THERE’S been a lot of talk about bedding plants recently.
Rebranded as ‘Seasonal Interest’ they’ve annoyed some folk in the gardening industry because of environmental concerns.
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You’ll know them better as those lovely flowers in garden centres and supermarkets that bring an instant burst of colour to your outside space – like petunias, marigolds, begonias, nemesia, cosmos and lobelia.
Often you’ll buy them in plugs to plant straight into the soil before the frost sets in.
Naysayers reckon that because they’re not perennial, need a lot of watering and are bred in greenhouses – which use lots of energy – they’re bad for the environment.
But there’s one man in particular who couldn’t have loved them more – holding firm in the face of all the negative comments.
Sun Gardening Editor Peter Seabrook took on Floral Fantasia at RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Essex back in 2019 and right up until his death was championing bedding plants.
I was lucky enough to visit recently and was overwhelmed with the astonishing array of beautiful planting – showcasing swathes of stunning colours and species – which are crucially all affordable.
“‘We sell smiles’ is what Peter would have said,” Mike Smith, chair of the Floral Fantasia Working Group told me.
“His vision was to be ‘the centre of excellence for seasonal plants’ and although we’re not quite there yet – we’re definitely on our way.
“When I first came to Hyde Hall I was in awe of the gardens there, but appreciate they’re quite overwhelming to try and recreate in the average garden that is less than 15 metres square.
“We want to inspire people to have a go, show them something achievable – and this is where the Seasonal Interest comes in.
“They’re not grown in peat any more, they bring happiness to the consumer and they’re manageable.
“But also, it’s worth recognising that ornamental growers add over £1bn to the economy.
“Alan Titchmarsh agreed with Peter, and said after he died: ‘We all need to take up the baton from him to keep fighting our corner and explain what this means and how important horticulture is and it’s value to the British economy.’
“And that’s what we’re trying to do. We’re showing visitors to Hyde Hall the latest UK plants – and we’re celebrating Fleuroselect’s Year of the Begonia with over 150 varieties being trialled in beds and containers – they’re a stunning splash of colour.
“The public get to see all manner of cultivars that they’ve never seen before and everyone comes out smiling.”
Peter’s son Roger Seabrook told Sun Gardening: “‘Floral Fantasia at RHS Hyde Hall meant so much to Dad – he saw the garden as a way to show what could be achieved with seasonal planting and to inspire people to get growing, however small their space.
“He put a huge amount of energy into championing Floral Fantasia and rolled his sleeves up to spend long hours working in the garden himself.
“For this reason it’s a special place for our family and it’s just fantastic to see it looking so vibrant and colourful.
“I’m sure that Dad would have been delighted to see the progress made, a testament to all the hard work of those involved over the years.’
Tim Kerley, of Kerley Plants, Cambridge, which provides blooms for Floral Fantasia added: “They’re bright, cheery flowers that will put a smile on your face all summer long! Modern varieties are low maintenance and thrive in our varied climate.
“They’re great for your mind and pollinators -all for the price of a cup of coffee.”
Annual chrysanthemum’s are also considered bedding plants. And they’re a fantastic way of bringing colour to your garden in Autumn when everything is dying back a bit.
Lidl has one on sale for £1.99 from next Saturday and it’s going to be my cheap secret weapon to bring colour to my outside space.
Also in Veronica’s Column this week
News, top tips, plant of the week and a firepit competition
For more top tips and gardening content follow me @biros_and_bloom
NEWS! THE Cuprinol Shed of the Year results are in – and the winner is engineer Mike Robinson from South East London with his spectacular shed, ‘The Tiny Workshop.
Designed to slot neatly into a garden with limited room, it wowed judges with its imaginative use of space. With off-the-shelf sheds too big for his plot, Mike built the shed using two sets of heavy-duty steel shelving, bolted together and clad with wood’
Two doors flap open at the bottom and top to provide flooring and handy rain protection, with a smart overhanging green roof to store garden tools and welcome nature to the garden.
Mike wins this year’s top prize of an overnight nature getaway, £1,000 cash and £250 of Cuprinol product.
TOP TIP! Time to start thinking about feeding the birds in your garden a little bit more. And Alex Gill, founder of Awesome Wildlife Company, has some unusual advice.
“By providing food and shelter now, we can give birds, hedgehogs, and insects the best possible chance of thriving through the winter, and in turn, we get to enjoy a garden full of life.
“Both dried and fresh fruit works. Apples and pears are very popular with garden birds. If you do choose to put any spare fruit that you might have out, make sure it’s fresh as mouldy fruit isn’t good for birds.
“Dried fruits, like Raisins, are also well loved by some bird’s species. Just remember to be careful and avoid if you have a dog, as raisins are toxic to dogs.
He added: “During the colder months, birds benefit from high-energy foods, such as sunflower seeds, peanuts, mealworms, and suet. These kinds of foods help them build up their fat reserves so that they can survive the colder months.”
NEWS! THE CANNA UK National Giant Vegetables Championship will be taking place at the Malvern Autumn Show next weekend. It showcases some unbelievably large vegetables – which often break Guinness World records. Taking place at the Three Counties Showground, Malvern, you’ll also get the chance to see talks by Monty Don, Adam Frost, August Bernstein, and RHS Ambassador Manoj Malde. And there will be fabulous flowers, plants, bulbs, seeds, tools and equipment to marvel at.
NEWS! BBC TV presenter, keen gardener and National Garden Scheme Ambassador, Fiona Bruce will host a very special National Garden Scheme Ask the Experts event at the Royal Geographical Society, London on Tuesday 2nd December at 7pm. Answering a range of pre-submitted audience questions and covering all aspects of gardens and gardening will be a panel including Arit Anderson, Danny Clarke, Rachel de Thame, Joe Swift.
NEWS! There’s a beautiful new book called The Essential Guide to Bulbs, by Jenny Rose Carey, coming out next month. Published on October 16th by Timber Press, its a fabulous guide to growing bulbs all year round in gardens and containers. The pictures are gorgeous and it’s really informative too, it would make a lovely present for the Gardener in your life.
WIN! As the evenings draw in – warm up with an eco-friendly, low carbon Eco Fuego fire pit worth £179.99 and a wax refill worth £26.99. To enter visit www.thesun.co.uk/ECOFIREPIT or write to Sun Eco Firepit competition, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP. Include your name, age, email or phone. UK residents 18+ only. Entries close 11.59pm. October 4, 2025. T&Cs apply
PLANT OF THE WEEK! “Verbena Officinalis Bampton” Still flowering now – it’s an unusual looking bushy drought-resistant perennial with small purple flowers on the end of wiry branches. Prefers full sun, south facing borders.
TOP TIP! Raise your pots now to prevent waterlogging – you don’t have to pay for proper feet – you can use bottle caps, coasters, tiles, bricks, or even logs cut to size. There just needs to be drainage space under the pot.