Spring is traditionally regarded as the optimal time to plant flowers, but it really depends on when you want them to bloom!
If your desire is for a summer garden bursting with colour and life, then spring will be best, but many people want their gardens to be full of flowers all year long.
This article will take a look at what to plant, and when to plant it.
January
The soil in January is often hard due to frost. While this doesn’t make planting impossible, it does mean using mostly indoor pots.
Begonias can be planted at the start of the month using multi-purpose compost, which you can then put outside in March. Lobelia should be planted in the middle of January – add good compost to the pots, and wrap them in polythene before storing in a warm spot until winter passes.
February
By February, you can start to plant for summer.
Perennials are popular February choices, such as acanthus and lupins, but they are not the only viable options. Petunias that have been planted with a dash of vermiculite alongside the seed compost will come up during summer in shades of pink, red and white.
March
March is the height of the planting season for summer. It is the perfect month for sowing marigolds so that they fill your garden with yellow, orange and red shades by summer.
You can put them straight into garden soil, but make sure to weed thoroughly first. You can plant dahlias in garden beds too, but it’s best to wait until late March for the last of the frost to clear, as they are not robust plants.
April
The weather should be improving by April, so you can start to bed in half-hardy plants.
Monarda flowers in striking reds can be planted in soil that is lightly moist during April. Be sure to sow them somewhere they will catch the sun. The yellow and red rudbeckia blooms are another fine April choice. Sow them in pots somewhere cool before moving to garden beds when they grow bigger.
May
Primrose can be planted in May in moist compost trays, but first you should store them in a fridge for up to four weeks.
After that, wait for them to germinate for another six, and then put them in the garden in early autumn. They will come up in a range of shades, from blue to yellow and pink.
Light blue cornflowers should also be planted during May, in pots that are kept outside. Put them in at a depth of a centimetre and place them five centimetres apart to get blooms from July to October.
June
It is now summer, and many flowers can be planted outdoors.
Alstroemeria is one that can go straight into garden soil, as long as you select a spot that provides some sun without too much glare. To contrast with the purples and reds of these, blue Canterbury bells can also be put straight into the garden in June for autumn flowering.
July
Any flowers planted in July will bloom in late autumn or spring, like foxglove. This should be sown late in the month using seed compost within a pot, watered and drained.
When the seeds germinate, they can be placed in separate pots before planting in your garden during the autumn or next spring. Beautiful blue forget-me-nots can go right into garden soil in July for a spring bloom.
August
This is a good month for sowing unusual plants. Cactus seeds can be placed in pots with gritty compost, before wrapping in plastic bags until the seeds germinate. They will be ready for their own separate pots by the following spring.
September
Poppy seeds planted in the garden during September will see lively red blooms burst forth next spring. This is also the ideal month for sowing wildflower seeds straight into the garden, as the frost during winter helps them to germinate more rapidly.
October
Chilly October is the right time for yellow cowslips. Put the seeds in dry soil, in a partly shaded area, and they will come up next spring.
Blue and purple phacelia is another fine spring flower that provides plenty of pollen and can cope with the harsh British winters if you plant during October.
November
Bare root roses can be put into garden beds this month for a spring flowering, but the roots must be well spaced. That is because they battle each other to get the nutrients from the soil.
Nemesia is another excellent choice, and one that grows better in colder temperatures, making November the ideal time for planting.
December
You can sow seeds even in the depths of winter! Colourful snapdragon can be put down in this month, as it can survive the frost and will come up beautifully in spring. Be sure to put the seeds in a spot where they are exposed to bright light.
