Winter bedding plants for beautiful colour

I could not be without some winter bedding plants each year and here are some reasons why they deserve to be grown.

Firstly, they can provide some nectar and pollen for pollinators, and as a gardener for wildlife, this is very important for me.

Secondly, they brighten up the garden during an often cold and dreary winter, raising the spirits by bringing some colour back into the world.

Thirdly, they give us a jolly good reason to get out in the garden and get some fresh air and have a stroll.

Finally, they can be grown in borders, pots, hanging baskets and window boxes and need minimal attention.

Here are a few of my favourite winter bedding plants to share with you

Three cheers for the pansy

First up is the fabulous pansy. One of the most popular winter bedding plants, and one of my absolute favourites too.

Who can resist the cheerful happy faces of a pansy? Such a boon to wellbeing over a dreary winter I always think.

I grow my winter pansies in the front of my flower borders and also in some pots of peat free compost. They can also look fabulous in window boxes and hanging baskets.

I adore the purple varieties and look forward to choosing more every autumn. Additionally, a large quantity of orange too as I cannot resist purple and orange winter displays. How tremendously zingy!

Pansies are fantastic winter bedding plants that need minimal attention after planting. Some water in dry weather if planted in pots, window boxes or hanging baskets. In addition, some deadheading as the flowers fade.

The photo at the top of this post shows pansies still in flower in late spring. They continue to flower for months, and if cut back as they get straggly, you can often get a fresh flush of flowers.

Finally, if you need another reason to grow these little beauties, they provide nectar and pollen for the early bees.

Pretty Polyanthus

Next, I have chosen polyanthus, part of the primula group. I love these small plants as they give such a bright splash of colour in the garden and in pots.

I have chosen a photo of a polyanthus in late December last year, flowering merrily in my garden, through the rain and cold weather.

Besides, this strident pink flower, they are available in yellow, white, red and my all time favourite, purple plus some multicoloured types too.

With leaves that are evergreen, the plants are visible all year round. My polyanthus often flowers all year round, just needing a snip when the blooms fade, ready for a new batch of blooms.

A lovely little flower which will grow in dappled shade or full sun, so suitable for fronts of borders or pots. Additionally, if you keep the plants well watered, they can be grown in pots indoors.

I have read that the variety, Gold Lace is a particular favourite with bees and butterflies so I will search for this one or other Lace varieties. Black petals with a golden eye sounds fabulous to me.

Bright cheery Violas

Another type of extremely popular winter bedding plants is the lovely viola.

 Violas look very similar to the fantastic pansy, with the same bright, cheery faces.

However, they usually have smaller blooms than pansies.

I have read that there are approximately 500 different viola species growing around the world, so I have plenty of scope for sourcing many more for my garden.

Another beautiful little flower that provides nectar and pollen so a jolly good choice all round.

I grow my violas in the front of my flower borders and also in some pots of peat free compost. They can also look wonderful in window boxes and hanging baskets.

Like the fabulous pansy, they just need a flower snip as the blooms fade.

Planting out winter bedding plants

I plant my winter bedding plants in October and November, before the first frosts if possible. Yuk let’s not think about those yet!

Primarily, I plant in October and early November as the soil is still warm, so the plants can settle in quickly and develop some strong roots.

Additionally, this supports some faster growth, ready for some turbo charged flowering later.

However, I shall continue to plant some colourful winter bedding plants through until late November this year too as the temperatures are still fairly high.

I have been known to plant them even later and have still had some fantastic colourful flowers for several months.

Next, I have chosen a flower that extends the colour into spring.

Wallflowers for spring

In addition to the winter bedding plants, I also plant wallflowers to take the colour into spring.

Now is the best time to get some wallflowers to plant with spring bulbs. The wallflowers come as bare root plants which can then be planted straight into the ground or into pots.

They like a sunny well drained soil but will tolerate a little shade if they have to.

In addition to the bright yellow plants in my photo, I also grow bright and zingy red and orange plus some cool cream varieties.

Each variety has a lovely scent and will flower from early spring right up until early summer. Growing to a height of around 30cm they are happy in borders and in pots.

One for the pollinators too so another fantastic reason to grow some wallflowers.

Sourcing winter bedding plants

I have added a few links below on where you could order some plants.

Thompson and Morgan wallflower options

Link for Thompson and Morgan pansy options

Link for viola’s from Thompson and Morgan

In addition to the winter bedding plants, now is the time to plant out those tulip bulbs. I have added links to a couple of my tulip posts below. It is not too late to get some bulbs as they prefer to be planted in November at the earliest.

Time to choose beautiful tulips for spring

More beautiful tulips, planting for the spring.

This blog is an affiliate for Thompson and Morgan. If you click on one of these links above, and make a purchase I may receive a commission, at no additional cost to you.

I hope that you will have plenty of colour in your gardens, pots and balconies during the winter and early spring.

Colourful displays of flowering plants are such a boost to wellbeing and helps us get through a dreary winter. Additionally, these flowers will help our wildlife too.

I hope that you have enjoyed this post on some of the best winter bedding plants.

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