Cheap, colorful and effective

[LoveBeingCantThinkOfAName]

Ok so looking to spend a very small amount on a small amount of bedding plants. Just for a small border area but need to be cheap as chips, any ideas / recommendations?

Tia

Wa

Watching

Try local allotments. They often have plant sales. Garden centres are expensive.

I would go for lavender, pinks, etc. look nice and are hardy.

Try sowing seeds, cheaper than bedding and a better choice.
Cosmos/Californian poppies/Nigella/Cornflowers/Honesty are all cheap and easy to grow from seed.

Thanks, did think about seeds, would I need to grow them on or can I just chuck some seeds in?

You can direct sow all the above.
Prep the soil first - remove all weeds and rake the soil so the surface is a bit crumbly.
Sow the seeds according to instructions on packet and mark where you have sown what.
HAve a look here
www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=718

Bulbs

I've got a new garden and bulbs are really cheap in Poundland. 50 white flowering bulbs, 30 parrot lily things, peonies.

I just put the peonies in last week - I bought 3 and they're already pushing through the soil - they won't be fantastic for 3 years so not instant

In fact bulbs aren't instant obviously but they last a good while. I've got about 80 tulips up at the moment in a corner - been looking green and then flowering for over a month - ditto daffs, you get a month or so of colour for no work

If you plant properly then you get bulbs that follow on in sequence so I've got tulips daffs and early alliums at the moment - as we go through May and June the big alliums will come, they look amazing for months - schuberti, giant purples etc.

On my allotment last year I planted them in between all the veg and they looked fab

Bulbs good idea though bit slow to reap results.
Seedlings/small plants are a good option if seeds worry you - much easier to raise but of course cost more.