Summer is the time when most gardens are filled with beautiful bedding plants. These plants are a source of food for many pollinators and a source of joy for every plant lover. Moreover, they help fill empty spaces in gardens such as borders, patios, and other areas.
Most summer bedding plants are inexpensive and last only one season giving you new ideas and options for next year. You can also grow these plants in pots or hanging baskets to fill your garden with color and vibrancy for the summer season.
Benefits of Summer Bedding Plants –
Summer bedding plants are very beneficial in so many ways. These plants contribute a lot to the environment and to your gardens. Some of the benefits of summer bedding plants include –
- Improving the appeal – The vibrant colors and beautiful appearance of summer bedding plants create an aesthetically pleasing display in gardens. These plants can be used to style the empty spaces in gardens to make them. Summer bedding plants also come in several different varieties giving you an option to experiment and match different plants.
- Food Source – These plants are also a source of food for many pollinators who become active during the summer season. Making a pollinator-friendly garden using bedding plants also helps other plants by making the process of pollination easier.
- Inexpensive and Low-maintenance – Summer bedding plants are very easy to grow and they cost a lot less than many other plants so they are perfect if you are looking for inexpensive and low-maintenance plants for your garden.
- Environmental Benefits – Bedding plants helps prevent soil erosion and degradation by retaining necessary nutrients. These plants make sure that the soil health remains so that other plants can thrive.
How to Select the Right Summer Bedding Plants?
There are various criteria that can help you select the right summer bedding plants for your garden. These criteria are important as they can help you evaluate your choice of plants.
- Local Climate – You need to select the plants that can thrive in your climate. This includes considering humidity levels, temperature range, and other important factors.
- Care Needs – Each plant has a few basic needs such as watering, sunlight, soil quality, and more. Therefore, you’ll need to select the plants that don’t have tricky care needs.
- Plant Growth – Another important factor to consider is the growth period of the plants and their growth size. Bedding plants are used only for one season to cover the empty spaces of the garden. Therefore, it is important to keep in mind how big these plants can grow in size and how long can they thrive.
- Color and Theme – It is also important to select the plants that fit well with the theme of your garden. Summer bedding plants come in a variety of colors and you can choose among them to create a unique theme for your gardens.
- Pest and Disease Resistance – Selecting the right bedding plants also includes plants that are resistant to pests and plant diseases. Growing such plants requires less chemical treatment and regular maintenance.
Similar read – Winter Bedding Plants.
Top 7 Summer Bedding Plants
Now without further ado, here’s our choice of the best summer bedding plants that you can grow in your garden.
1. Begonia
These summer bedding plants are loved by many plant parents due to their ability to thrive in both sun and shade. Moreover, the showy colorful blooms and velvety texture of Begonias can create an eye-catching display in any garden. There are many varieties of Begonias that you can choose from, these varieties feature different foliage and blooms. These plants can also be grown as indoor flowering plants as they are low-maintenance and can thrive in shade.
2. Lobelia
The bright purple, blue, white, and pink flowers of these summer bedding plants can be a great addition to your garden. Lobelias can look great for window boxes or hanging baskets due to their trailing ability. These plants are also easy to grow and flower for a longer period. Lobelia can complement other plants in your garden and improve its overall appearance.
3. Busy Lizzies
Also known as Impatiens, these summer bedding plants are famous for their large flowers that come in a variety of vibrant colors. Busy Lizzies are great for covering ground due to their bushy and lush growth. Moreover, the long-lasting flowers and dark green foliage create an attractive display in the garden. These are shade-tolerant tropical plants that can be grown in the dark or low-light areas of your garden.
4. Geranium
These hardy summer bedding plants are sun-loving and can thrive in hot and dry conditions. Geraniums also flower for a long time and have climbing or trailing varieties making them perfect for patios, borders, and hanging baskets. You can also overwinter these plants by bringing them indoors. Geranium flowers come in striking colors such as red, pink, and white and some subtle colors such as lilac, burgundy, etc.
5. Bacopa
The small, white, and five-petaled flowers of these summer bedding plants are very attractive to look at. These flowers last for a long period. Bacopa also comes in trailing varieties so you can display them in hanging baskets. These plants also offer more colors such as pink or blue and usually bloom from June to October.
6. Cosmos
These pollinator-friendly plants attract bees to your garden as the large saucer-shaped colorful flowers become a great nectar source. Moreover, the lush fern-like foliage of these summer bedding plants is great for filling the ground. The pink, red, or white flowers of Cosmos plants bloom well from mid-summer to mid-autumn.
7. Antirrhinum
Also known as snapdragons, these summer bedding plants have bizarre mouth-like flowers which are available in a variety of colors. Antirrhinum plants can also vary on the basis of their size. The flowering period of these plants is also long and they are also pollinator-friendly. These scented plants can be used in patios, containers, or borders based on the variety you choose.
How to Care for Summer Bedding Plants?
Caring for summer bedding plants depends on the species of the plant that you have selected. However, there are some common care practices that you should know to ensure healthy plant growth.
- Watering – Most summer bedding plants need consistent watering and don’t like dry spells. So make sure to water them regularly and avoid overwatering.
Similar Read – How to Water Your Plants.
- Sunlight – Similarly, with sunlight, it is better to place your plants according to their specific needs. Some plants require full while others thrive in shade. If you are not sure about your plant’s needs, it is recommended to provide them with an equal amount of sun and shade.
- Soil – Use well-draining soil for your summer bedding plants. It is also important to conduct a soil test to check if your soil isn’t too acidic or basic.
- Fertilization – You don’t need to feed these plants much if the quality of your soil is good. But if that’s not the case it is recommended to use a balanced and slow-release fertilizer to provide the necessary nutrients to the plants.
Read more on – How to Fertilize Your Plants.
- Pest and Disease Management – To manage the threat of any pest and disease infection on your plants you’ll need to regularly check your plants for any sign of distress. If you find a sign of pest infestation use organic pesticides such as neem oil. And make sure your plants are being taken care of properly to prevent diseases.
Common Problems with Summer Bedding Plants
Most bedding plants are grown in glasshouses that use a lot of energy and in turn, leave a large carbon footprint. And these plants are sold in plastic containers which are recycled or reused. Moreover, most bedding plants are double-flowered and sterile meaning they are of no use to pollinators and are solely produced for decorative purposes.
Summer bedding plants should not be used regularly as they are not fully sustainable. However, here are some ways to use bedding plants sustainably –
- Use bedding plants only to fill the gaps in your garden and not to decorate it completely.
- Try to grow summer bedding plants from seeds to reduce reliance on glasshouses and plastic containers.
- Select plants such as Cosmos or Antirrhinum which are pollinator-friendly and are good for nature.
Conclusion
Summer bedding plants can be a great addition to your garden as long as you can grow them sustainably. These plants are easy to grow and can taken care of easily. Moreover, they can easily improve the overall appearance of any garden. So, make sure to add some of these plants to your list if you want to fill up those empty spaces in your garden.
FAQs
What are summer bedding plants?
Summer bedding plants are plants used to cover empty spaces in gardens to improve their appeal. These are easy-to-grow plants that last only for one season.
Which summer bedding plant has the longest flowering period?
Begonias has the longest flowering time among many summer bedding plants. Their blooms can last from Summer to the first frost.
Which fertilizer is the best for summer bedding plants?
It is recommended to use a potassium-based slow-release fertilizer to promote flowering in these plants.
Raghav is a talented content writer with a passion to create informative and interesting articles. With a degree in English Literature, Raghav possesses an inquisitive mind and a thirst for learning. Raghav is a fact enthusiast who loves to unearth fascinating facts from a wide range of subjects. He firmly believes that learning is a lifelong journey and he is constantly seeking opportunities to increase his knowledge and discover new facts. So make sure to check out Raghav’s work for a wonderful reading.
