Bedding: summer flowering, full sun
Petunia
Petunias Perennial (frost tender)
The most widely grown bedding plant, worldwide. A mat-forming herbaceous plant with oval leaves and a constant succession of vivid, saucer-shaped, fragrant flowers. Flowers can be ruined by damp weather, but blooming is copious. Wide colour range available, some with stripes, edging or darker veins. Series include ‘Mirage’, ‘Wave’, ‘Celebrity’ and trailing ‘Surfinia’.
Soil preference: Any, not wet
Aspect: Full sun
Season of interest: Summer
Height and spread: Various, to 30cm × 60cm (1ft × 2ft)
Companion plants: Traditionally bedded on their own or with contrasting colours of bedding salvias or tagetes, petunias are also useful for gap filling in mixed planting schemes and for containers.
Tagetes patula, T. tenuifolia
French/African/Afro-French Marigold, Tagetes Annual
Annuals with divided, sometimes filigree foliage and a succession of flowers in hot hues from yellow, through gold to orange, red or pale cream. African Marigolds such as ‘Antigua Gold’ grow tallest; French Marigolds such as ‘Little Hero’ (orange) or ‘Safari’ series are mid-height; and Tagetes such as ‘Starfire’ form sprays of yellow or orange flowers.
Soil preference: Free-draining, fertile
Aspect: Sun
Season of interest: Summer
Height and spread: Variable up to 60cm × 45cm (up to 2ft × 1ft 6in)
Companion plants: These hot colours are difficult to team in more naturalistic bedding schemes but their power and distinctive aroma make them great value for bulking up summer colour. Tagetes are superb with blue daisies such as Felicia amelloides.
Pelargonium hybrids
Geraniums Tender perennials
A huge group of highly popular perennials, originating almost exclusively from Africa but hybridized and grown all over the world. Sizes vary from miniature hybrids and dwarf species to the largest kinds such as P. papilionaceum which can exceed 2m (6ft) in height and width. The single or double blooms occur in sprays or small clusters. Colours include most shades excluding blue and yellow. Zonal types have darker or lighter banding on leaves.
Soil preference: Any free-draining
Aspect: Full sun
Season of interest: Summer
Height and spread: Variable
Companion plants: Traditionally bedded on their own with contrasting ‘dot plants’. Red zonals look good with pale blue Plumbago or purple Cordyline; pink or violet can be set off with standard fuchsias or Abutilon.
Verbena hybrid cultivars
Tender perennials
Plants have lobed leaves and flattened flower umbels which attract butterflies. Those with a spreading habit include the vigorous ‘Homestead Purple’ which may overwinter, the old cultivar ‘Sissinghurst’ with abundant pink blooms and the popular ‘Tapien’ and ‘Temari’ series which offer a wide colour range. ‘Quartz’ is an excellent upright bedder from seed.
Soil preference: Well-drained
Aspect: Sun
Season of interest: Summer
Height and spread: Up to 30cm (1ft), spreading
Companion plants: Spreading or trailing types work well as temporary summer groundcover spilling onto the patio or in containers. Try dotting with taller plants such as Lobelia ‘Compliment Series’. Upright bedding verbenas contrast nicely with petunias.
Dahlia hybrid bedding varieties
Perennial
Variable range of tender perennials developed from Central American species. These hybrids vary in height from dwarf, compact and bushy forms with smaller blooms suitable for containers and low bedding to tall upright types, often with spectacular flowers, that add colour and drama to the late summer border. Bedding dahlias are usually raised from seed and discarded at the end of the season. Lift dahlia tubers after first frosts.
Soil preference: Fertile, well-drained but not too dry
Aspect: Sun
Season of interest: Summer, autumn
Height and spread: From 30cm to 1.75m (1ft to 5ft)
Companion plants: Taller, large-flowered dahlias are excellent in a mixed border with late flowering perennials such as asters and crocosmias. Compact, tuberous or seed raised dahlias combine well with red bedding salvias and Solenostemon (Coleus).
Antirrhinum majus
Snapdragons Short-lived perennial
Herbaceous plants with simple leaves and spikes bearing lipped flowers which, when squeezed, open like jaws. Colours range from white and pale yellow through pinks and crimson to scarlet red or orange. Prone to rust disease. More resistant seed strains are available but to reduce rust problems remove surviving plants at the end of the season. Series include the dwarf ‘Chimes’ and taller ‘Liberty’.
Soil preference: Fertile, well-drained
Aspect: Sun or part shade
Season of interest: Summer, autumn
Height and spread: To 45cm–1m (1ft 6in–3ft 3in) for cutting varieties
Companion plants: Excellent as link plants between spring and summer bedding, since they can be
