Can you recommend some prolific spreaders?

[ShowOfHands]

Jordan of the plant world if you will.

I started a flowerbed from scratch last year and it's getting there but would like recommendations of some more re-seeders or plants that will spread and fill the gaps. The aquilegia are doing well and have multiplied nicely, fuchsias doing similarly but would like some variety.

Big flowers preferred. Nice and bright. We have lots of little flowers. We also have lavender, gladioli, giant daisies and lupins in if there's anything that would go well or really wouldn't. Oh and sunflowers doing nicely along the back.

Sounding good already!

One thing to do - this really does work - is to go to your local village fete / church fete / school fete and buy plants from the plant stall there. The logic behind this is that people there will sell things that have multiplied easily in the specific conditions of your area, so they'll like your soil type, be frost hardy, etc etc.

You do need to watch out that this isn't too successful, though.

Frankly, the amount that you've already got suggests to me that you only want extra plants for a couple of years, while your fuschias and lavender bulk up. Don't forget how large plants grow within a year or two!

Oh that IS a good idea. Village fete is on Sunday and they usually have a plant stall. I hear tell that they do a plant exchange monthly in the village hall too.

We do have rather a patchy bit quite far from the fuchsias and lavender which are on the other side of the bed so I think I need 2 or 3 more plants.

I have a fairly self sufficient plant that I can offer at the exchange but I don't know what it's called. I always knew it as the magic plant as a child but I actually don't know what it is. Might try googling.

A neighbour has offered a lilac cutting. Not sure as my parents' have two lilacs and they're monsters. That said, I'd like a magnolia which could become equally epic.

Oh there's too much choice.

Japanese anemone - pink pale pink or white flowers, about 3 feet tall when flowering, spreads very generously.

Any poppies will seed freely and pop up around the garden next year (like aquilegia)

GrendelsMum, what you have said is so true. I donated loads of lupins, bronze fennel and strawberry plants to our church plant stall. Did feel a little bit guilty when I saw people innocently carrying them home
The use of little feathery bits of bronze fennel in some of those Chelsea show gardens made me laugh out loud, the whole thing would me llike a jungle within weeks. Don't get me wrong, I love bronze fennel, but it is a back-of-the-border thug.
(Eyes the sedum she bought at church plant sale with renewed suspicion)

Opium poppies are really prolific but you may hate me next year when you end up with 5 billion seedlings from just one plant. Alchemilla mollis is good as well but doesn't really have big flowers- you might prefer nigella, antirrhinum, evening primrose and nasturtiums.

I am a very lazy gardener so I like lots of plants that you don't need to do anything with I have quite heavy clay soil but all the aforementioned plants are doing really well.

Irises do it in my garden. I have a few spare billion hanging out in the shed.

Thank you for your suggestions. I am making a list and having a look online for soil, flowering, care info. I am such a lazy gardener too. I like weeding and watering but prefer plants that take care of themselves. Or vegetables. I like antirrhinum though, beautiful colours. Nasturtiums I don't like much, in the same way I don't like geraniums. It's their leaves I think.

And google reveals that the plant my mother always referred to as 'the magic plant' is... Evening Primrose! Explains the nickname methinks.

Oh x-posted. Irises! Remind me of my Grandma's garden.

Have added to my list.

Moomin, I'd be very happy if lupins self seeded all over my garden. The snails get them before they ever flower.

evening primrose
hollyhocks are good for back of border and will self seed and look glorious!
Sweetpeas - there is a perennial variety with pinky/purple flowers. you will need to construct an appealing wigwag to support them though.
marigolds - the calendula variety - huge, showy cheerful orange and yellow flowers which are nice picked and can be used in bun mix to create a lovely spicy scented 'flower-fairy ' buns...and will self -seed massively!

Osteospurnum/African daisy, comes in many colours, most are hardy now and they are evergreen. Long flowering season, cut off dead blooms and they flower repeatedly well into November down south. Not tall so will not blot out your beauties.

How about Verbena Bonariensis. Gorgeous tall waving stems with lilac flowers that bees and butterflies adore. Love clay but will grow pretty much anywhere I think. Also fab self-seeders.