The best bedding plants of 2024 (2024)

Best summer bedding plants

There is nothing shy or retiring about the best summer bedding plants. They bring energy and pizazz to any garden setting with their fanfare of colours and willingness to perform for months on end. Grow them in containers, dot them among established plants in borders or raise them up in hanging baskets for all to see.

This collection comprises five varieties and reminds us that a few garden stalwarts are always worth investing in for their sheer dependability.

Trailing Surfinias produce waves of colourful trumpet-shaped blooms, even when they aren’t deadheaded. A sunny spot, moist soil and a weekly feed of high-potash fertiliser will keep the flowers coming.

From the same family, the three petunia ‘Tumbelinas’ here offer exuberant flower power from spring to autumn.

Trailing stems that reach 100cm become smothered with frilly, double blooms that emit a sweet vanilla fragrance, most notably at night.

Looking for a talking point in your garden? Double-trailing fuchsias with layered petals that resemble a ballerina’s tutu are sure to attract attention.

Deadhead the bi- or tri-coloured blooms to stop them setting seed, focusing their energy into producing new flowers.

Best bedding plants for shade

Most bedding plants prefer to be situated in a sunny site for at least six to eight hours a day. However, if you live in an urban environment, the chances are your garden will be shaded by walls, perimeter fences and neighbouring buildings for long periods. The best bedding plants for shade – begonias, for example – still provide oodles of reliable colour. Chic new modern hybrids in both upright and pendulous forms have reignited their popularity and transformed this extensive family from slightly outdated to cutting-edge show-stoppers.

These enduring plants are undaunted by the vagaries of summer weather and flower no matter what aspect they find themselves in, come rain or shine.

The cascading Begonia ‘Illumination Salmon Pink’ is included in this mix of hot and fiery toned beauties.

Best bedding plants for pots

As an alternative to mixed groupings, single specimens of the best bedding plants for pots planted en masse can really shine in their own container.

The standalone, slug-proof Diascias in this collection are relatively low-growing but will sprawl across pots, filling any gaps and softening the edges with a mass of delicate flowers.

The multi-coloured ice plants in this collection wouldn’t want to compete with other plants that might put them in the shade.

Given fierce drainage and full sun, they will reward you with months of psychedelic, daisy-shaped flowers even during a drought.

Bedding plants that benefit from the company of others include the verbenas in this‘Twister’ collection, which comprises a trio of flamboyantly coloured varieties that need little attention and make good, long-lasting cut flowers.

Grow them with ivy-leaved geraniums and the display will last well into autumn.

Best bedding plants for colour

When planting up your pots, you don’t need to stick exclusively to bedding plants. Mixing in tactile grasses with wispy seed heads and all manner of perennials can raise the planting scheme to another level. Pots that are partially filled with hardy plants need only have the transient summer specimens changed to winter bedding at the end of the season.

The best bedding plants for colour let creative gardeners indulge their artistic skills with imaginative combinations. There are no rules when it comes to colours; the soothing tones of the plants’ green foliage unifies any colour palette, so it’s just a question of preference.

The three varieties in this collection of Calibrachoa will inject vibrant pops of colour to the canvas of any garden. Their trailing habit makes them good bedfellows for hanging baskets or for tumbling over walls.

These vigorous performers react to light levels and temperature by changing colour as the season progresses, hence their name.

The spectrum of pastel shades in this collection of Cape snapdragons blend well with other like-minded softly toned bedding plants.

They are endowed with a delicate perfume that permeates the air on sunny days, so be sure to grow some near your favourite seating area.

Best bedding plants for borders

Of the best bedding plants for borders, those with an upright habit create most impact when clustered together. Plant them in groups or allow them to meander in curvaceous swathes through borders.

One of the best for bright bold colours and exotic shapes is the sun-loving family of dahlias, which flower from midsummer onwards and often reach a peak of productivity in early autumn.

Strictly speaking, dahlias are tender perennials but we tend to treat them like annuals as they succumb to winter frosts. If the tubers are left in the ground, they may or may not reappear the following year.

It’s far safer to dig them up in autumn and overwinter them somewhere dry and frost-proof.

Like dahlias, annual antirrhinums make excellent cut flowers. Their scented, funnel-shaped bi-coloured blooms in hues of yellow, pink, red and orange have an upright habit.

FAQs

When is the best time to put bedding plants outside?

There is a temptation to plant tender bedding specimens as soon as they are available in spring, but resist this urge as they are unable to cope with frost or very low temperatures. As a rough guide, wait until the middle of May in the south of the country and end of May in the north, when there is less chance of low overnight temperatures. If the plants have been grown on in a greenhouse or warm kitchen windowsill, they will need to acclimatise to the outdoor temperature. This simply involves putting them out for a few hours each day for about a week, a process known as ‘hardening off’.

What is the best soil for bedding plants?

Any peat-free compost will sustain the plants for the first few weeks. The nutrients in the compost will quickly be absorbed by the plant’s roots and used for new growth and flower production. After that, it’s essential to top up the nutrients by administering a weekly liquid feed to keep the plants healthy and productive. Add grit or vermiculite to the compost for succulents or plants that thrive in free-draining soil.

How can I keep my bedding plants alive when I’m on holiday?

If there is no one to help with the watering, invest in a solar-powered irrigation system. They are easy to use, do not need an outdoor electric point and have no running costs after the initial layout. If you’re away briefly, cluster the pots together in a shady corner of the garden, give them one last thorough soaking and then stand them in shallow trays of water.