everything you need to make your summer canvas truly vibrant!

‍