Planting Colour Combinations #SummerBeddingPlants

Every year we look at planting combinations and you can guarantee  there will be a whole range of new plants in the summer bedding.

Here are a few ideas

Above we have Heliotrope a rich purple flower with a vanilla aroma. It grows about 30cm tall. Dead head it from time to time. Despite being called blue it is one of the best purples.It is fabulously classy planted with white such as bacopa and geraniums but here is blends beautifully with Bacopa 'Giga Lavender' and Verbena 'Deep blue'.

Pots can be beautiful with a simple dahlia so don't feel its all about combinations. This dahlia 'Cherish Pink' can stand alone in a pot and hold its ground.Equally it could look great to plant perhaps 3 in a long trough and pick out the rose pink margin with some rose verbena or trailing geraniums.

Still with the purple tones the osteospernum and Verbena 'Deep Blue' and 'Black Night' petunia just zing.

A contrast can be wild and here is a perfect example the Black Night double trailing petunia with the new orange Bidens 'Hawaiian Flame'.

 From contrast to harmony take a soft pallet of apricots and oranges and calm the colours. Here we have Vancouver 'Centennial' the pelargonium geranium with fabulous purple foliage and orange single flowers, petunia Orange Morn, with calibrachoa 'Sunshine Berry'. This new little mini petunia has a two toned orange and yellow flower which can no be beaten. Its lovely.

Pastels in harmony so easily achieved with the new nemesia 'Bicolour Rose' and 'Dark Pink Berry' geranium and with the new Calibrachoa 'Lavender Sorbet'.

Surfina 'Sky Blue trailing petunias with a mix of orange none stop begonias and the new trailing 'Orange Morn' petunia. Another great contrast.

Hot pink is all about summer. This is Verbena vectura 'Rose' with Geranium'Dark Pink Berry' and Calibrachoa Rose.

Don't forget the simplicity of old favourites. I still love a pot of red geraniums. I am also very keen on pots of salvias. 'Hot lips' is still brilliant summer colour.

As the weather hotterns the petal tips turn white and become very striking.

I plant up troughs of 'Sallyfun Blue' this lovely saliva, just coming out in flower. It looks similar to lavender and its reasonably easy to dead head and keep watered enough throughout the summer!

Last but not least the old classic white marguerite. Always a joyful plant that looks perfect in a pot on its own.