Can I plant flowers straight into the ground?!

[MardyMavis]

Maybe being a bit thick but I don't have a clue, have prepared a border etc but you know the plants you buy from Homebase etc in the black pots, I normally put them into my planters are there any I can plant straight into the ground?
I've googled but nothing!

Yeah you can plant straight into ground, just put a couple of handfuls of compost in the hole first. You’ll just need to dig them out at the end of the year and replace them next spring. If you go to a garden centre you could get plants that would last more than one year if you prefer.

Make sure you water them after planting.

😲 Yes, that's what they're for. How is planting them in a planter any different to the ground?

Thank you

It depends what plants you are buying - not everything needs to be taken out and replaced each year. If you put annuals in like geraniums then they generally dont make it through winter and will need replacing but if you put perennials in like lavender then they can stay in the ground all the time and will get bigger each year.

Yes of course - and the garden centre with label stuff with ”annual” if you might need to replace it (although many annuals self seed and turn up everywhere) or ”perennial” if you can expect it to continue to grow. I'd just pay attention to whether it can take a shady or fully sunny spot or not, because you can't really move plants around once planted in the ground.

Yep, you can. They are usually bedding plants that only last one season though.