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5 months 3 days ago

Colour is what most people are drawn to in a garden and should be tactfully incorporated into your design for maximum impact. For glorious, instant gratification - nothing beats bedding plants; and just a few trays of seedlings will transform your garden into a kaleidoscope of brilliant colour. Colour will also enhance the visibility of your business and bold floral plantings can be changed seasonally to continually attract attention. Colour will also add value to your home if you are hoping to sell, and can be used to effectively brighten up a dull garden for special occasions like weddings or other functions. If strategically placed where they will have the most impact, pots will transform any area of your garden; and many bedding plants grow beautifully in containers. A few groupings of flowering pots and hanging baskets will instantly add a warm and welcoming touch to entrances, patios and other areas.

Because February can be a very hot month in most regions of the country, and the weather unpredictable, most gardeners don’t even think about their winter garden until it’s almost too late to sow and plant. Some gardeners may even wonder if it’s worth the effort and expense of planting a winter garden; but this need not be expensive; and to get the most out of your plants and your budget, you need to plan and prepare for winter now. If you need colour right now to take you through to autumn; visit your garden centre to select some instant colour seedling bags.

As your summer garden slowly starts to fade, keep on watering and deadheading your summer flowers and perennials to keep them neat and blooming for longer, but slowly start making space and preparing your beds, borders or pots for winter plants. Most bedding plants need well drained soil to thrive and thorough soil preparation is vital; so start by digging the bed over thoroughly. Add generous quantities of compost or other organic matter and a handful of bone meal to each square meter of bed. Leave the beds fallow until planting time in March or April. For pots, use a very well drained potting mixture and add some bone meal.

If you are planting a mixture of various varieties, remember to group plants together which have the same watering requirements. Water newly planted seedlings regularly until they become established; and don’t forget to water those growing in the shade of trees because they compete with the tree roots for both water and nutrients. Dense trees also prevent a lot of rainwater from actually reaching the ground.

Once the soil temperatures have dropped significantly you can start to sow or plant out your trays of seedlings. Remember to water the beds and the trays of seedlings thoroughly the day before planting or sowing. Always plant in the cool of the afternoon; and to avoid damaging the seedlings, gently coax them out of their trays by pushing them out from below. Another common mistake gardeners make is to plant their seedlings too deep; never bury the stems of seedlings or cover their crowns with soil as this can cause them to rot. Water well after transplanting and keep the soil moist but not soggy until they are established.

Some winter seedlings are hardier to frost and cold temperatures than others; and some are more suited to humid climates than others, so ensure that you select those perfect for your region and buy your seedlings from a reputable garden centre.

African or Namaqualand daisies are so prolific if grown if full sun that the leaves are almost invisible when the blooms appear. Their flowers come in the traditional bright orange and yellow; as well as many pastel shades and pure white. Sow them en masse directly into large beds, rockeries or borders for hassle-free colour.Alyssum remains one of the most popular bedding plants for full sun because it is low maintenance and long flowering. Its honey scented flower spikes are available in lovely in shades of pink, rose, purple, mauve, white and yellow. Alyssum mixes beautifully with other flowering plants in hanging baskets, window boxes and all manner of containers; and makes a great border plant.
Bellis perennis or English daisy is loved for its bright-green leaves and double daisy flowers in all shades of pink to rose, scarlet and white. It is wonderful for semi shade and grows easily in pots. It is also a lovely border plant and grows well in woodland or pebble gardens.Bokbaai vygies thrive in very hot beds in full sun and are unrivalled for their multitude of dazzling, brightly coloured flowers. They are hardy rockery and border plants and if planted en masse, make a striking groundcover. They are perfect to use in hanging baskets and containers of all kinds in hot areas; like sunny patios and driveways.
Iceland poppies are easy-to-grow in full sun and will flower all winter and spring if you nip out very first flowers and continually deadhead thereafter. They are available in bright and pastel shades of red, pink, yellow, orange, cream and white, as well as bicoloured varieties. They combine beautifully with most winter flowering annuals and make a fantastic backdrop for spring flowering bulbs.Nemesias can be planted in full sun or light shade and are grown for their masses of small snapdragon-like flowers with intense colours, like gold, yellow, orange, rose, pink, peach, red and white. They grow beautifully in containers and make a colourful border plant. Planted in massed displays they make a spectacular show.
Pansies and violas are timeless winter and spring flowering favourites for full sun and come in a staggering range of bright or pastel shades. They are perfect planted in hanging baskets and containers of all kinds and combine beautifully with spring flowering bulbs for a brilliant display.Petunias love full sun and are available in an outstanding array of colours; making perfect centrepieces to mixed plantings in pots, hanging baskets and window boxes. They are also excellent border plants and if planted in mass, will provide brilliant colour for months on end. The cascading varieties are wonderful in hanging baskets.
Primulas remain firm favourites for the shade with their masses of delicate flowers in delightful shades of lilac, purple, pink, carmine-red and white. They are beautiful in window boxes, hanging baskets and pots; and their delicate flowers make a striking edging plant; putting on a brilliant show if displayed in massed flowerbeds. Combined with spring flowering bulbs they will give you months and months of pleasure.Snapdragons love full sun and are available in dwarf, tall and even trailing varieties; and are available in nearly every available flower colour, or bicolour, including red, bronze, yellow, orange, pink, purple, cream and white. They are wonderful in the mixed flower border and the dwarf varieties make excellent edging plants. Plant them in window boxes, hanging baskets and containers of all sizes.

"Growing Bedding Plants in South Africa" e-book is written especially for South African gardeners and covers everything you need to know about growing your own seedlings. All 78 pages are packed with useful information; like the best planting and sowing times for each variety, as well as ideal germination temperatures and days to flowering.This e-book is easy to understand, yet includes everything you need to know about successfully sowing and growing beautiful bedding plants in South Africa. I hope it will inspire you to create a beautiful flower garden, no matter how large or small.

Whether you sow your own seeds or buy seedlings from your garden centre, you will find growing bedding plants a most rewarding hobby.

www.gardeninginsouthafrica.co.za

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