Bedding for quickest results

[fernsandlilies]

We’ve got lots of DH family coming for the day and I just realised it’s in 4 weeks time.

I want to put pretty pots around the garden. Which bedding plants do you think would put on a good display in 4 weeks? Shall I start feeding them immediately? Any other tips for a stunning display quickly?

Petunias and pelargoniums

I would say plants that are already in flower from the garden centre like geraniums, pansies, impatiens, petunias and begonias etc. They flower all summer long and don’t need lots of attention. Look great when first potted up too.

Nemesia Wisley Vanilla - smells amazing!

Cosmos.

Great suggestions, thank you

Lots of good suggestions already but on the feeding bit: yes, start feeding immediately. I use ready made Miracle gro (the yellow bottle) in my window boxes, a couple of capfuls once a week or two weeks, and they are looking very cheerful and are covered in flowers. Don’t forget to deadhead regularly so they keep flowering.

Anything available now should be of a decent size and well hardened off. I'd actually recommend chopping them back pretty hard right now so they have new fresh growth and lots of new flowers in a few weeks. If I had time to do them properly like this at work (about 15k plants in greenhouse right now), they'd be so much healthier, better shape, more stems to flower, easier to work with, easier to water

More great tips, thanks.
I loaded up on petunias, antirrhinums and trailing nepeta, just hope they survive the slugs and snails long enough 🐌. If only the snails would eat the right bits to amount to chopping back!

Yes we are besieged too but I find at least I can spot them if I've cut stuff back

And beer traps or hand picking are possibly the only really effective options 🤢🤢