What to plant now?

[Allmyarseandpeggymartin]

Most of my summer bedding seems to have run out of steam and is looking very leggy.

I’m planning to stick some daffodils/tulips in - can i plant anything over the top to give a bit of autumnal colour?

I’ve got a mixture of pots/large planters to fill

Thanks all

check out what's available in the garden centres at the moment - pansies in particular do well over winter.

Or plant up in greens - grasses, small shrubs?

Thanks purple

So bulbs, then pansies/greenery?

Will I need to do anything with the soil in the planters? I can top up with compost but should I mulch?

Agree with PP, most people plant pansies or violas on top of their bulbs over winter, you can also eat the flowers

Thanks for this thread OP, I'm stuck with what to plant atm too.

So pansies and violas over bulbs for winter- but I'm thinking it's not winter yet? So I need to wait before planting them?

Pansies and villas are the most popular choice but you can find small conifers and heathers available now that will stay green no matter what the winter throws at them. Any evergreens can be planted in autumn but obviously be aware some can be expensive so only buy if you want to keep them after winter . Pansies , heathers etc can be discarded in spring . Plant your bulbs underneath them to come up through them . Evergreen fern sand grasses can also work well in winter pots .

Ive just bought pansies, heather and cyclamen.

So pansies and violas over bulbs for winter- but I'm thinking it's not winter yet? So I need to wait before planting them?

I think they're better planted while the soil is still warm and they can grow - but deadhead them thoroughly to keep them flowering.
We've been avoiding all shopping, even garden centres - I've kept last years pansies and violas going.

Thanks everyone - I’d forgotten about cyclamen and I love those.

They're gorgeous little things. There are 2 types - some of mine are blooming now, others will come in the spring.

I am also planting wallflowers. They will just be green things for most of the winter but will be beautiful in spring .I have ordered some bare rooted ones (Persian carpet, gorgeous) to plant straight away but you can buy plug plants, grow them on a bit in pots for a couple of weeks then plant them where you want them. There is also the perennial Bowles wallflower , which is purple.

Smart people of course grow their own from seed.........

Agree that winter flowering pansies are lovely things, and once they are growing well they just keep going. They seem to put up with most weathers. There is something very heartwarming about cyclamen too, you forget they are there and then one day , hello, remember us?

PS if you are buying cyclamen in flower it's worth getting funny looks by giving them a sniff, some are scented but it seems a bit random as even the ones grown by the million for garden centres will sometimes have a fragrance ( sadly mostly not)

@viques

PS if you are buying cyclamen in flower it's worth getting funny looks by giving them a sniff, some are scented but it seems a bit random as even the ones grown by the million for garden centres will sometimes have a fragrance ( sadly mostly not)

That applies to violas and primulas too.

Glad it's not just me!

I also need something to go in my pots on the porch. Do violas and pansies need lots of water? I am usually keen on hardy flowers because I can't be bothered to take the watering can out every evening!

Is it an enclosed porch? I don't think pansies would do very well in an indoorish position. If it is enclosed I would be thinking about something like indoor paper white narcissi, amaryllis or indoor hyacinths.

If your porch is more open then the pansy viola option would be lovely, maybe under planted with some small tulips, grape hyacinths or miniature daffodils. A bit of ivy trailing down looks good too. Re the watering, I would get hold of couple of 2l drinks bottles and use them for watering . Have them ready in the porch, water when the plants look as though they need it or the compost seems very dry , deadhead the flowers at the same time to keep them producing new ones , then take them in, refill and leave for next time.

It's an open porch - I will go to the garden centre and get some pansies. Thank you!