Cool c ustomers!
Summer may have faded but don’t fret – these hardy stars will keep the show going through winter
I’M A great bel i ever in squeezing every last drop of life out of summer-floweringg bedding plants by watering, feeding and dead- heading regularly during the growing season. Yet there comes a point when no amount of attention will prevent them from giving up the ghost.
Once these hard-working performers have been evicted from containers, hanging baskets and the ground, there’s no need to endure dull, empty spaces. Just replace them with hardier specimens.
Winter- flowering bedding plants are poles apart from their summer counterparts, which are largely half- hardy perennials that will keel over at the mere mention of frost. This group of perennials and biennials is made of stern stuff, capable of braving cold snaps of -15C or lower.
And there’s no shortage of gorgeous candidates. Primroses, polyanthus and cyclamen are available in a wide range of varieties and colours, al ong with f orgetme-nots, double daisies and scented stocks.
Probably the most popular of all winter bedding plants are pansies and their smaller flowered relatives, violas.
There are lots of different ones to choose from, belonging to different groups, or ‘series’, depending on their flower size, colour, habit of growth and height.
Plants in the ‘Delta’ series of pansies usually start flowering in December and can cope with severe winter weather.
The Sorbet series of violas – including Sorbet Yellow Frost – may stop flowering in very harsh periods, but can bloom continuously from early autumn to mid-spring if the weather is mild.
Apart from seasonal flowers, there are plenty of other plants that will add interest to winter displays. Hebes, conifers, heathers, varie- gated euonymus, gault heria, skimmia and a host of other shrubs are worth considering for their evergreen foliage, structure, berries, bright buds or flowers. Ornamental grasses will provide colour, texture and movement and help to fill any gaps. Carex oshimensis ‘Evergold’, Festuca glauca and Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’ are all superb. The one I use most is Carex comans bronzeleaved, a sedge with wispy brown leaves.
YOU can also add spring- fl owering bulbs to the mix. Taller tulips, alliums and hyacinths are fine for displays in the ground. Use compact varieties for underplanting in containers, such as crocuses, grape hyacinths and daffodils. Dwarf irises will inject colour from January to early March.
Either plug gaps in beds and borders with a swathe of a single variety – and remember, one shade en masse is easier on the eye than all the colours of the rainbow mixed together – or go for a tried-andtested combination.
Daffodils stand out perfectly above a carpet of blue forget-me- nots, while yellow wallflowers are fabulous with red tulips.
Plants put on very little growth over winter, so start with decentsize specimens and space them a bit closer than you would summer bedding – somewhere between 6in and 9in apart is ideal. Most prefer a sunny spot, although pansies, daises and forget-me-nots are happy in dappled shade.
As an alternative, combine different plants in a pot, planter or window box filled with multipurpose compost, using them as focal points to brighten up an empty windowsill or to mark a doorway. Fill a hanging basket with lower-growing species and trailers to break up a bare wall or fence. I like to place upright shrubs alongside taller grasses in the centre of containers with rounded shrubs in front. Lowergrowing bedding plants are perfect around the perimeter, with ivies to liven up the edges. Finish by dotting in some bulbs.
Keep plants going for as long as possible by nipping off fading blooms. And remember – containers need extra care. Place on pot feet, or even bricks, to allow rainwater to drain. Raising them off the ground also allows air to circulate, encouraging new roots.
Compost can dry out quickly during sunny or windy weather, so water when necessary to keep the roots damp.