Bedding Plants to be in Flower in June

My daughter has had a "garden" at school for the last couple of years. They are generally a bit dismal, and often more done by the parents than the children. Seems daft buying a whole load of bedding plants ... they break up early-ish in July, so the thing needs to be functional during June.

So last year, after the "garden" was all planted up, we decided that (this year) growing the School Crest would be as good a plan as any, and would probably be well received by many.

So ... what can I get to grow by then?

The colours needed are as per attached image.

 

Potatoes ?

 

Will any of these flower before July?

All are less than 12" tall

Ageratum Blue Mink


Tagetes Lemon Gem


Salvia Oasis


Lobellia White Lady

 

The Bedding Plant Expert says yes to all but only just so sow NOW!:WINK1:

 

Half term next week ... so that's OK, the Little Helper will be able to say she did it herself

Are there any better selections of plants available, do you think?

 

Hi Kristen

You could do all three colours with bedding Lobelia. Some good Blues and Whites the Red would not be as vivid as Salvia but you would get an even hieght.

Begonia semperflorens would also give you a good white and red then use blue lobelia ,and again the hieghts would be fairly even .

Would you be allowed to buy seedlings? or do you have to sow the seeds yourslves?,buying the seedlings would gain you some extra growing time as opposed to having to sow ..

Dave

 

Thanks Dave. "Buying" is fine, but that's what all the other parents (Mums with noting better to do with their time, and the wrong sort of "competiveness" to my way of thinking - so I thought that "we grew our own" would send them a much more subtle message!!

I did consider carpet-bedding - we'd be able to have to School Moto wording etc. which I doubt we will get with bedding plants - but that rather breaks my "grown your own" rule! No idea what the cost is either, probably horrific! [link]

I wasn't that keen on Savlia - its the wrong shape mixed in with the others, I'll look at Lobelia, thanks.

Note that there are 4 colours - I can't work out what the "straw" colour is. On the website its all stylised, so not sure if it is Gold or even Silver, but there is white too.[hr]
Hmmm ... may have spoken too soon in carpet bedding - here's a grow-your-own guide

http://www.wikihow.com/Create-Carpet-Bedding-for-the-Garden
[hr]
Hmmm ... and another .... describing the importance of Foliage, rather than Flower, for carpet bedding

http://www.simplywaterbutts.co.uk/Carpet-Bedding.html

 

Hi Kristen,

Just a quick response, but I attemped Salvia from seed last year (Blaze of Fire) and they only began flowering Late July - August. I did sow my seed late March so

is probably good advice

 

yes, that's a good point, they are not the fastest to mature. (Although there are some very expensive F1 seeds available labelled "early flowering" ... if the seed catalogues are to be believed, but I tend to take the F1 marketing bonanza with a bit of a pitch of salt these days ...

 

True carpet bedding would look great but it would take a lot of time and expense ..And it is truely foliage which needs clipping and shaping on a fairly regular basis .. Finding some colours is also difficult ..

Lobelia will flower well over a long period, and you could grow in various sized modules to suit your needs.

Dave

 

Thanks

Wasn't sure what you meant about this bit:

could you clarify? I normal grow all plants singly in 3" pots (e.g. for tubs and urns) and then plant out from there. I don't use modules much as they seem to get a lot of disturbance during planting out.

 

If you happy to use 3in pots they would be fine ,I just use a lot of modules as well as pots ..Personal choice..

Look forward to seeing the finished garden display ..

Dave

 

Good idea! We'll have an open day - proceeds just for school funds, of course ...

 

First job when the little one breaks up for half term on Friday then! Wish me luck against the combined purchasing might of the Mummies on the school run!