Despite its trees and parks, London can feel very grey. To counter this, bedding plants have traditionally been used to bring colour and joy to window boxes, public parks and private gardens since the 19th century.
Geraniums, begonias, marigolds and petunias have for many years been planted in blocks to brighten up buildings and neighbourhoods. I’ve recently started paying more attention to the displays that are still here, and I am always uplifted when I see a cascade of petunias or pelargoniums.
Sadly, these displays are becoming increasingly rate in the capital. They are seen as expensive and time consuming, they often require frequent watering, weeding and deadheading. Most local councils abandoned their borders long ago — your borough might still have a few hanging baskets, if you’re lucky. The Royal Parks, Kew and the City of London are just about hanging in there. But there is a pressure to move away from the colourful displays.
“Instagram experiences have taken hold of London, and a growing number of shops, cafes and bars have begun using plastic flowers to adorn their frontages.”
There is a reasonable argument made by environmentalists to stop using bedding plants. This is especially true if they have been grown in peat and single use plastic. Historically, parks departments grew their own bedding plants in dedicated nurseries, and would recycle the pots and containers, and old plants at the end of each season. The Royal Parks still do this, bucking the trend, providing jobs and retaining skills. Many of these nurseries now sit abandoned, or have already been redeveloped.
As Instagram experiences have taken hold of London, a growing number of shops, cafes and bars have begun using plastic flowers to adorn their frontages. Environmentally, it is bonkers to fill a city struggling with biodiversity with plastic flowers, when real flowering plants, with real pollen and nectar could take their place.
London’s most photographed pub, the Churchill Arms in Kensington is living proof that real plants can deliver amazing displays.
The joy of bedding plants shouldn’t stop at public displays. Some of the easiest plants to grow call themselves bedding, and packets filled with hundreds of seeds can be found in most garden centres for just a couple of pounds. Growing from seed at home cuts down on all the plastic waste, and requires only a small amount of peat-free compost.
“Environmentally, it is bonkers to fill a city struggling with biodiversity with plastic flowers’”
There are three broad categories of bedding plants, hardy annuals, half hardy annuals and tender annuals. In London, even some of the tender annuals might survive the winter in a mild location.
At this time of year, you can begin sowing hardy annuals directly into the soil, where you would like them to grow next year. Two of my favourites are honeywort (Cerinthe Major) and pot marigolds (Calendula) both self-seed freely.
Half hardy and tender annuals are best sown in the spring, these are fast growing plants reaching full size in just a few months. If you’ve got a bit of windowsill space, many bedding plants will also grow from cuttings, which you can take in autumn for displays next year. Geranium, Begonia, Glechoma and Fuchsia are a great place to start, but they do need a bit of winter warmth.
