Vibrant, conventional flowering plants are outdated - opt for these resilient, wildlife-attracting alternatives for your garden instead.
Embrace a revitalized take on bedding plants with these enchanting, Pollinator-friendly alternatives! No more buttoned-up, compact summer displays! Instead, let loose, naturalistic beauty reign supreme in your garden!
Feeling bored with vibrant annuals like petunias, busy lizzies, begonias, and bedding geraniums? We've got you covered! It's high time for a fresh perspective – ditch the clashing styles and opt for these alternatives instead!
- Erigeron karvinskianus: This versatile first-year flowering perennial steals the show in rows or window boxes, thanks to self-seeding and a pollinator-friendly attitude. Height and spread: 30cm x 1m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 6a-9b. Recommended by Sarah Raven
- Pelargonium 'Shrubland Rose': Flowers till Christmas when brought indoors! Drought-tolerant with easy deadheading, this beauty stands at 90cm x 45cm. USDA 9b-11. Recommended by Sarah Raven
- Thunbergia alata 'African Sunset': A fabulous, self-sowing annual climber offering long-lasting blooms and a feast for pollinators! Height and spread: 1.8m x 90cm. RHS H2. Recommended by Sarah Raven
- Dahlia Bishop's Children (mixed): These easy-grow seeds tower over nearby Verbena rigida, creating an eye-catching display that butterflies and bees love. Height and spread: 90cm x 75cm. RHS H3. Recommended by Sarah Raven
Read more: Sarah Raven picks her seven favorite dahlias.
- Heliotropium arborescens 'Reva': A scent-packed shrub that's perfect for hot spots, water-conscious gardeners, and containers or beds near seating areas. Height and spread: 30cm x 45cm. Recommended by Steve Edney
- Oxalis triangularis 'Atropurpurea': This deep-purple foliage and soft-pink flower ground cover is a gem for winter indoor displays or summer gardens. Height and spread: 20cm x 30cm. USDA 7a-10b. Recommended by Steve Edney
- Monstera deliciosa: Give your houseplants a summer vacation! Monstera's dramatic foliage adds a unique touch to shady container displays, and it returns indoors once the weather cools. Height and spread: 1.5m x 50cm. Recommended by Steve Edney
- Coleus argentatus: Known for soft, silky, and silver leaves, Coleus argentatus is a superb choice for naturalistic filler plants. Height and spread: 60cm x 60cm. RHS H1C, USDA 10a-11. Recommended by Steve Edney
- Dahlia 'Wishes n Dreams': This dwarf bedding dahlia brings drama with dark leaves and magenta to sugar-pink flowers. Perfect for containers or flower borders. Single flowers are great for pollinating insects, and this flowers from July to the first frosts. Height and spread: 70cm x 30cm. RHS H3. Recommended by Steve Edney**
- Verbena rigida: A fantastic, hardy filler plant that thrives in shady containers. Height and spread: 60cm x 40cm. RHS H3, USDA 9a-10b. Recommended by Steve Edney
- Dianthus 'Amazon Neon Purple': Vibrant pink flowerheads and long stems make this Dianthus an excellent addition to colorful bedding combinations. seeds sown in February to March produce robust plants. Height and spread: 60cm x 45cm. AGM. RHS H4, USDA 4a-8b. Recommended by Coralie Thomas
- Salvia microphylla 'Cerro Potosi': A trio of salvias planted under roses to help ward off fungus, and flowers for months! Propagate from cuttings in late summer or early autumn. Height and spread: 90cm x 90cm. RHS H4. Recommended by Sarah Raven
- Cosmos bipinnatus 'Apricotta': A vigorous, new cosmos with pink-tinged flowers, great for playing with colors. Sow in May to plant out in June to continue the autumn-sown hardy annuals. Height and spread: 90cm x 45cm. RHS H3, USDA 2a-11. Recommended by Coralie Thomas
Discover the seven Best Cosmos to Grow.
- Salvia vitifolia: An unusual tuberous salvia boasting velvety green foliage, and incandescent blue flowers later in the summer. Can be grown from seed, cuttings or overwintered tubers. Height and spread: 1.8m x 1m. Recommended by Coralie Thomas
- Petunia exserta: A Brazilian native with unique star-shaped flowers and wiry stems, great as a scrambler for companions and topped with long tubular hazy red flowers with golden centers. Plant successively throughout the summer. Height and spread: 40cm x 25cm. Recommended by Coralie Thomas
- Browallia americana: A late-season annual that can be sown mid to late summer, offering decent blooms until the end of the season. Height and spread: 1m x 60cm. USDA 9a-10b. Recommended by Sarah Raven
- Pelargonium reniforme: Delicate leaf stalks with circular, cupped leaves form a low mound, shining in high light and heat levels. Offers cerise flowers from July to October. Height and spread: 40cm x 25cm. Recommended by Steve Edney
With these stunning alternatives in mind, create breathtaking and long-lasting summer displays – because it's high time for naturalistic charm to take center stage!
- Incorporate these pollinator-friendly bedding plant alternatives into your lifestyle for a revitalized take on home-and-garden gardening.
- Erigeron karvinskianus, a recommended choice by Sarah Raven, is a versatile flowering perennial that adds naturalistic beauty to gardens with its self-seeding and friendly attitude towards pollinators.
- The Dahlia 'Wishes n Dreams', recommended by Steve Edney, is a dwarf bedding dahlia that brings drama with its dark leaves and magenta to sugar-pink flowers, offering pollinators a feast from July to the first frosts.
- Enhance your gardens with plants like the Monstera deliciosa, which adds a unique touch to shady container displays and provides a summer vacation for houseplants.
