Flying the Flag
With World Cup fever running at an all time high, the South African flag is everywhere. If you plant up a flag using colourful bedding plants it will still be looking good when the World Cup is over. Pansies and violas come in so many colours that it should be possible to create a flag exclusively with them; there is even a black viola but if you can’t find specimens in your local garden centre then use black gravel or pebbles. White alyssum could be used instead of pansies for a contrasting texture that is also fragrant. The green area of the flag can be filled with mondo grass or carex grass. If you have a suitable area on your pavement then plant your work of art there, and challenge your neighbours to do the same. Otherwise use a prime spot in the garden that receives winter sun. Either way, involve your children or some from the neighbourhood – this is a great project for kids.


Mild sunny days are perfect for gardening, which is great news because there is lot of colour that can still be planted.

Hanging baskets
Winter conditions are ideal for hanging baskets because the reduced temperatures mean the soil in the baskets retains moisture for longer. Pansies and violas always work well in baskets, especially the trailing varieties. Alyssum tucked into the gaps adds softness to the whole arrangement. Alternative plants include Cheiranthus (wall flower) and GYPSOPHILA muralis (gypsophila). Gypsophila 'Gypsy Deep Rose' has tight but full foliage with double, deep pink flowers and is a lovely addition both to hanging baskets and mixed containers.

Multi-purpose flowers
PRIMULA acaulis is used more as a pot plant than a bedding plant but there is no reason why it shouldn’t be planted in dappled shade in the garden. The colours of the flowers range from bright yellow and gold to pink, red, rose, purple, mauve and white. The flowers are just as bright as pansies and where you have a bed with both sun and shade they could be combined for knock out colour. P. acaulis is also really cheerful as an indoor pot plant – it needs good light but no direct sunshine.

Ornamental kale is another multi-purpose plant that is so much more attractive in winter because its colours intensify with the cold. It can look old fashioned or extremely contemporary, depending on how you use it. It needs full sun for the colours to be at their best.

Small space fillers
For small spaces you can’t go wrong with alyssum, violas (which are very frost tolerant), BELLIS perennis, COLEOSTEPHUS multicaulis (previously called CHRYSANTHEMUM multicaule) and CHRYSANTHEMUM paludosum, which most gardeners know as 'mini chrysanthemums'. These are all petite plants that can literally grow between the cracks – in paving, between steps, and in Loffelstein walls. They are also ideal for borders for beds and pots. They are all sun lovers so can be mixed together if you want a country garden feel.

Tips

· Don’t neglect watering in winter. Sunny beds dry out and should be watered at least once a week.

· Water early in the day so that the leaves dry off before temperatures fall at night.

· Feed with a liquid fertiliser at least once a month. Use a liquid fertiliser that encourages flower production (as opposed to a nitrogen-rich fertiliser, which will encourage leaf growth at the expense of flowers).

· The top 30 cm of soil is the most nutrition-rich layer – work compost into this layer before planting and avoid digging too deeply. (When you dig too deep the aerobic organisms (those that need oxygen) can end up at the bottom and the anaerobic organisms at the top, and then neither can continue to function.)

This article was compiled from information was supplied by the Bedding Plant Growers Association. All plants mentioned can be found in garden centres.