Bright and colourful mixtures of plants in pots, hanging baskets and beds and borders can make an impressive spring and summer statement in your garden.
Experimenting with seasonal plants is fun! However, we recognise that a lot of people appreciate a little bit of guidance with their creation and their choice of plants…
When planting containers and hanging baskets, there is a proven formula for success: “Focus, Fill & Flow”.
“Focus”
This provides the height, focus and ‘wow’ in the middle or back of the planter. There is a wide choice! Upright Fuchsias, non-stop Begonias, Arctotis, Marguerites, Nicotiana, Euryops, Cosmos, Osteospermums, Regal Pelargoniums, Geraniums, New Guinea Impatiens, Salvias, Coleus, Gaura. Cordylines also make great centrepieces with its extravagant fountain of foliage.
“Fill”
These are the flowers and foliage around the “Thriller” that are used to fill out the container with colour, zest and interest. These medium-sized varieties should be planted around your focus plant to fill the main space of the container or basket. Nemesia, Petunias, Dianthus, Diascia, Dwarf Dahlia, Ageratum, Bush Lobelia, Alyssum, Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’, to name but a few. In practice some of the “Focus” such as Geraniums in larger planters can be used as the “Fillers”.
“Flow”
Plants that flow and spill out and tumble down over the edge and the side of the container, they create an avalanche of colour. What a choice! Mini-trailing Petunias, Trailing Geraniums, Trailing Fuchsias, Cascade Lobelia, Dicondra ‘Silver Falls’, Trailing Begonia, Helichrysum, Bacopa, Verbena, Scavola, Brachyscome, Bidens. A truly amazing “Flow” plant is Tradescantia ‘Purple Sabre’.
Much like making a cake, it is easy to follow a simple recipe for success using the “Focus, Fill, Flow” principle.
How to Plant a Basket or Container with Bedding Plants
1. Choose the Right Basket
- Use a wire basket with a liner (coco or moss), or a solid plastic hanging basket with drainage holes.
- For wire baskets, line the bottom and halfway up the sides to support side planting.
2. Add Drainage & Compost
- Place a small layer of crocks or pebbles at the base for drainage.
- Fill halfway with quality multi-purpose compost, ideally mixed with water-retaining gel and slow-release fertiliser.
3. Plant Around the Sides (Optional)
- Carefully cut slits in the liner and insert trailing plants like Bacopa, Lobelia, or Petunia Surfinia from the outside.
- Gently ease the root balls into place and fill in gaps with compost.
4. Plant the Top Layer
- Add your upright centrepiece (like Dianthus, Coleus, or Cosmos) in the middle.
- Surround with trailing or filler plants for a full look – think Begonias, Nemesia, or Osteospermum.
5. Fill & Firm
- Top up with compost, firming gently around each plant. Leave a small gap from the rim for watering.
6. Water Well
- Soak thoroughly after planting and hang in a sheltered, sunny spot.
- Water daily in warm weather – baskets dry out quickly!
7. Feed & Deadhead
- Feed every 1–2 weeks with liquid fertiliser.
- Pinch off faded blooms to keep plants flowering all summer long.
Planting a border with bedding plants is a great way to add instant colour and seasonal interest. Here’s a simple step-by-step guide…
How to Plant a Border with Bedding Plants
1. Plan Your Colour Scheme
Decide on a theme – bold and bright, soft pastels, or a harmonious mix. Think about how the colours will work together and how they’ll look from a distance.
2. Choose Your Plants
Pick a mix of heights, textures and flowering times. For example:
- Front of the border: Low growers like Petunias, Lobelia, Alyssum or Bacopa.
- Middle: Medium height plants like Begonias, Dianthus, or Cosmos.
- Back: Taller varieties like Cosmos (1 Litre), Salvia, or Nicotiana.
3. Prepare the Soil
- Remove weeds and dig over the soil.
- Mix in compost or well-rotted manure for added nutrients.
- Rake level and firm lightly.
4. Lay Out Your Plants
Place the pots on the soil where you plan to plant them before digging. This lets you see the spacing and balance. Aim for odd numbers and gentle groupings for a more natural look.
5. Plant
- Gently remove plants from their pots.
- Tease out roots if they’re pot-bound.
- Plant at the same depth they were growing in the pot.
- Firm the soil gently around them.
6. Water Thoroughly
Give everything a good soak after planting, and continue to water regularly, especially during dry spells.
7. Feed and Deadhead
- Use a liquid feed every couple of weeks to keep blooms coming.
- Remove faded flowers to encourage more blooms.
Jon, our Horticultural Manager’s, Top Tips:
Add some evergreen structure (like small shrubs or ornamental grasses (e.g. Ornamental Millet Pennisetum glaucum ‘Purple Majesty’) to keep the border interesting when bedding plants fade at the end of the season.
Always use good quality compost as the growing media for your plants!
You get what you pay for and we recommend our own formula Coolings Peat Free Multipurpose Compost. A million award winning plants home-produced in it by us on our nursery every year is hopefully recommendation enough! Mixing water retaining crystals (such as AquaGel) into your compost before planting helps to provide moisture which is released when needed.
Coolings’ First for Choice & Quality
At Coolings we know our plants because we grow our plants! We have our own on-site nursery and 100 years’ experience in the business of bringing colour into our customers’ lives. We are renowned for our huge range of quality homegrown plants. Our production nursery team pots and plants around 50,000 bedding plants per week in April’s peak weeks, which includes over 350 varieties of seasonal bedding and patio plants to ensure we can fill your garden with colour.
The majority of the patio plants in our homegrown pot ranges are produced from cuttings rather than seed. This ensures each plant is genetically identical to the parent and all perform the same, to ensure the best performance in your garden.
Coolings plants from our own nurseries are sold as ‘Soon to Bloom’ at point of bud, ensuring they establish well and save the main show for you and your garden! 