Autumn/winter bedding plants

[snozzlemaid]

I'm clueless with regard to gardening so need help please.
I've got two small flower beds that are south facing. I've had some bedding plants in there over the summer but now they've died off I need to replace them.
What could I buy to plant now that will give some colour over the autumn and winter?
I usually just leave them empty but I'm sure I could make them look much nicer.

Pansies, Viola ( the smaller looking pansies) and cyclamen. Just look in the garden centre or supermarket at autumn bedding plants. You could try some heathers they like dry soil, but I've never had any luck with them.

Definitely Violas! I got some at Aldi over the weekend and got rid of my sorry looking summer bedding plants 😀

Great thanks.
Probably going to Aldi later so will look out for your suggestions.

You could try some heathers they like dry soil Natural habit for heathers, at least the ones from which most of our garden varieties are derived, is upland acid soils "heathland" which tends to be moist, and Erica tertralix likes it distinctly boggy - you can use it in the hills to work out which bits of ground are going to be a bit soft to walk across. They do like to be in the open, not overshadowed.

@MereDintofPandiculation that's probably where I've been going wrong then. Just seen a few of the small painted heather being rolled out for autumn at the garden centre. I see the natural version growing wild where we walk the dog, it's quite sandy underfoot, but yes very open. The gardens around here are new build rubble with top soil clay base though. The heathers just seem to die even in south facing bed, but I think those painted ones are just for one season. My lavender is still growing strong.