Green Fingers: Plant now for a great summer display
Beautiful summer bedding and patio plants, such as lobelia, pictured, will need regular watering as they can dry out fast in sunny and windy conditions.
The danger of frost is almost over and it is relatively safe to plant out most bedding and patio plants now.
The variety of plants available is huge and it is always an exciting time to include some of the newer types, as well as those that you have grown fond of in previous years.
All summer plants will need new compost as last year’s will have been depleted of food and there might be a buildup of pests or diseases.
We use the old material for mixing in the ground for another crop or add to the general compost heap, along with our other green waste for use next year.
It does not matter which type of compost you use as the season is short and additional feeding can be given through a watering can.
There are other additives that can be included with the compost, like long term feeding and water holding crystals, which mean less watering but I would only use the crystals in hanging baskets and window boxes as they tend to dry out faster.
Structural plants for the back or centre of the containers give displays added height and interest, as most other plants are low-growing and spreading.
Geraniums were once the most popular and available plants but also begonias, fuchsias and ‘Crazy Daisies’ (official name is too complicated), all of which come in a variety of colours.
The mainstay of hanging plants is the petunia, of which ‘Surfinia’ is one type. They are very popular with their fantastic floral displays until the autumn frosts arrive.
A second favourite is the bacoba, which has masses of smaller white, blue or lilac flowers, and they can be mixed in with the petunias and will complement the display.
There are other hanging plants, which can be added for subtle differences in larger arrangements.
The fashion with summer flowers has changed dramatically. Up to about 20 years ago all flowers consisted of group and block planting of bedding plants.
The change came because of a combination of reasons, such as the time, expense and after-care of bedding displays became too much, and by a coincidence other flowers started to appear that did not fit into the old system but, rather, they were geared for container growing, typically around the home and patio.
The bushy and hanging plants are planted first, and then there is usually some space for infilling with smaller plants, giving the whole display an added interest. The bushy type includes Ageratum (blue and white), Antirrhinum (Snapdragon), Mimulus, Nemesia, Salvia, Marigold, Verbena and Viola and trailing Lobelia (blue or mixed) for edging to grow over the sides.
Summer bedding and patio plants will need regular watering as they can dry out fast in sunny and windy conditions and a liquid feed can be included every two to three weeks.
Protect the initial planting for about three weeks from being eaten by slugs and snails and thereafter it is trouble-free and you will have continuous enjoyment all summer long from a little effort and outlay.
If you have any queries or comments you are welcome to share them with me on 051 384273 or orchardstowngardencentre@hotmail.com and if of general interest I will include it in a future article.
