Getting the most from bedding

Don't forget aftercare once you've planted, says Ruth

- Ruth Hayes

EVEN though we’re in the busiest season of the year, it is still worth making time to fill any emerging gaps with summer bedding and use the leftovers to create colourful pots and baskets.

Early spring plants will have had their moment, leaving bare patches in their wake. Bedding, which is relatively cheap and still widely available in garden centres and supermarkets, is the perfect way of adding instant and long-lasting interest to the garden.

As with all aspects of growing, the health and longevity of your display starts before planting. You will get the best results by buying healthy plants, enriching the soil where they are to grow, using good quality fresh compost if growing in containers, and feeding and watering consistently.

It also pays to be a bit left-field in your choices. Grasses, herbs, and attractive edible plants such as ‘Bright Lights’ chard help break up the sometimes overpowering palette of bright bedding.