Seasonal garden stars

Join Freddie to find out what’s new and trending in the world of bedding plants. These Flowering Favourites are available this month at garden centres countrywide ready to be planted in your garden or in a pot.

Begonias

Known for their low maintenance, compact form and delicate flowers in lots of bright and pastel shades, annual begonias (Begonia semperflorens) are the ideal choice for a position in the garden with partial shade. Some varieties, like ‘Senator’, ‘Dragon Wings’, and ‘Big’, will even tolerate full sun.

These begonias prefer a warmer climate but will be fine planted in containers that can be protected for colder regions. They are mostly heat- and humidity-tolerant.

Varieties

There are many varieties of annual begonias. These are some you will see in nurseries this season:

‘Sprint Plus’ – pastel shade flowers in a compact plant.

‘Eris’ – dark leaves with long-lasting pastel flowers.

‘Senator’ – bronze leaves with contrasting flowers, heat and drought-tolerant.

‘Ambassador’ – bright green leaves, uniform and dependable.

‘Emperor’ – vigorous with continuous flowers.

‘Dragon Wings’ – a larger begonia with pink or red flowers and a cascading habit perfect for pots and hanging baskets.

‘Big’ – large glossy leaves with large flowers in pink and red.

Begonia care

Plant annual begonias in well-draining, rich, slightly acidic soil. Water regularly, but don’t overwater, which could lead to root rot. Water when the top 2 cm of soil is dry. Feed every couple of weeks in summer and into autumn. Encourage new blooms by deadheading regularly. Trim any leggy growth to keep them tidy.

Begonia x tuberosa

We can’t forget the tuberous begonias at this time of the year for their special double and semidouble blooms, perfect for bringing colour indoors. Look out for varieties like ‘Non-Stop’ in a range of colours to liven up the living room.

Echinaceas

If you haven’t got any echinaceas in the garden yet, it’s time to get them. They are eyecatching for people and, more importantly, will catch the eye of many pollinators. These perennials are very easy to care for and will flower for months.

Varieties

Look out for these varieties this season:

‘Pow Wow’ – lots of flowers, droughttolerant and low maintenance.

‘Pollynation’ – large flowers in striking colours, long-lasting and tough.

Echinacea care

Plant in full sun with at least 6-8 hours of sunlight daily. Add compost to the soil when planting and make sure it’s well-draining. Water only when the soil is dry; once established, they are drought-tolerant. They don’t need feeding but will benefit from a feeding in spring to get them started. Extend flowering by deadheading. Leave the seedheads on the plants for the birds in winter.

Cukes

The summer season is ideal for growing cucumbers. Look out for the prolific heirloom variety ‘Ashley’ this season. They grow well in containers and hanging baskets.

Brought to you by the Bedding Plant Growers Association (BPGA)