A winter wonderland in annuals

Join Freddie to find out what’s new and trending in the world of bedding plants. Waves of colour can transform a dull garden in an instant. Get these pretty annuals now at your local garden centre.

Petunias

Petunias are known for their long flowering season and the huge variety of colours and patterns you can get in a seedling punnet. They bloom from spring right through to autumn. There are several types, including spreading and trailing types, and they can be planted in garden beds, used as a groundcover, and make excellent potted plants on their own or mixed with other plants.

Look out for ‘Wave’, ‘Merlin’, ‘Daddy’, ‘Shake’, and ‘Dreams’ at your local nursery and go wild.

How to grow

Plant in full sun, or they will become leggy.

Amend soil with compost and make sure it’s well-draining. Use good potting soil in containers and add perlite for extra drainage.

Water deeply at least once a week and containers more often. Deep watering encourages deep roots.

Feed monthly with a balanced plant food.

Prune leggy petunias in late summer to encourage more blooms.

Deadhead flowers on varieties that need it.

Look out for aphids, slugs and snails.

In a nutshell

Petunias are heat tolerant, colourful and long-lasting annuals.

Lobularia

Lobularia maritima, better known as sweet alyssum, has clusters of flowers that give off a sweet scent that smaller pollinators love. They bloom in cooler weather in spring, take a break in the heat of summer, and then come back in autumn. Although mostly white, they also come in lavender, pink and purple colours for variation. Look out for ‘Flash’ and ‘Easy Breezy’.

How to grow

Grow in full sun and some partial shade in very hot climates.

In the garden, plant many together, they don’t mind being crowded, and the display they make will be worth it. Plant in pots with other annuals as contrasting colours.

Water seedlings before planting to avoid some transplant stress. They prefer evenly moist soil with extra water in dry times and, as usual, more water for well draining containers.

Add compost into the soil when planting.

When they look a bit tired, lop off a third and they will flower again.

Avoid too soggy soil, which could lead to root rot, and keep an eye out for downy mildew.

In a nutshell

Alyssum is sweetly scented, low growing, with pretty flowers that are pollinator magnets.

Primulas

In the winter, Primula malacoides or fairy primula will brighten up anyone’s day. The clusters of green leaves sprout stems topped with clusters of dainty flowers in white, pink, purple and red. They are truly made for the fairies. What is great about these, is that they flower well in partial shade as well as full sun.

To grow

Plant in well-draining soil with added compost and any organic matter to make the soil friable and be able to retain moisture.

They prefer moist soil, not waterlogged soil, and containers must be watered daily. They are thirsty plants.

Feed with a balanced fertiliser when planting, and then only in six weeks. They don’t like to be overfed.

Mulch around the base to conserve water.

In a nutshell

Fairy primroses flower all spring and autumn again with delicate blooms attracting bees and butterflies.

Brachyscome

Also called swan river daisy, these compact, mounding daisies will flower from spring to late summer with many colourful blooms in white, pink and purple (‘Fresco’). These daisies are excellent container specimens, too.

How to grow

Plant in full sun for more flowers, but they will grow in partial shade.

They prefer well-draining soil that is slightly acidic with plenty of compost added at planting.

Once established, they are drought tolerant but need extra water in well prepared containers that drain well. Rather leave them to dry out than overwater.