Amateur Gardening – 21 May 2019

B

EDDINGplantsare

synonymouswiththesummer

garden,andcanbeasversatile

asyouwantthemtobe.

If theyimmediatelyconjureupvisions

of municipalparkbordersplantedout

withrigidmilitaryprecision,thinkagain.

It’stimetoexpandyourideas,for

beddinghasmovedwiththetimes

Ofcourse,if youwant

tocreatea carpetof

synchronisedcolourthen

that’suptoyou,butif you

areaftersomethingless

regimented,thenthat’sOK

too.Therearenosetrules,

sogrowwhatyouwantand

enjoythespectacle.

Overtheyears,I havetrie

bothversionsof plantingandhave

settledonincorporatinga varietyof

beddingplantsamongourherbaceous

perennialstocreatemixed colour over

alongertimespan.

Traditionalbeddingplantsinclude

impatiens,tuberousbegoniasand

Begoniasemperflorens, verbena,

antirrhinums,pelargoniumsand,

especiallyforbasketsandcontainers,

trailersincludingpetunias,lobelia,

fuchsias,bacopaandcalibrachoa.

Youcanalsoshakeit upa bitby

addingcosmos,scentedgeraniums,

rudbeckia,marigoldsandevendelicate

ornamentalgrassestothemix.

Thegoodnewsforfansof busy

Lizziesis thatimpatiensarebackin

ess.Previouslywipedout

downymildew,new

sease-resistantvarieties

arenowavailablethatwill

withstanddiseaseand

lowerthroughtoautumn.

Thelastthingyou,or

ourpollinatorswant,is a

ghtbutswiftblazeof colour

etersoutbythestartof

July.Soplanyourbeddingtocreate

a successionof colourthatwillsee you

rightthroughtothefirstfrosts.

Calendulas,dahlias,fuchsias,

chrysanthemums,somesunflowers

andheleniums,aswellasastersand

echinacea,willallseeoutthesummer

andfillthe‘colourgap’betweenlateJuly

and the arrival of autumnal colours.

Ruth considers the options for traditional summer colour

4 AMATEUR GARDENING11 MAY 2019

Iamusingbeddingto

fill in thegapsbetween

herbaceous perennials

1

Makeholesasdeepasthe

plants’rootballsandsprinkle

in someadditionalfoodsuch as

Osmocote or Seed Start.

2

Poptheplantfromitspotand

carefullyteaseouttheroots.

Set it in its hole, infill and firm in.

3

Aswellasstandingplantsin

waterbeforeputtingthem

in theground,alwayswaterwell

afterwardstosoak the roots and

settle the soil.

4

Protectfromslugsandsnails.

I’musingorganicEcofective

SlugDefenceasa barrier,though

youmayprefertouse wool or ferric

phosphate pellets.

Planting

up bedding

Cluster and protect from pests

Step

by step

Cosmosis oneof

my favourites

Chrysanthswill

fl ower until autumn

Busy Lizzies are back!