Your guide to bedding plants
Bedding plants are that joyful burst of colour in every season. The showstoppers of your outdoor space. From hanging baskets to flower beds, these plants are the finishing touches that bring your garden to life. You can grow them from seed, buy them ready to plant in your borders or even as arranged pots for your al fresco dining spot or hanging baskets for a cheerful welcome at your front door.
Find out all you need to know about some of our favourite bedding plants...
Begonia
These plants really are flowering rays of colourful sunshine, originating from sub-tropical and tropical climates. A genus of well over 1,000 different plant species, the long-lasting blooms come in a wide variety of colours and flower shapes, including some pretty ruffles. Whether you choose a trailing variety for your hanging baskets or upright for the flower beds, they’ll give you an impressive summer season.
Location: partial shade
Height: 0.1 - 0.5m
Flowering: April - August
Dahlia
The sight of Dahlias emerging in your garden is a true sign it’s summer. A classic beauty from the Asteraceae family that comes in every colour and flowers of every shape, from the small closely formed many-petalled pom poms to large open delicate forms. They love being cut, it encourages more blooms to grow, so you can bunch them up and brighten up someone else’s day too. Their unique and intricate look means that you can use them to add colour and interest to every style of garden.
Location: full sun
Height: 0.5 - 1m
Flowering: April - August
Dianthus
Commonly known as carnations, sweet williams, or pinks, apart from spotting them in a cottage garden you’ll recognise them from beautiful bouquets of flowers. We like them because they are hardier than your average bedding plant and easy to grow. One of our favourites, new and exclusive to B&Q for 2022 is the dianthus electric dreams. It has a great compact habit with abundance of flowers.
Location: full sun
Height: 0.1 - 0.5m
Flowering: April - October
Geranium
This is one of Britain’s favourite flowers and it’s not hard to see why. The plentiful blooms of vivid colour and sweet scent last throughout every BBQ and sun-lounging day of summer. If you deadhead the flowers, they will bloom and bloom. Easy to grow and drought-resistant, it’s great for hanging baskets, as well as sunny borders – and suited to those who have been known to forget the watering.
Location: full sun, partial sun
Height: 0.5 - 1m
Flowering: April - August
Lobelia
If you’re looking for a trailing plant, one of our personal favourites is lobelia, part of the campanulaceae (bellflower family). The abundance of small leaves and delicate flowers elegantly tumble from hanging baskets or over the edges of borders. The wild and informal style, whether it’s a single colour or mixed, suit most garden designs – especially if you’re going for an outdoor space that has a more natural feel.
Location: full sun, partial sun
Height: 0.1 - 0.5m
Flowering: May - August
Marigold
Bursts of sunshine are added to your garden when you plant yellow and gold marigolds. The flowers close up at nighttime and open at dawn, ready to liven up a border and bring smiles to your patio. It’s not just it’s looks that makes it shine, throughout history it’s had many different uses from religious offerings to cosmetics. Try using them to repel pests from your tomato crop. Every garden should have some marigolds.
Location: full sun
Height: 0.5 - 1m
Flowering: June - October
New Guinea Impatiens
New Guinea impatiens create an impressive sea of colour in your flower beds or bursting from pots. The mass of flowers creates a spectacular natural bouquet that feels like a flower show in your own garden, it’s sure to impress your garden guests.
Location: partial shade
Height: 0.1 - 0.5m
Flowering: May - October
Petunia
This is a popular bedding plant, originating from South America. Its large trumpet-shaped flowers bring a bold splash of colour to your outdoor space. You can choose from a range of dramatic colours and patterns to match your garden style. Pick trailing varieties for hanging baskets and upright styles for borders to add impact from every angle.
Location: full sun
Height: 0.1 - 0.5m
Flowering: May - October
Marguerite
Our quintessential summer flower, also known as the marguerite daisy, is a herbaceous perennial originating from the Canary Islands. Initially only available in white, it has since been bred to produce a range of flower colours. The verdant green leaves are perfect for filling a border, but they can also be shaped to create a quaint standard in pots for a cottage garden. Perfect for attracting those lovely pollinators too.
Location: full sun
Height: 0.5 - 1m
Flowering: June - October
Osteospermum
You might know this contemporary-looking flower as cape or African daisy, part of the asteraceae family. Their luminous ombre colour shades are so rich and vibrant – perfect for attracting pollinators. The plants look stunning grown in containers, making an eye-catching feature that we find never fails to attract admiration at daytime soirees. The flowers close up at nighttime but bloom again as the sun rises.
Location: full sun
Height: 0.1 - 0.5m
Flowering: June - October
