Suddenly its summer and you look out the window and realise you never fulfilled your self-made promise to grow some flowers this season. The thought of setting up seed trays makes you sigh and you’re not really feeling that confident on this growing thing yet anyway.

I’m here to release you from the idea that gardening is exclusively about growing from seed. I found, as I got started, that there was a real purist stance that if you were not ‘germinating, you were not gardening’.

I’m not here to dispute that growing from seed is a rewarding and a super cost effective practice, not to mention, often the only way to grow interesting and hard-to-find plants.

My favourite scouting of bedding plant options always happens at my local Oderings in Linwood.

However, plugging locally grown seedlings into pots or garden beds is a pain free alternative when the life wheel is going a bit fast.

If you are new to garden centres, you may find the signs referring to “bedding” plants a bit weird.

Essentially, these are your cheap and cheerful punnets of flowering annuals - meaning their life cycle is completed in a single year. Buying punnets of healthy, strong annual seedlings meant that my success rate of a getting a mature flowering plant was around 99 per cent, as opposed to my often-disastrous seed raising efforts.

Obviously buying seedlings is less bang for your buck then buying seeds, but for the cost of a coffee you can dip your toe into growing flowers, and with a bit of luck, they might be wildly good self seeders and go on to reward you in following years.

After a quick scan at my favourite local garden centres, I found that there were huge options of flowering annuals in punnets of 6 to 9 seedlings for between $3.80 and $5.00. Not to mention deals on buying multiple punnets or the box lots of 40 plants for $19. These are all robust seedlings that will mature and flower for you this coming summer, and if you are diligent with your dead heading, many will last until the first frosts.

There are few opportunities for instant gratification in growing a flower garden, but I would say this is as close as you get.

Antirrhinums (aka snapdragons)

I always grab a tray or two of the cheerful Bubblegum mix which grow to around 45 cm and Madame Butterfly mix which grows 60 – 75 cm tall.

They are satisfyingly plump and look beautiful planted tightly in the garden. As cut flowers they are fantastic especially if you harvest when only the bottom few buds have opened.

Cosmos

For first timers, the classic “Sonata” variety in pinks and whites will introduce you to the joy of happy cosmos in your garden, just always read the label so you know if you are buying dwarf or full size which is around 60 cm.

Keep your eyes peeled for lucky finds like the cupcake or seashell varieties not to mention the “Lemonade” and “Pink Ice” to mix things up!

Lobelia

You can buy this low growing, airy little plant in a rainbow of colours and also as trailing (great for baskets or over pots) or upright (great for garden edges.)

My favourite are the deep blues which delightfully have self seeded around my garden now, growing in cracks and together with others in pots. If you are frost free you might find that it continues to flower year round.

Nigella (aka love-in-the-mist)

A gorgeous if not alien looking bloom that has the added plus of having really interesting seed heads!

This plant is an eager self seeder if positioned in the sun which means you will get bang for your buck with it popping up in seasons to come.

Available in blues, whites and pinks it is also an incredibly long lasting flower for a vase.

Petunias

Don’t turn away just yet! Petunias might have a bit of an old fashioned, 80’s kind of vibe, but their froth factor and long flowering efforts have pulled them into my spotlight.

Again, they come in trailing and upright varieties and I have had fun with the classic milky whites as much as the crazy saturated berry coloured mixes. Keep an eye out for the double petalled and even striped varieties to bring some real frou frou circus vibes to your pots and garden.

White petunias with mini chrysanthemums and lobelia in a hanging basket

Queen Ann’s Lace

One of my favourite plants bringing an ethereal romance to the back of my garden. This is a taller option which is fun growing to around 1 metre high and their large, lacy white flowers will be sure to reward those who love texture. A pretty magical addition to a mixed arrangement too.

Sweet Peas

My most recommended plant for beginners to grow.

Designate a spot in the sun, that you can easily access to water and pile together a home page tee pee or the like for the vines to clamber up. There are a myriad of varieties to choose from and I would recommend going all in by selecting a mix so you get to enjoy an array of colour.

They are mostly deliciously fragrant and if you keep up the deadheading and ample watering, they will reward with endless flowers.

This article was first featured in my Stuff ‘Homed’ gardening column for beginners and The Press on December 14 2020
All words and images are my own, shot in my garden in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Studio Home Blog

Bedding Plants for Beginners